ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Births
• Engagements
• Weddings
• Anniversaries
• Obituaries
• Tribute: Carl Dailey

Births

Michael and Kirsten (Korthuis) Nelte of the Tacoma, Washington, congregation are very excited to announce the birth of their first child, Gareth Daniel Nelte. Gareth was born on Oct. 25, 2007, at 9 pounds 3 ounces and 22 inches long. Two days later, he had dangerously high jaundice and was at high risk for hearing loss and brain damage, but God healed him completely. Gareth began as a blessing and became a miracle!

Proud grandparents are Roger and Diane Korthuis, Washington; Barb Riley, Colorado; and Frank and Kathy Nelte, Texas.

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Sam and Sena (Martens) Bradley of Cambridgeshire, England, would like to announce the birth of their first child. Joshua Richard Bradley was born June 24, 2007. He weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces. Joshua is the first great-grandchild of delighted Paul and Jennie Lang of Eugene, Oregon. His grandpa, Tim Martens, and stepgrandma, Linda Martens, attend the Bentonville, Arkansas. congregation. Joshua is a happy, healthy and very loved little boy!

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David, Vicki (Grant) and Abigail Lawson of Lubbock, Texas, are pleased to announce the arrival of not one, but two little boys to our family. Samuel Gordon (5 pounds 10 ounces) and Daniel Robert (5 pounds 9 ounces) arrived on Nov. 11, 2007. They came a little early at 34 weeks and were in NICU for a short while to help with their breathing, but came home healthy and have been growing ever since. We are not wealthy, but we truly are rich with these little blessings from God.

Happy grandparents are Wanda (Selman) Lawson of Lubbock and Gordon and Lynette (Griffith) Grant of Cypress, Texas. They were also welcomed by many aunts and uncles and numerous cousins.

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Andy and Lisa (Lausted) Wagner of the Minneapolis, Minnesota, congregation are happy to announce the birth of their son, Elijah James. Elijah was born Aug. 14, 2007, weighing 9 pounds 3 ounces and measuring 21½ inches long. Elijah is the first grandchild for both sets of grandparents, Dennis and Kathy Lausted and John and Teri Wagner, all of Menomonie, Wisconsin. Great grandparents are Lloyd and Norma Nelson of Rochester, Minnesota, and Joyce Marine of Menomonie.

Elijah had a rough start and is a testament to many answered prayers. Please visit his CaringBridge Web site for updates (www.caringbridge.org/visit/elijahwagner).

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Anna Graciella Evangelista Larosa was born May 30, 2008. She weighed 7.3 pounds (3.31 kilograms) and was 16.53 inches (48 centimeters) long. Anna Elizabeth, the mother, was supposed to have a cesarean section operation due to swelling veins, but with God's help she was able to have a normal delivery. Father Noel, 12-year-old brother Emmanuel and 7-year-old sister Anna Viktoria were ecstatic to receive the latest addition to the family. The Larosa family attends the UCG-Manila, Philippines, congregation.

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Karen Bradley is thrilled to announce the adoption of Macyn Aynadis, who was born May 1, 2007, in Awassa, Ethiopia. Big sisters Micah and Daryn traveled with her to Ethiopia to bring their little sister home on Dec. 25, 2007. Anxiously awaiting her arrival in Phoenix were big brothers Kevin and Clay and sister Bryndan. Macyn is the ninth granddaughter and 13th grandchild for Tim and Mary Ann Hazelip.

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Paul and Coreen Wasilkoff are pleased to announce the arrival of Jayden Isaac. Jayden was born on May 8, 2008, weighing 8 pounds 10 ounces and measuring 20¾ inches long. Jayden's older brothers, Logan and Anthony, are thrilled to have another playmate.

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Javier and Cheryl (Howell) Riquelme of Dayton, Ohio, are delighted to announce the birth of their son, Michael Allen. Michael was born Jan. 28, 2008. He weighed 10 pounds 9 ounces and was 22½ inches long. His two big sisters, Kimberly and Jennifer, are so excited to have a little brother to play with. The proud grandparents are Clyde and Donna Howell of West Milton, Ohio, and Luis and Sonia Riquelme of Santiago, Chile.

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Engagements

Cheryl Roth, of the Grand Rapids, Michigan, congregation, together with Renee Huff of Kalamazoo, Michigan, are pleased to announce the engagement of their children, Elizabeth "Annie" Kendall-Roth and Kyle Huff. Elizabeth and Kyle have been best friends for a number of years and the couple will be united in marriage Aug. 17, 2008.

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Mr. and Mrs. William Leonard as well as Mr. and Mrs. Keith Powers are pleased to announce the engagement of their son Christopher William Leonard and daughter Amber Nichol Powers. The wedding will be Oct. 12, 2008, the day before the Feast of Tabernacles, at Jekyll Island, Georgia, on the beach. The happy couple will continue to reside in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and attend the Charlotte, North Carolina, congregation.

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Weddings

On Dec. 16, 2007, in the sunlit garden setting of the historic Chateau Yering in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia, a wedding took place. This celebration of the marriage between Susannah Inessa Watson and Graeme John Dean was a special event for their families and friends from both extended Melbourne and Sydney congregations.

Susannah is the eldest daughter of Kevin and Lorraine Watson, Melbourne East members, and Graeme is the son of Sydney pastor Bruce Dean and his wife, Jeanette.

The beautiful bride was attended by Sophia Karagiannidis and Susannah's younger sisters, Esther and Laura Watson. Graeme was attended by Todd Johnson, Jonathan Backman and Antoine Smiley.

The wedding theme was white and gold, a string quartet played and, in answer to many prayers, the sun shone. Melbourne pastor Barry Williams performed the ceremony.

A formal reception was held in The Oak Room with toasts, speeches, laughter and, of course, fantastic dancing. Guests came from near and far. Amy Fann (Graeme's grandmother) came all the way from South Africa for the occasion. Guests formed a long hand arch to honor the bride and groom on their journey into married life.

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Mike and Holly Beyer of Kansas City, Missouri, and Glenn and Ronda Creech of Cincinnati, Ohio, are pleased to announce the marriage of their children Valerie Ann and Caleb Alan on May 25, 2008.

The ceremony was held in Independence, Missouri, officiated by Greg Sargent. The wedding attendants included Caleb's brothers, Joshua, Aaron and Nathan Creech, and Valerie's sisters, Jill Webster, Katie Froedge and Heather Hare. The newlyweds relaxed on a cruise through the Western Caribbean including Key West, Cozumel and Belize. The couple will be residing in Kansas City for the summer before returning to school in Morehead, Kentucky, where they will attend the Cincinnati congregation.

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Anniversaries

Norm and Donna Myers celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary during a weekend of festivities in February. The setting was the beautiful Miracle Lodge near Stewartville, Minnesota, which housed all guests. The 70 family members and friends celebrated together with sleigh rides, snow tubing, games, food and great fellowship!

It was a wonderful weekend with all of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren present. Norm and Donna have five married adult children, all Church members, Debby and Jerry Jaeger, Skip and Marilou Myers, Steve and Kathe Myers, Dave and Pam Myers and John and Patricia Myers; 15 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Norm and Donna have served the Church in Pasadena, California; Denver, Colorado; Dayton, Ohio; Kenosha and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and started the Milwaukee and Oshkosh UCG congregations. They currently serve as an elder in the Oshkosh congregation. Norm also serves as a city alderman and county supervisor. Donna enjoys gardening, painting and any time she can spend with her great-grandchildren.

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Obituaries

Toy Mastey, age 75, of Lawton, Oklahoma, died of cancer May 18, 2008, in a local care center. She was born April 14, 1933, in Nagana, Japan. She married Robert Mastey in Tokyo in 1957 and worked as a beautician for more than 30 years.

Survivors include her husband; a sister, of Japan; and three brothers, all of Japan. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Toy became interested in God's Church in Lawton in 1994. She was baptized on April 20, 1998. Obvious to all who knew her, God's way of life was a fervent passion.

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Suzanne A. Kieler, 68, was born Sept. 24, 1939, in Waterloo, Iowa. She married Steven Kieler in 1991, and they resided in Fort Dodge, Iowa. They moved to Lakeland, Florida, in 2007. Suzanne died of lung cancer May 10, 2008, at her home.

Suzie was baptized in 1995 and served the Church in many capacities.

She is survived by her husband, Steven; four daughters, all of Fort Dodge; 12 grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter. She was preceded in death by her parents and a grandson.

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Grace Elzora Myers, a member of the Spokane, Washington/Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, congregation, died March 26, 2008, at Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, from a heart attack at the age of 80.

Grace was a faithful servant in God's Church for over 30 years and was baptized, along with her husband, Walt, in 1976. They were married for 45 years until Walt's death in 1997.

Grace will be greatly missed by the brethren and especially by her three daughters, four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, a sister (Catherine), several nieces and one nephew.

A memorial service was conducted April 2 in Coeur d'Alene by her pastor, Mark Mickelson.

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Maryann Barger Lagoda, 73, of Bainbridge, Georgia, died March 30, 2008, at her residence. Mrs. Lagoda was born June 13, 1934, in Langhorn, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Nicholas Grimm Barger and Isabelle Edna Price Barger. She graduated from Langhorn High School, was a homemaker and a member of the United Church of God in Geneva, Alabama.

Survivors include her husband of 55 years, Steven C. Lagoda of Bainbridge, a UCG member; her son Robert C. "Bob" Lagoda of Wallace, South Carolina; five daughters: Deborah Gail "Debbie" Lagoda of Bristol, Pennsylvania, Cynthia Lee "Cindy" Parker of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, Linda Mary Brown of Kenneth City, Florida, Sabdra Marie "Sandy" Gundy of Langhorn and Rebecca Lou "Becky" Klinger of Wiconisco, Pennsylvania; three brothers: Bill Barger, Sam Barger and David Barger; three sisters: Grace Dorman, Dolly McKibbin and Sue Barger; 12 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

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James Edward Evans, 69, of Dothan, Alabama, died April 16, 2008. Mr. Evans was a retired machinist for General Motors and a member of the United Church of God in Geneva, Alabama. He is survived by his daughter, Kathy Leanne Dorado, and granddaughter, Nicole Dorado, of Maryland; his brothers, David Evans of Birmingham, Alabama, Thomas Evans of Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Doug Evans, Wayne Evans and Marty Evans, all of the Shoals, Alabama; his sisters, Wilma Oswalt of Birmingham, Myrle Dewberry of Lakeland, Florida, and Jewel Patterson, Judy Patterson and Susan Bevis, all of the Shoals.

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Barry MacFarlane, a longtime member of the Oakland, California, congregation, died May 19, 2008, in his downtown San Francisco apartment at the age of 62. Barry battled various serious health problems over the years, the last years being confined to a wheelchair. Barry was a unique and beloved member of the congregation, who came to San Francisco from Florida in the 1970s. For over 30 years he was a San Francisco sidewalk musician, known (and heard) by many in the community. Prior to being called he served in the U.S. Navy.

Memorial services were held for Barry on May 31, conducted by Mark Rorem shortly after regular Oakland Sabbath services. The memorial ended with a recorded bagpipe rendition of "Amazing Grace." Barry looked forward to the second coming of Christ and the first resurrection. He will be greatly missed by the brethren who knew him.

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Barbara McCormick, 82, of the Garden Grove, California, congregation, died June 5, 2008, after several years of declining health.

Barbara was born in January 1926 in New York. She had varied interests while growing up, but her passion for music stood out, and she excelled in piano and organ. In 1951 she was first runner-up in the New York state pageant of the Miss America contest. After that she worked for a while as a TV actress and model. Most of her work career was for the government, and when she retired in 1983, she was a revenue representative for the Internal Revenue Service.

Barbara was married in 1963 to Air Force Lt. Robert McCormick. She was able to travel abroad, living in Japan and Hawaii. She loved traveling, reading and learning.

In 1968, she began subscribing to The Plain Truth magazine and was baptized in 1970. Barbara enjoyed serving the local congregations, especially with her musical talents on the piano and organ, accompanying the choir, special music or setting the tone by playing before services began.

A memorial service was held June 21 with Mario Seiglie presiding.

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Wayne Mullins, age 80, of the Asheboro, North Carolina, congregation, died May 10, 2008. He was born Oct. 2, 1927, in Pound, Virginia, where he grew up to adulthood. After serving in the U.S. Army, he returned to his home area and married the girl who grew up across the street, Gaythleen Griffith, a marriage that would last for over 55 years.

Wayne and Gay met a baptizing tour and both were baptized on June 27, 1963. They went to their first Feast of Tabernacles that fall, and soon after the Feast in November they were charter members of the new Greensboro, North Carolina, congregation.

In 1964 they moved to the Greensboro area, where they have lived ever since. They continued as faithful members through the years, and in May 1995 they were charter members of the new United Church of God congregation in Asheboro. In recent years, especially the last year, Wayne's health began to fail. He was no longer able to attend church services regularly nor attend the Feast of Tabernacles.

Wayne is survived by his wife of 55 years, Gay; by five children, Jeff Mullins, Patricia Ritchie, Andy Mullins, Chris Mullins and Jennifer Powell; by seven grandchildren; by five great-grandchildren; and by two sisters.

Many were present to show their love, honor and respect at the family reception and graveside service on May 13 and 14. Wayne lived a full and rich life, and he will be greatly missed by family, friends and Church members. Now he rests from his labors until the Kingdom he lived for and looked forward to becomes a reality on the earth at the second coming of Christ.

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Tribe: Carl Dailey

Carl Dailey was born March 20, 1930, in South Bend, Indiana. He died suddenly of a heart attack June 16, 2008. He was 78 years old and very active in the Church and in his career until his death.

His family moved to Chicago, Illinois, when he was very young. His mother died soon after, and then he and his two brothers were reared by their father who was a barber, and they lived in the back of the barbershop.

He married Susan Ohlson in 1953 and soon after was drafted into the Army and served as an education specialist in Korea from 1953 to 1955. He graduated from Roosevelt University, Chicago, with a B.A. degree in 1958.

Four children were born between 1956 and 1964. The family moved from Chicago to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1962, and Carl was called by God in 1968. The family moved to Southern California in 1972. After Susan died, Carl married Nancy in 1995. He retired from Farmers Insurance Company in 2006 after a long career as an insurance agent. He continued teaching insurance classes part-time until his death.

Yet behind this normal narrative is an extraordinary spiritual account of Carl Dailey. When he learned about God's truths, he adopted them with great fervor. He sacrificed much to follow God's commandments. He learned to overcome. He grew from member, to deacon, to elder and faithfully followed and taught God's Word. He faithfully served as an elder in the United Church of God, first in the Redlands, California, congregation, then in the Garden Grove, California, congregation from 1995 until his death. We deeply appreciate the tireless service Carl and Nancy have given to the Church over the past several decades!

Over 200 friends and family, from as far away as Chicago, Cincinnati (Ohio) and Phoenix, attended the graveside service held at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California. Mario Seiglie, pastor of the Garden Grove and Hawaii congregations, presided at the memorial service.

Carl is survived by his children, his grandchildren and his wife. His wife, Nancy, attends the Garden Grove congregation.

—Mario Seiglie

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Announcements: Members are welcome to submit announcements of the births, engagements, weddings, significant anniversaries (25, 40, 50, 60, etc.) and obituaries in their families. Please include a self-addressed envelope if you would like photos returned. Most items are 50 to 100 words and should not exceed 250 words. Please e-mail (preferred) or give them to your local pastor to forward to United News.