IN MEMORIAM (March 2020)
Obituary information is provided by district offices to the Synod’s Office of Rosters and Statistics. Any questions about content should be referred, therefore, to the appropriate district office. — Ed.
ORDAINED
DITTMAR, GARY DEAN REV., Nov. 28, 1952, to Dec. 14, 2019, son of Lawrence and Elva Dittmar; SMP Certified 2019. Served 2019. Ministry/Parish: South Euclid, Ohio. Survivors: Emma (Kaufman) Dittmar; son: Andrew. Funeral: Dec. 20, 2019, South Euclid, Ohio.
FILBERT, BERNHARD WILHELM REV., Aug. 26, 1935, Bruchsal, Germany, to Nov. 23, 2019, Louisville, Ky.; son of Ludwig and Barbara (Lautenbach) Filbert Scheiblin; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1961. Served 1961-1997. Ministries/Parishes: Mercer Island, Wash.; Bronxville, N.Y.; Louisville, Ky. Retired 1997. Preceded in death by his wife Alvera (Johnson) Filbert. Survivors: sons: Randall, Mark; daughter: Chandra Crawley. Memorial Service: Dec. 7, 2019, Louisville, Ky.
HOERLE, DARREL D. REV., March 27, 1932, Chambers, Neb., to Nov. 22, 2019, Joplin, Mo.; son of Earl and Helen (Russell) Hoerle; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1958. Served 1958-1996. Ministries/Parishes: Varna, Tuscola, Clayton, Mt. Sterling, El Paso, Ill.; Reynolds, Ind.; Indianola, Iowa; Lockwood, El Dorado Springs, Mo. Retired 1996. Survivors: Clara (Twiss) Hoerle; sons: Darrel Jr., Dale.
JOHNSON, HARRY N. REV., Dec. 27, 1925, Washington, Pa., to Nov. 12, 2019, Morristown, N.J.; son of Karl and Mathilda Johnson; graduated Philadelphia Seminary 1955. Served 1980-1987. Ministry/Parish: Plainfield, N.J. Retired 1987. Survivors: Dorothea (Drews) Johnson; sons: David, James; daughter: Ruth Anne De Palma. Funeral: Nov. 23, 2019, Basking Ridge, N.J.; Interment: Nov. 23, 2019, Woodbridge, N.J.
JACOB, ROY A. REV., Dec. 31, 1930, Milwaukee, Wis., to Dec. 29, 2019; son of George and Ruth (Becker) Jacob; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1955. Served 1955-1994. Ministries/Parishes: Greenville, Miss.; Bogalusa, La.; Vernon, Texas; Hot Springs, Ark. Retired 1995.
KARNER, ROY RAYMOND REV., March 3, 1928, Guthrie, Okla., to Dec. 11, 2019, Chanhassen, Minn.; son of Frank and Esther (Schultz) Karner; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1954. Served 1954-1993. Ministries/Parishes: Hong Kong, Hopkins, Minn. Retired 1993. Survivors: Elizabeth (Werschler) Karner; daughters: Kim, Kathi, Keri, Lori. Funeral and Interment: Dec. 17, 2019, Hopkins, Minn.
KUEHNE, STEVEN JOHN REV., May 22, 1949, St. Cloud, Minn., to Nov. 3, 2019, Northfield, Minn.; son of John and Margaret (Stapel) Kuehne; graduated Ft. Wayne Seminary 1977. Served 1977-2013. Ministries/Parishes: Milwaukee, Wis.; Atwater, Faribault, Minn. Retired 2013. Survivors: Susan (Ugo) Kuehne; sons: Joel, Rev. Jonathan, Jeremiah; daughters: Sarah Brazfield, Haidee Selle. Funeral and Interment: Nov. 8, 2019, Faribault, Minn.
MUELLER, ORVAL D. REV., Dec. 3, 1937, Clayton, Mo., to Nov. 19, 2019, Florissant, Mo.; son of Erich and Meta (Kropp) Mueller; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1964. Served 1964-2003. Ministries/Parishes: New Orleans, La.; Jackson, Miss.; Southern District President 1988-2003; Southern District Circuit Visitor 1979-1988. Retired 2003. Survivors: Clara (Rittmann) Mueller; son: Kevin; daughters: Sarah Peters, Sonya Kibbee. Funeral and Interment: Nov. 23, 2019, St. Louis, Mo.
MUENCH, HERBERT EDMUND REV., Aug. 25, 1933, Menfro, Mo., to Sept. 25, 2019, St. Charles, Mo.; son of John and Norma Muench; colloquy 1977. Served 1977-1998. Ministries/Parishes: St. Louis, Mo.; Evansville, Ind.; Indiana District Circuit Visitor 1987-1991. Retired 1998. Preceded in death by his wife Melba Muench. Survivors: sons: Loren, Mark; daughter: Norma. Funeral and Interment: Sept. 30, 2019, St. Charles, Mo.
POWELL, H. CHRIS REV., Nov. 23, 1939, Cartersville, Ga., to Dec. 21, 2019, Nashville, Tenn.; son of Hubert and Nita (Johnson) Powell; graduated Springfield Seminary 1974. Served 1974-2001. Ministries/Parishes: Hanceville, Ala.; Nashville, Tenn.; Mid-South District Circuit Visitor 1994-1997. Retired 2001. Survivors: Dorothy (Jones) Powell; daughters: Christy Biles, Julia Hedrick. Funeral: Dec. 23, 2019, Nashville, Tenn.
SEYING, LAOKOUXANG REV., Sept. 7, 1964, Xiengkhoung, Laos, to Nov. 23, 2019, St. Louis, Mo.; son of James and Mao (Yang) Seying; graduated Ft. Wayne Seminary 1991. Served 1991-2019. Ministries/Parishes: St. Paul, Burnsville, Minn.; Merced, Sacramento, Calif.; St. Louis, Mo. Survivors: Maykou (Kue) Seying; sons: Seth, Malachi; daughters: Grace, Sarah. Funeral: Dec. 7, 2019, St. Louis, Mo.
COMMISSIONED
GUENTHER, VERNON C., June 2, 1928, Nortonville, Kan., to June 27, 2019, Frankenmuth, Mich.; son of Rev. Ernest and Ella (Fajen) Guenther; graduated Seward 1950. Served 1950-1994. Schools/Ministries: Frankenmuth, Mich.; Crown Point, New Haven, Ind.; Cleveland, Ohio. Retired 1994. Survivors: Leona (Loesel) Guenther; sons: John, Michael, Dan; daughter: Anne. Funeral and Interment: July 3, 2019, Frankenmuth, Mich.
MEYR, DELVIN G., Dec. 24, 1942, New Wells, Mo., to March 20, 2019, St. Louis, Mo.; son of Gilbert and Florence (Hutteger) Meyr; graduated Seward 1966. Served 1966-2006. Schools/Ministries: Jefferson City, Arnold, Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Mo.; Little Rock, Mountain Home, Ark. Retired 2006. Survivors: Dorothy Meyr; sons: Darrin, Daniel, Dwight, David; daughter: DeAnn Hein. Memorial Service and Interment: March 23, 2019, Cape Girardeau, Mo.
OETTING, DONNA LOUISE (STRAUB), Oct. 18, 1946, Waynesville, Mo., to May 4, 2019, Emma, Mo.; daughter of Harold and Grace (Remington) Straub; colloquy 2009. Served 2012-2014. School/Ministry: Concordia, Mo. Survivors: Dennis Oetting; sons: Aaron, Adam.; daughters: Jessica Rosenkvist, Joelle Coutu. Memorial Service and Interment: June 29, 2019, Emma, Mo.
RABE, NEAL F., April 14, 1937, Elmhurst, Ill., to Nov. 4, 2019, St. Louis, Mo.; son of Walter and Renata (Abel) Rabe; graduated River Forest 1960. Served 1960-1999. Schools/Ministries: Tulsa, Okla.; Villa Park, Hillside, Addison, Arlington Heights, Ill.; St. Louis, Mo. Retired 1999. Survivors: Karen Rabe; daughters: Kristen Hooker, Dawn. Memorial Service: Nov. 18, 2019, St. Louis, Mo.
SIEVERT, DAVID R., March 21, 1964, Fort Wayne, Ind., to Dec. 1, 2019, Frankenmuth, Mich.; son of Raymond and Kathleen Sievert; graduated Seward 1987. Served 1987-2016. Schools/ Ministries: Sparta, Collinsville, St. Peter, Ill.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Frankenmuth, Mich. Retired 2016. Survivors: Brenda (Radway) Sievert; son: Benjamin; daughters: Katelyn Cody, Emily Deschaine, Liesl. Memorial Service: Dec. 6, 2019, Frankenmuth, Mich.
SODEMANN, BETTY JAYNE (SCHREIBER), May 5, 1931, to Jan. 27, 2019, New Berlin, Wis.; graduated Mequon 1982. Served 1982-1997. School/Ministry: Mequon, Wis. Retired 1997. Survivors: Robert Sodemann; sons: Robert, Thomas, William; daughter: Susan Monfre. Funeral and Interment: Feb. 23, 2019, Hales Corner, Wis.
TSCHATSCHULA, MALTON LEROY, June 17, 1928, Winchester, Texas, to Nov. 6, 2019, Houston, Texas; son of Oswald and Esther (Pietsch) Tschatschula; graduated River Forest 1951. Served 1951-1992. Schools/Ministries: Houston, Austin, Texas. Retired 1992. Survivors: Virginia (Anderson) Tschatschula; son: Terrance; daughter: Holly Choyce.
