IN MEMORIAM (December 2023)
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
ANTON, CARL JOHN REV., April 13, 1941, Philadelphia, Pa., to Sept. 9, 2023, West Hartford, Conn.; graduated Springfield Seminary 1976.  Served 1976-2006.  Ministries/Parishes: Elmhurst, Ill.; West Hartford, Conn.  Retired 2006.  Preceded in death by his wife Joan (Maas) Anton.  Funeral: Oct. 14, 2023, West Hartford, Conn.
CIPRYS, FRANK CHARLES REV., Oct. 9, 1942, Chicago, Ill., to Sept. 4, 2023, Rockford, Ill.; son of Frank and Rena (Carlson) Ciprys; SMP certification 2012.  Served 2012-2023.  Ministry/Parish: Rockford, Ill.  Survivors: Bonnie (Johnson) Ciprys; son: Frank; daughter: Nicole Ruger.  Funeral: Sept. 15, 2023, Rockford, Ill.; Interment: Sept. 15, 2023, Walworth, Wis.
ELSNER, ROBERT C. REV., Dec. 18, 1936, Aurora, Ill., to Sept. 3, 2023, Trinity, Fla.; son of Kurt and Anna (Truemper) Elsner; graduated Springfield Seminary 1962.  Served 1962-2002.  Ministries/Parishes: Ringwood, N.J.; LaPorte, Ind.; Tampa, Fla. Retired 2002. Survivors: Carol (Schwabe) Elsner; son: Jerome; daughters: Debborah, Justina, Jennifer.
HEATH, TIMMOTHY WARREN SR. REV., Dec. 31, 1959, Ft. Knox, Ky., to Aug. 28, 2023, Holton, Kan.; son of Leonard and Clara (Gilbert) Heath; graduated Ft. Wayne Seminary 2004.  Served 2004-2023.  Ministries/Parishes: Casper, Wyo.; Holton, Netawaka, Westphalia, Kan.; Slidell, La.; Waukesha, Wis.; Hobe Sound, Fla. Kansas District Circuit Visitor 2023.  Survivors: Susanna (Mangold) Heath; sons: Timmothy Jr., Jonathan; daughter: Corinne.  Funeral: Sept. 2, 2023, Holton, Kan.; cremation.
HEIMLICH, GERALD PAUL REV., June 17, 1940, Rensselaer, Ind., to Aug. 29, 2023, Grove City, Ohio; son of Herman and Lula (Rowen) Heimlich; colloquy 1972.  Served 1972-2002.  Ministries/Parishes: Falls City, Neb.; Osseo, Minn.; Dublin, Amlin, Ohio.  Retired 2002.  Preceded in death by his wife Lois (Melchert) Heimlich.  Survivors: son: John; daughters: Lynn, Carrie, Katherine McLain.  Funeral: Sept. 20, 2023, Dublin, Ohio.
REITH, MERLIN L. REV., Dec. 19, 1938, Palmer, Kan., to July 21, 2023, Blair, Neb.; son of Louis and Meta (Conrad) Reith; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1964.  Served 1964-1982; 1990-1996; 1997-2004.  Ministries/Parishes: St. Louis, Mo.; Port Edwards, Wis.; Garden City, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; Phoenix, Ariz.  Retired 2004.  Preceded in death by his wife Eunice (Hopemann) Reith.  Survivors: Marjorie (Madej) Reigh; sons: Neil, Mark Logemann, Paul Logemann, Ryan Logemann; daughters: Sheila Franks, Lori Wachter.  Memorial Service: July 31, 2023, Gretna, Neb.; Int erment: July 31, 2023, Omaha, Neb.
RENNER, MARTIN HETTINGER REV., May 23, 1933, Madison, Neb., to Sept. 2, 2023, St. Petersburg, Fla.; son of Charles Sr. and Marie (Hoos) Renner; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1958.  Served 1958-2000.  Ministries/Parishes: Butte, Omaha, Neb.; Coal Valley, Ill.; Ortonville, Minn.; N. Ft. Myers, Fla.  Retired 2000.  Preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth (Bergen) Renner.  Survivors: son: Scott; daughters: Ann Schickowski, Kristi.  Celebration of Life: Sept. 8, 2023, St. Petersburg, Fla.
COMMISSIONED
BRAATZ, RUTH E., Sept. 25, 1932, Whittemore, Iowa, to Sept. 15, 2023, Beloit, Wis.; daughter of Louis and Olga (Huellen) Braatz; graduated River Forest 1960.  Served 1976-1995.  Schools/Ministries: Wentzville, Mo.; Janesville, Wis. Retired 1995.  Funeral: Sept. 23, 2023, Janesville, Wis.; cremation.
BRAEGER, GRACE LENORE DEAC., May 17, 1929, West Bend, Wis., to Aug. 24, 2023, West Bend, Wis.; daughter of Ernst and Elizabeth (Laubenstein) Braeger; graduated Valparaiso 1950.  Joined LCMS as Emeritus in 1990.  Funeral and Interment: Sept. 1, 2023, West Bend, Wis.
EVERTS, CARL HENRY, Nov. 25, 1930, Grafton, Neb., to Aug. 7, 2023, Lincoln, Neb.; son of John and Anna (Wietzke) Everts; graduated Seward 1953.  Served 1953-1994.  Schools/Ministries: Flint, Mich.; Germantown, Iowa; Austin, Texas; Seward, Neb.  Retired 1994.  Preceded in death by his wife Helen (Boernsen) Everts.  Survivors: son: Michael; daughters: Marcia Houchin, Karla Billen, Jennine Neihardt.  Funeral and Interment: Aug. 12, 2023, Seward, Neb.
GLEITZ, DIANE JEAN (DOMBROSKI), Dec. 9, 1958, Utica, Mich., to Aug. 28, 2023, Louisville, Ky.; daughter of Donald and Irene Dombroski; graduated River Forest 1981.  Served 1989-1999.  Ministries/Parishes: Wauwatosa, Wis.; Lanesville, Ind.  Retired 2000.  Survivors: Rev. Monty Gleitz; sons: Phillip, Matthew; daughters: Danielle Howlett, Kristin Gleitz.  Funeral: Sept. 2, 2023, Elizabethtown, Ky.; Interment: Sept. 2, 2023, Lexington, Ky.
HEMMANN, OLIVER R., Jan. 14, 1950, Gatesville, Texas, to July 9, 2023, Oak Brook, Ill.; son of Louis and Erna (Lehmann) Hemmann; graduated Seward 1979.  Served 1982-2012.  School/Ministry: Melrose Park, Ill. Retired 2012.  Survivors: Beth (Holstein) Hemmann; son: Michael; daughters: Amanda Ziupsnys, Katherine Cunningham.  Funeral: July 17, 2023, Forest Park, Ill.
HURD, JAMES A., Jan. 28, 1947, Detroit, Mich., to July 20, 2023, Royal Oak, Mich.; graduated Seward 1970.  Served 1970-2009.  School/Ministry: Saginaw, Mich. Retired 2009.  Survivor: Loraine (Einspahr) Hurd.  Celebration of Life: July 24, 2023, Saginaw, Mich.
JONES, KAREN BETH (PETERSON), Dec. 6, 1954, Charleston, S.C., to May 12, 2023, Canton, Mich.; graduated Ann Arbor 1994.  Served 1994-2005; 2007-2019.  Schools/Ministries: Detroit, Westland, Ann Arbor, Mich.  Retired 2019.  Survivors: W. Gregory Jones; daughters: Rachel Rutter, Maggie.  Funeral: June 1, 2023, Ann Arbor, Mich.
KELL, DELMAR A., June 25, 1940, Wausau, Wis., to Aug. 1, 2023, Midland, Mich.; son of Arnold and Ruth Kell; graduated River Forest 1962.  Served 1962-2000.  Schools/Ministries: Taylor, Reed City, Midland, Mich. Retired 2000.  Preceded in death by his wife Mary (Brubaker) Kell.  Survivors: son: David; daughters: Ruth Carlton, Janet Gyllenhammer, Lori Lewis.  Funeral: Aug. 5, 2023, Midland, Mich.
KORTE, MARY H. (HURN), March 5, 1946, Boston, Mass., to July 30, 2023, Mequon, Wis.; daughter of Eugene and Lola (Gates) Hurn; colloquy 2000.  Served 2000-2018.  School/Ministry: Mequon, Wis.  Retired 2018.  Survivors: Don Korte Jr.; son: Don III.  Funeral: Aug. 8, 2023, Glendale, Wis.; Interment: Aug. 22, 2023, Union Grove, Wis.
PAPE, DONALD EDWIN, Jan. 13, 1931, Concordia, Mo., to Aug. 20, 2023, Ft. Wayne, Ind.; son of Edwin and Florence (Frerking) Pape; graduated Seward 1953.  Served 1953-1989.  Schools/Ministries: Inglewood, Calif.; Omaha, Neb.; Storm Lake, Iowa; Ft. Wayne, Ind. Retired 1989.  Survivors: Betty (Schmidt) Pape; sons: Marcus, Gregory, Matthew; daughters: Ellen Mann, Erica Taylor, Ginger Leinhos, Karla Harris.  Funeral and Interment: Sept. 2, 2023, Ft. Wayne, Ind.
REINKE, RALPH LOUIS, June 22, 1927, Elmhurst, Ill., to April 27, 2023, Sun City, Ariz.; son of Louis and Malinda (Beckmann) Reinke; graduated River Forest 1949.  Served 1949-1990.  Schools/Ministries: Houston, Texas; River Forest, Ill.; St. Louis, Mo.; Seward, Neb.  Retired 1990.  Preceded in death by his wife Lois (Borneman) Reinke.  Survivors: Carole (Rediehs) Reinke; sons: Stephan, Jeffrey Meyer, Richard Meyer; daughters: Janice Eisenloeffel, Sharon Holoway.  Funeral: June 24, 2023, Sun City West, Ariz.
WALLIS, DIANE DOROTHY (WICHMANN), Sept. 22, 1948, Queens, N.Y., to June 25, 2023, San Antonio, Texas; daughter of Henry and Dorothy Wichmann; graduated River Forest 1970.  Served 1987-2014.  Schools/Ministries: San Antonio, Texas. Retired 2014.  Survivors: sons: Robert, Mark; daughters: Jennifer McGrath, Elizabeth Hengeveld.  Funeral: June 30, 2023, San Antonio, Texas.