Obituaries - July 2025
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Allen, the Rev. Joseph L., 82, Akron, Ohio; July 11, 2025. Calls: Peace, Greenock, Pa.; St. John, Montpelier; St. James, Payne, both Ohio.
Armiger, the Rev. Carl C., 91, Chesterton, Ind.; July 1, 2025. Calls: Grace, Louisville, Ky.; Bethel, Gary; St. Paul, Richmond; Bethlehem, Chesterton, all Ind.
Austin, the Rev. Charles M., 84, Plymouth, Minn.; July 10, 2025. Calls: St. Mark, Dubuque, Iowa; assistant director, News Bureau, Lutheran Council in the U.S.A., New York City; English editor, Lutheran World Federation, Geneva, Switzerland; assistant director and director, News and Information, LCA Office for Communications, New York City; Christ, Ridgefield Park, N.J. Austin was also a well-known journalist, having served as an editor with Religion News Service; a reporter for The Record of Hackensack, N.J.; a religion reporter for the New York Times; a writer and editor for Hearst News Service; and a frequent contributor to Living Lutheran and its predecessor, The Lutheran.
Ballance, the Rev. William R., 85, Woodstock, Va.; June 20, 2025. Calls: Christ, Roanoke; St. James, Fishersville; Mount Calvary and St. James, Mount Jackson, all Va.
Baseler, the Rev. James E., 78, Toms Brook, Va.; June 24, 2025. Calls: Bethel, Manassas; St. Matthew, Toms Brook; Hebron, Madison; St. Matthew, Toms Brook, all Va.
Beissel, the Rev. Elizabeth L., 86, Prior Lake, Minn.; June 6, 2025. Calls: First of Crystal, Brooklyn Park; assistant to bishop, ELCA Minneapolis Area Synod; Central and Augustana, both Minneapolis, all Minn.
Buck, the Rev. Douglas H., 90, Hixson, Tenn.; June 3, 2025. Calls: Holy Trinity, Marshall, Wis.; Zion, Felch, Mich.
Buehler, the Rev. David A., 80, Silver Spring, Md.; June 28, 2025. Calls: First, West Haven, Conn.; chaplain, Charlton Hospital, Fall River, Mass.; Gloria Dei, Providence, R.I.; chaplain, Southcoast Hospice, Fairhavem, Mass.
Byers, the Rev. Thomas A., 92, Minneapolis; May 21, 2025. Calls: St. James, Rudyard, Mich.; First, Prentice, Wis.; Bethany, Minneapolis; Bethesda, Dresser, Wis.
Craft, the Rev. Bruce P., 90, Kailua, Hawaii; July 2, 2025. Calls: St. Matthias, Salina; Good Shepherd, Buena Park, both Calif.; King, Tucson, Ariz.; Bethlehem, Los Alamitos, Calif.; St. John, Kailua.
Diegel, the Rev. Ronald L., 88, Lexington, S.C.; July 3, 2025. Calls: St. Paul, Burlington, N.C.; U.S. Army chaplain; Bethlehem, Irmo, S.C.
Erickson, the Rev. Clinton G., 93, Appleton, Wis.; May 20, 2025. Calls: Bethany, Red Lake Falls; First, Mahnomen; Our Saviour, Moorhead; Grace, Duluth; chaplain, Lakeshore Lutheran Home, Duluth, all Minn.
Hanna, Deacon Donna M., 72, Charlotte, N.C.; March 13, 2025. Calls: associate minister of music, Christ, Charlotte, N.C.
Hatlestad, the Rev. Selmer E., 91, Watertown, S.D.; July 18, 2025. Calls: Salem and Unity, Freeman; Hayti and New Hope, Hayti; Our Savior, Veblen; Our Savior, Wessington Springs; Salem, Parkston; Bethany and Belleview, Howard, all S.D.
Kammer, the Rev. Charles L., 78, Wooster, Ohio; June 5, 2025. Calls: Trinity, McKean; call by synod to special service; director, urban studies, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.; faculty, College of Wooster, Wooster.
Kang, the Rev. Wi Jo, 95, Henderson, Nev.; May 31, 2025. Calls: faculty, Concordia Seminary and Christ Seminary-Seminex, both St. Louis; faculty, Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa.
Kanupp, the Rev. Paul R., 82, Dallas, N.C.; July 18, 2025. Calls: St. Matthew, Baltimore; Miller's, Hickory; Holy Communion, Dallas, both N.C.
Klose, the Rev. Ronald M., 74, Seaford, N.Y.; June 25, 2025. Calls: Grace, Auburn, Maine; King of Kings, Melville; Our Redeemer, Seaford, both N.Y.
Lind, the Rev. Eugene D., 89, Prior Lake, Minn.; June 18, 2025. Calls: Minnewaska, Starbuck; Our Savior, Chokio, both Minn.; associate director, Center for Community Organization and Area Development, Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D.; executive director, South Dakota Council of Churches; Immanuel, Eden Prairie; Family of Christ, Lakeville, both Minn.
Maier, the Rev. Donald H., 89, Seattle; June 29, 2025. Calls: missionary serving in Ghana; St. Timothy, Portland, Ore.; bishop, Northwest Province of the AELC Pacific Region Synod; Phinney Ridge, Seattle; regional representative for Eastern and Central Europe, ELCA Division for Global Mission. From 1995 to 2001 he served as bishop of the ELCA Northwest Washington Synod.
Marlow, the Rev. Roger M., 89, Wauseon, Ohio; July 8, 2025. Calls: Good Shepherd, Jacksonville, Fla.; Faith, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; St. John, New Baltimore; Living Lord, Novi; St. Paul, Reed City, all Mich.; St. John, Deshler; St. Paul, Cardington; St. John, Petersburg, all Ohio.
Mellum, the Rev. Reuben D., 94, Columbus, Ohio; June 2, 2025. Calls: Norway Lake Parish (First and East Norway), New London; Breckenridge, Breckenridge, all Minn.; Bethlehem, Pemberville, Ohio; Bethel, Saint Clair Shores, Mich.
Moritz, the Rev. Robert D., 90, Grinnell, Iowa; July 14, 2025. Calls: Our Savior, Milroy; Trinity, Lucan, both Minn.; Trinity, Ottawa, Ill.; Hadley and Trinity, Hadley, Minn.
Nelson, the Rev. Sterling D., 87, Hopkins, Minn.; July 16, 2025. Calls: interim, Our Savior, Wessington Springs, S.D.; Messiah, Marquette, Mich.; Saron, Ashland, Wis.; Messiah, Montgomery, Ala.
Nybroten, the Rev. Ronald O., 87, Oregon, Wis.; June 25, 2025. Calls: Hogeland, Hogeland; American, Turner, both Mont.; Westby Coon Prairie and Vang, Westby; Primrose and Shepherd of the Hills, New Glarus, Wis.
Peterson, the Rev. Dale O., 99, Grand Forks, N.D.; June 30, 2025. Calls: Bethlehem and Kongsvinger, Alvarado, Minn.; Michigan, Melrose and Sarnia, Michigan, N.D.
Sandstrom, the Rev. Dale E., 91, Hawley, Pa.; May 27, 2025. Calls: Bethany Eidsvold, Big Fork; Shiloh, Elmore, both Minn.; Our Saviour, Staten Island, N.Y.; Holy Trinity, Rockaway, N.J.; administrator, Good Shepherd Home, Allentown, Pa.
Schwartz, the Rev. John, 88, Seguin, Texas; June 5, 2025. Calls: Hope, Beasley; St. John, Wallis; Trinity, Orange; Emanuel and campus pastor, Texas Lutheran University, Seguin; Ebenezer, Maxwell, all Texas; staff, Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa; Zion, Sublime; Ebenezer, Maxwell, both Texas.
Steele, Sister Elizabeth A., 92, Seattle; May 26, 2025. Calls: advocacy, Office of Governmental Ministry, LCA Ohio Synod; administrative coordinator and assistant to the bishop/mission director, ELCA Southern Ohio Synod, Westerville, both Ohio.
Steinke, the Rev. William H., 73, Brownsburg, Ind.; June 28, 2025. Calls: Griffith, Griffith; Messiah, Brownsburg; St. Paul, Middlebury, all Ind.
Swanson, the Rev. David A., 89, Surprise, Ariz.; May 29, 2025. Calls: St. Peter, Milton, Ky.; Trinity, Wyandanch, N.Y.; field director, Lutheran Resource Mobilization Inc.; national director, Resource Mobilization Services; special assistant to the executive director and assistant director and director for Church and Community Research, LCA Division for Mission in North America, New York; church demographer, ELCA Division for Outreach and ELCA Research and Planning, Chicago; interim consultant pastor, ELCA Lower Susquehanna Synod, Camp Hill, Pa.
Thompson, the Rev. Marcia M., 73, The Villages, Fla.; June 11, 2025. Calls: St. Luke, Bloomington, Minn; St. Andrew, Baltimore; St. John, Phoenix, both Md.; Zion, Flourtown, Pa.
Walker, the Rev. Arnold (Arne) M., 88, Gatlinburg, Tenn.; July 27, 2025. Calls: Bethany, Siren, Wis.; Grace of Lily Lake, St. Charles, Ill.; Our Savior, Gatlinburg.
Wendt, the Rev. Richard L., 87, Lynnwood, Wash.; June 15, 2025. Calls: Holy Trinity, Port Angeles; Prince of Peace, Forks; Holy Trinity, Port Angeles; Our Savior, Issaquah; Harbour Pointe, Mukilteo; mission director, ELCA Region 1, Mill Creek; St. Peter by the Sea and Edmonds, both Edmonds, all Wash.