In Memoriam (June/July 2016)

In Memoriam

             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

 ELMSHAUSER, JAMES MALCOLM REV., July 22, 1946, Wray, Colo., to March 10, 2016, Hugo, Colo.; son of Rev. Milton and Helen Elmshauser; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1972.  Served 1972-2016.  Ministries/Parishes: Ft. Collins, Flagler, Arriba, Colo.; Rocky Mountain District Circuit Visitor 2001-2004.  Survivors: Mary (McChesney) Elmshauser; son: Michael; daughters: Rebecca, Elizabeth.  Funeral and Interment: Flagler, Colo.

 

ERBE, RONALD A. REV., October 8, 1933, St. Louis, Mo., to March 13, Greenwich, Conn.; son of August and Bertha (Miehe) Erbe; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1960.  Served 1960-1999.  Ministries/Parishes: Shelbyville, Ind.; Detroit, E. Detroit, Mich.; S. Windsor, Greenwich, Conn.  Retired 1999.  Survivors: Irmi (Goldschmidt) Erbe; daughters: Carolyn Leonard, Katherine Chagnon; stepson: James Goldschmidt.  Funeral: March 16, Greenwich, Conn.; Interment: March 18, 2016, St. Louis, Mo.

 

FRITZ, JOHN DAVID REV.,  March 12, 1927, Milwaukee, Wis., to March 7, 2016, Houston, Texas.; son of Herbert and Laura (Schrader) Fritz; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1949.  Served 1950-1992.  Ministries/Parishes: Amenia, Wheatland, Grand Forks, N.D.; Springfield, Ill.; Houston, Texas; Texas District Circuit Visitor 1990-1992.  Retired 1992.  Survivors: Eunice (Keuhnert) Fritz; sons: John, Seth, Paul; daughters: Laura Dix, Stephanie Hendrick, Kathryn Scace, Merry Keith, Jennifer Hanzel.  Memorial Service: March 19, 2016, Houston, Texas.

 

HILGENDORF, PAUL ALVIN JR. REV.,   May 21, 1926, Hood River, Ore., to March 20, 2016, Battleground, Wash.; son of Rev. Paul Sr. and Esther (Krussow) Hilgendorf; graduated Springfield Seminary 1949.  Served 1949-1991.  Ministries/Parishes: Los Angeles, Indio, Imperial Beach, San Diego, Calif.; Gresham, Ore.  Retired 1991.  Preceded in death by his daughter Joyce.  Survivors: Loretta (Skov) Hilgendorf; son: David; daughters: Jane, Lois.  Funeral: April 9, 2016, Gresham. Ore.

 

HINTZE, OTTO C. JR. REV.,  March 22, 1923, El Paso, Texas, to March 20, 2016, St. Louis, Mo.; son of Otto Sr. and Pearl (Greene) Hintze; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1947.  Served 1948-1988.  Ministries/Parishes: Papua, New Guinea, Springfield, Ill.; St. Louis. Mo.  Retired 1988.  Survivors: Jeannelle (Karcher) Hintze; sons: Rev. David, Charles, Kenneth; daughters: Kathryn Prange, Margaret Frank.  Funeral and Interment: March 23, 2016, St. Louis, Mo.

 

LARSON, WALLACE A. REV.,  May 3, 1928, La Crosse, Wis., to March 8, 2016, Fargo, N.D.; son of Arnold and Margaret Larson; graduated St. Paul Seminary 1953.  Served 1981-1992.  Ministries/Parishes: Browns Valley, Beardsley, Minn.  Retired 1996.  Survivors: Elaine (Helland) Larson; sons: Jair, Zach, Kai; daughters: Gretchen Kaiser, Kecia Medbery, Nada.  Funeral and Interment: March 12, 2016, Moorhead, Minn.

 

LUTZ, EDWARD F. REV., July 19, 1925, Neyyoor, South India, to November 12, 2015, St. Anthony, Minn.; son of Anton and Johanna (Scherer) Lutz; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1950.  Served 1950-1990.  Ministries/Parishes: Hillsboro, Belleville, Ill.; St. Paul. Minn.; Carthage, Mo.  Retired 1990.  Survivors: Ellen (Hauke) Lutz; son: Craig; daughters: Rebecca, Susan, Juliana.  Funeral: January 23, 2016, Mounds View, Minn.; Interment: November 16, 2015, Minneapolis, Minn.

 

PERLING, ROY JOHN REV., October 12, 1938, International Falls, Minn., to March 21, 2016, Los Angeles, Calif.; son of Harvey and Viola (Crawford) Perling; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1965.  Served 1965-2016.  Ministries/Parishes: Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Pacific Southwest District Circuit Visitor 1995-1996, 1997-2003.  Survivors: Karen (Friedrich) Perling; sons: Daniel, Joseph, John; daughter: Rebekah.  Funeral: March 28, 2016, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Interment: March 28, 2016, Inglewood, Calif.

 

PETERSON, RUSSELL J. REV., September 3, 1926, to March 2, 2016, Manitowoc, Wis.; son of Henry and Dagmar (Dandberg) Peterson. Graduated Springfield Seminary 1966.  Served 1966-1991.  Ministries/Parishes: Forbes, Albion Township, Kongsberg, Sawyer, N.D.; Groton, S.D.; Pine City, Minn.  Retired 1991.  Preceded in death by his wife Helen (Suleness) Peterson.  Survivors: daughters: Karin Perrault, Kathy Lambert, Karla Kriewall, Krista Jeffries, Paula Fricke.  Funeral: March 11, 2016, Two Rivers, Minn.; Interment: March 14, 2016, Minneapolis, Minn.

 

PRAEUNER, HERBERT O. REV., June 18, 1930, Ft. Scott, Kan., to March 15, 2016, Weston, Wis.; son of Otto and Helene (Brandt) Praeuner; graduated St. Louis Seminary 1956.  Served 1956-1992.  Ministries/Parishes: Ontonagon, Bergland, Topaz, Mich.; Eau Claire, Wausau, Wis.  Retired 1992.  Survivors: Ruth (Bauer) Praeuner; son: Thomas; daughters: Mary Osten, Rebecca Hase.  Funeral and Interment: March 18, 2016, Wausau, Wis.

 

SCHULZ, DONALD CHRISTIAN REV.,  February 3, 1927, Ashland, Wis., to March 6, 2016, Merrill, Wis.; son of Christian and Hilda (Thimm) Schulz; graduated Springfield Seminary 1950.  Served 1950-1990.  Ministries/Parishes: Phillips, Ogema, Luxemburg, Sheboygan, Merrill, Wis.; North Wisconsin District Circuit Visitor 1999-2001.  Retired 1990.  Survivors: Ruth (Thimm) Schulz; sons: Paul, Mark; daughters: Christine Michael, Rebecca, Donna.  Funeral and Interment: March 10, 2016, Merrill, Wis.

 

WISE, WILLIAM G. REV., December 24, 1942, Indianapolis, Ind., to February 5, 2016, Destin, Fla.; son of K. Gerald and Gertrude (Bordner) Wise; graduated Springfield Seminary 1970.  Served 1970-1990, 1995-1998, 2004-2013.  Ministries/Parishes: Orlando, Dunedin, Destin, Fla.; Charlotte, N.C.  Retired 2013.  Survivors: Dorothy (Duda) Wise; sons: Timothy, Jason; daughters: Patricia Davis, Susan Kummer.  Celebration of Life: February 11, 2016, Destin, Fla.; Interment: February 13, 2016, Oviedo, Fla.

 

 

Commissioned

 BOCKELMAN, BYRON B., April 15, 1936, Kansas City. Mo., to March 12, 2016, Des Moines, Iowa; son of Henry and Pauline Bockelman; graduated Seward 1957.  Served 1957-1999.  Schools/Ministries: Sidney, Hebron, Neb.; Des Moines, Iowa.  Retired 1999.  Preceded in death by his wife Suzanne (Krause) Bockelman.  Survivors: sons: James, Joel; daughter: Katie.  Celebration of Life and Interment: March 18, 2016, Des Moines, Iowa.

 

KNUDSON, ELLA RUTH (KOKEL), August 8, 1942, Temple, Texas, to December 17, 2015, Panama City, Fla.; daughter of Walter and Clara Kokel; graduated Seward 1964.  Served 1973-1992, 1996-2000.  School/Ministry: Panama City, Fla.  Retired 2000.  Preceded in death by her husband Lloyd Knudson.  Survivor: Karla Fussell.  Funeral and Interment: December 21, 2015, Panama City, Fla.

 

MUELLER, DELBERT WALTER, December 30, 1927, to February 21, 2016, Minn.; graduated River Forest 1951.  Served 1951-1993.  Schools/Ministries: Columbia, S.D.; Potter, Wis.; Chicago, Ill.  Retired 1993.  Preceded in death by his wife Dorleen Mueller.  Survivors: son: Paul; daughters: Christine, Lois Winkie.  Celebration of Life: June 18, 2016, Potter, Wis.

 

THIES, RUTH ELEANOR (BAUMANN), June 25, 1928, Elberta, Ala., to January 29, 2016, Madison, Ala.; daughter of Rudolph and Frieda Baumann; graduated River Forest 1952.  Served 1987-1993.  School/Ministry: Warrington, Fla.  Retired 1993.  Preceded in death by her husband Rev. John Thies; Survivors: sons: Rev. David, Rev. Daniel, Andrew.  Memorial Service and Interment: February 6, 2016, Elberta, Ala.

 

WILBERT, WARREN NORMAN DR., February 23, 1927, Kohler, Wis., to January 20, 2016, Ft. Wayne, Ind.; son of Norman and Elizabeth (Born) Wilbert; graduated Seward 1950.  Served 1950-1993.  Schools/Ministries: Detroit, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Seward, Neb.; Springfield, Ill.; Ft. Wayne, Ind.  Retired 1993.  Preceded in death by his wife Virginia (Kuhlman) Wilbert and daughters Susan and Diann Murphy.  Survivors: daughters: Karen Reynolds, Ellen Ahlersmeyer.  Funeral: January 25, 2016, Ft. Wayne, Ind.: Interment: Kohler, Wis.

 

WINTER, PAUL G., May 26, 1935, Merrill, Wis., to March 4, 2016, Bridgman, Mich.; son of Frederich and Amanda (Vogt) Winter; graduated River Forest 1957.  Served 1957-1997.  Schools/Ministries: Aurora, Ind.; Tigerton, Wis.; Bridgman, Mich.  Retired 1997.  Survivors: Marion (Pauck) Winter; sons: Jonathan Sr., James; daughters: Elizabeth, Sarah Deckert.  Funeral and Interment: March 8, 2016, Bridgman, Mich.