We pray for the family and friends of Rev. Roy A Guinn, who died August 24, 2023. Services will be held at Resurrection Lutheran Church, Oro Valley on October 16, 2023, at 11am, with interment in the church’s columbarium.
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We pray for Rev. Chad Rimmer, his children, and the family and friends of Natalie Rimmer, who died August 28, 2023. Many in our synod know them through their work as ELCA missionaries in Senegal.
A celebration of life was held Saturday, 2 September, at St. Philip Lutheran Church, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Excerpts of Pastor Chad’s sermon and an acknowledgment of grief can be found here, and the full service can be watched here.
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We pray for Pastor Adele Stiles Resmer and the family and friends of Rev. Larry Resmer Stiles, who died unexpectedly after a fall on August 16, 2023.
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, September 9, 2023, 11 am, at The Fountains, A United Methodist Church, 15300 N Fountain Hills Blvd., Fountain Hills, AZ 85268. There will be no clergy vesting. There will be a brief reception following. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the borderlands ministry of Cruzando Fronteras.
We will provide updates as we receive them.
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We pray for Rev. Robert S. Collins, Jr.’s family and friends after he passed away on May 25, 2023.
Rev. Collins was born September 13, 1935. He completed 21 years of service in the U.S. Navy active and reserve time. He retired in 1995 and moved to Prescott, Arizona.
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We share a letter from Vic Williams regarding the 4/15/2023 passing of Larry Struve, who was LEAN’s advocate for many years and was a lifelong member of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Reno. “He was know by many people at both ends of the state of Nevada as a tireless advocate for our state’s voiceless and underserved.“
We also share a link to Larry Struve’s book, “A Humble Walk For Justice,” in which he recounts his years as LAMN/LEAN advocate.
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We pray for Rev. Raymond Stiffler’s family and friends after he passed away on January 20, 2023 in Jamestown, California. He served as a transition pastor at Prince of Peace in Phoenix until 2005.
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We pray for Rev. Wallace Cole’s family and friends after he passed away on January 16, 2023 in Prescott, Arizona of natural causes.
He was ordained in 1958, then served churches in Minnesota (1958-65), House of Prayer Lutheran Church at Rock Point, AZ (1965-90) and American Lutheran Church in Prescott, AZ.
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We pray for the friends and family of Deacon Ann Terhark, who passed away on Oct. 17, 2022. Deacon Ann previously served as an Associate in Ministry at Gloria Dei Lutheran in Paradise Valley and then later on at King of Glory Lutheran in Tempe, AZ.
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With the congregation of Spirit of Hope Lutheran Church in Mesa, we pray for the friends and family of Rev. Tony Scheer after the passing of his wife, Carol Scheer, due to heart complications on Monday, September 12, 2022. She was 56 years old.
Visitation is Sunday, 9/18/2022, 6-7 pm, at Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park, 400 S Power Rd, Mesa, AZ 85206.
Funeral services are on Monday, 9/19/2022, 11 am, at Spirit of Hope Lutheran Church, 2605 South Signal Butte Road, Mesa, AZ 85209.
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We pray for Rev. Kenneth Truckenbrod’s family and friends after he passed away on July 15, 2022.
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We remember the legacy of William "Bill" Horne II, vice president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), in this video shown at the 2022 Churchwide Assembly.
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We pray for Rev. David Wold’s family and friends, especially his wife Darlene, after he passed away peacefully on July 16, 2022, surrounded by his family.
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We update this post with news of a memorial service to be held at Central Lutheran (12921 Sunland Gin Rd, Arizona City, AZ 85123), on Tuesday, August 9, 2022, 11 am. A luncheon will follow the service. All clergy are invited to arrive by 10:30 am to vest and process. Color of the day will be white.
We pray for Rev. Robert Kleinke’s family and friends, especially his wife Joanne, after his death on July 12, 2022, following hospitalization while visiting family in Minnesota. He passed peacefully with his family alongside at St. Luke Hospital, Duluth MN. Pastor Bob Kleinke was recently an interim pastor at Central Lutheran in Arizona City and Casa Grande.
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We pray for the family of Rev. Howard E. Wennes, especially his wife Mary, after his death on July 12, 2022, following a recent hospitalization. Pastor Howie Wennes is bishop emeritus of the Grand Canyon Synod (June 20, 1987 – August 31, 2001), and president emeritus of California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks.
7/14/2022: We update this post with obituary and service information, as well as a letter of remembrance from Lori E. Varlotta, Ph.D., President of California Lutheran University.
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A Celebration of Life for Heidi Gerrish will be held at Mountain View Lutheran (11002 S 48th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85044) on Saturday, July 30, 2022, at 10:30 am. There will be a reception immediately after. View the livestream here. A recording will be available for viewing following the service as well.
All of our updates on Heidi and her family can be viewed at gcsynod.org/news/tag/Gerrish+family. View a page on Chapel of the Chimes for an obituary, service info, and a tribute wall. A full obituary can be found in this post as well.
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We pray for the family and friends of Rev. James Nelson, who died on June 5, 2022, after five days in hospice. We especially pray for his wife Catherine.
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5/27/2022 update: more info from Heidi’s father, Paul, and links a GoFundMe page and to CaringBridge health updates for Justin and Katherine.
We lift up in prayer the friends and family of Heidi Gerrish. Heidi died at the scene of an automobile accident Saturday morning, May 21, 2022, while traveling to her sister Julie’s graduation from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. Also in the car were her partner Justin, and her brother and sister-in-law, Stephen and Katherine.
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We pray for the family and friends of retired pastor Arne Kaleb Markland, who passed away on May 4, 2022 in Tempe, Arizona. Services were held May 9, 2022.
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We pray for the family and friends of Gerald C. Spiess, who passed to the arms of Jesus on April 29, 2022. He was surrounded by family, including his wife, Evelyn, and daughter, Bishop Deborah Hutterer. “Jerry had heart trouble, but he did not have a troubled heart.”
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Note: We update this post with a full obituary, a website to share stories and celebrate Rev. Jerry’s life, info on donating in his memory, and the celebration of life service at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio on May 16, 2022. Read more in this special newsletter from Sierra Pacific Synod.
We grieve with Carol Schmalenberger and her family at the death of Rev. Dr. Jerry Schmalenberger, April 25, 2022 in Sedona, Arizona.
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