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Births and Deaths and Weddings We gladly post the death and birth information for Conference clergy, laity, and nuclear family members, whether in Western Pennsylvania or elsewhere. Please check that all needed information is provided. Please provide the following information. The named of the deceased/or new born. Place of birth/death, as applicable. Pertinent information related to funeral services, viewing, or birth statistics, if applicable. Relationships of the deceased/or new born pertinent to Conference Clergy, lay person, nuclear family. The name of the person providing the information, an address, and telephone contact and an email address for verification purposes. This item MUST accompany the information before it can be posted to the website, and your name will accompany the announcement. Send your information to webmanager@wpaumc-files.org BIRTHS
WEDDINGS Some good news! Rev. Rita Platt and Rev. Don Anderson, were married Saturday, April 19, 2008 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Allison Park. Rev. Dr. Donald G. Scandrol, Pittsburgh District Superintendent, officiated. The couple traveled to Williamsburg and Washington, D.C. for a wedding trip, and will be a part of the November Conference trip to Italy, Greece and Malta as they join Bishop Bickerton in Paul's journey. For now, the couple will be living at the Albright United Methodist parsonage, 486 South Graham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15232. Have a great week! Don Anderson
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DEATH NOTICES: Skip Green’s Mother passed away last evening, May 8th. She will be at the Gross Funeral Home, Frankstown Road, Penn Hills, Pa. Viewing is Sunday, May 11th with funeral to be Monday, May 12th. Please prayer for this family over this Mother’s Day weekend.
Wanda Jewell
Erie-Meadville District Administrative Assistant ------------------------------------------------------ REV. CECIL CLYDE COWDER March 8, 1914 - April 19, 2008 Rev. Cecil Clyde Cowder, 94, of Bigler, PA., died Saturday April 19, 2OO8 at his home. Born March 8, 1914, at Mocks Hill, West Decatur, PA., he was the son of the late Grant and Daisy (Williams) Cowder.He graduated from Morris Township High School in 1932 and Bonebrake Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, in 1939, when he was ordained an Elder in the United Brethren Church and assigned his first charge atCoalport and Beaver Valley that September (1939-1942). Cecil became a U. S. Army chaplain in 1942, attended ChaplainSchool at Harvard University and was assigned to the 73rd Bomb Wing, 498th Bomb Group, serving in Saipan as one of eight base chaplains on the South Pacific Island during World War II. (1942-1946)After the war, he served as pastor of the Altoona Pleasant Valley United Brethren Church (1946-1948). In 1948 he became a Chaplain in the U. S. Air Force and served numerous tours of duty throughout the United States; Shemya; Alaska; Okinawa; and Izmir, Turkey, with a final tour as wing chaplain at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., where he retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1963. Chaplain Cowder served the nation proudly and was awarded six Bronze Medals and two Distinquished Service Citations for outstanding performance of duty. The Rev. Cowder loved to attend his Bomb Wing reunions, enjoyed his church activities, teaching Sunday school, traveling and gardening. He was an avid amateur archaeologist and loved to present his vast collections of Indian arrowheads, stones and artifacts from around the world.He served on the Board of Directors of the Bigler United Methodist Church and the Bigler YMCA. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Josephine (House-Owens) Cowder; a son, John and his wife Linda, of Dunmore; a step-son, James, and his wife, Deanna, of Silver Spring, MD.; a son-in-law, Fred Plummer and his wife, Sigrid, of Houston; seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. The Rev Cowder was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Margarette (Houser); a daughter, Ann Marie Plummer; four brothers, Leo, Weldon, Carrol and Arnold; and a sister, LeVaughn "Dot" Peters.Funeral services for the Rev. Cowder will be held Wednesday, April 23, at 2 p.m. at the Bigler United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Thomas C. Lenker officiating. Interment will be at Summit Hill Cemetery.The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Bigler United Methodist Church in care of the Rev. Thomas C. Lenker, P. O. Box 416, Bigler, PA 16825; or to the Bigler YMCA, P.O. Box 417, Bigler, PA 16825. ---------------------------
The Rev. Max
McClelland Houser, 94, of Clearfield, died Thursday, April 10,
2008, at Mount Laurel Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Clearfield,
PA. Rev. Houser wa born Nov. 22, 1913, in East Salem, PA, the son
of the late Rev. Mitchell Martin Houser and Letty Pearl (Knepp)
Houser. He was a graduate of Monessen High School, Class of 1931,
and received a bachelor's degree from the University of Dayton,
Dayton Ohio, and a master of divinity from United Theological
Seminary in 1940. Rev. Houser served the following churches:
Durbin-Bath Presbyterian churches in Ohio for 1938-1940; the
former Garden Heights United Brethern Church, Altoona, 1940-1945;
the former Second Avenue Evangelical United Brethern Church,
1945-1961; and the First United Methodist Church, Johnstown,
1967-1974. Rev. Houser was a member of Western Pennsylvania
Conference of the United Methodist Church and formerly served as
secretary of the former Allegheny Conference of the Evangelical
United Brethern Church for 12 years. He was elected as Delegate
to the General Conference and served on numerous boards to the
denomination. He taught at Bellwood Antis High School from
1944-45 and served as Protestant Chaplain of the former V. A.
Hospital, Altoona, 1949-61. He was executive secretary of
Evangelism for the PA Council of Churches, Harrisburg, from
1962-67 and was executive director of the PA Council on Alcohol
Problems from 1974 to his retirement in 1979. Rev. Houser was a
calligrapher, having studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh
and was known professionally as "Houser Originals." He is
survived by son, M. Martin Houser and his wife, Catherine, of
Kemah TX; daughter B. Kay Megonnell and her husband Robert of
Dauphin PA; one granddaughter, Christine M. Houser, M.D.; two
grandsons, Robert and Douglas Megaonnell; two great-grandsons,
Tristan Houser and William Megonnell; and one great-grandda ughter,
Skyler Blanche Houser-Feinstein. He is also survived by a sister,
Pauline Hoover of Mentor OH, one niece, one nephew, and a number
of great-nieces and great-nephews. Rev. Houser was preceded in
death by his parents, his wife Blanche Marion Moffat, whom he
married on June 3, 1935, in Jeanette PA, and who preceded him in
death on May 5, 2002. He also was preceded in death by one
brother Robert. Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday,
April 15, 2008, at Bennett & Houser Funeral Home Inc. Clearfield,
with the Rev. Jay E. Jones and Dr. Raymond D. Fravel officiating.
Entombment will be at Alto Rest Cemetery, Altoona. Friends
received from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, April 14, and from 10 a.m.
Tuesday until the hour of service at the funeral home. The family
suggests that memorial contributions be made to the West Side
United Methodist Church, 317 Nichols St., Clearfield, PA 16830 or
to the charity of the donor's choice.
(From the Johnstown
Tribune-Democrat)
Deaths:
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 17 at the
Faith Country Chapel Evangelical Methodist Church near New Castle
for the Rev. Lloyd Garrett, father of the Rev. Joel Garrett, pastor
of Holiday Park UMC.
THOMAS REV. THOMAS R.
Pastoral Record:
THOMAS, THOMAS REESE – (1/28/1915) - (Alice Amelia Hanger 9/17/1921-2/12/1996) - Conference Relations: Licensed to Preach 1941; Supply Pastor Methodist Pittsburgh Conference 1942; Admitted on Trial 1949; Full Member Methodist Pittsburgh Conference 1951; Deacon 1949, Wicke; Elder 1951, Wicke; Member Methodist Western Pennsylvania Conference at Merger 1962; Member United Methodist Western Pennsylvania Conference at Union 1970; Retired 1985. Academic Record: A.B. University of Pittsburgh 1947; B.D. Western 1950. Appointments: Cabot/Ekastown 1942-1943; Meyersdale/Salisbury 1943-1944; Pittsburgh: Pacific Avenue 1944-1947; Bellevue: Central 1947-1949; West Virginia: New Cumberland/Point Pleasant 1949-1953; Western PA: Pittsburgh: West End 1953-1957; Canonsburg: First 1957-1964; Pittsburgh: Brookline 1964-1971; Uniontown: Asbury 1971-1975; Hickory 1975-November 1979; Pittsburgh: Haven Heights November 1979-1985; Retired 1985. (Church Conference - Carnegie). ------------------------------------------------------- LAKELAND - Frank I. Snavely, 90, of Lakeland, passed away on
Monday, April 7th, 2008 from dementia. |
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The
Rev. Benjamin Franklin, 103, of Belleville, went home to be
with his Lord on Sunday, April 20, 2008, at Valley View
Retirement Community in Belleville. He was born Dec. 21,
1904, on a farm in Hill Valley, near Mount Union, Pa., a son
of the late John and Melissa (Whitsell) Shue. On Sept. 11,
1939, he married Eleanor Jane Stahl, who preceded him in
death April 29, 2005. Rev. Shue is survived by a daughter,
Joyce Crescenzi, and her husband, Charles, of Spartanburg,
S.C.; one son, Frank Shue, and his wife, Judy, of Centre
Hall; a daughter-in-law, Linda Shue of Greensboro, N.C.;
nine grandchildren: Frank Shue III of Bethlehem; Eric Shue
of Harrisburg; Christopher Shue of Clearfield; Jeffrey Shue
of Greensboro, N.C.; Cathy Whitman of Clemmons, N.C.; Lisa
Whitman of Holly Springs, N.C.; Charles Crescenzi of
Greensboro, N.C.; Robert Crescenzi of Philadelphia; and
Eleanor Crescenzi of Wareshoals, S.C.; and 10
great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, wife and
nine siblings, he was preceded in death by a son, Larry Shue
of Greensboro, N.C. He graduated from Mount Union High
School in 1924, and earned an A.B. degree from Juniata
College in 1930; a B.D. degree from Garrett Seminary in
Evanston, Ill., in 1932. His children, grandchildren and
great-grandchildren were his true joy in life. He was also
an avid reader, enjoyed vegetable gardening, walking and
golf. Above all, he was very dedicated to ministering to the
members of the many churches he served in the Central and
Western Pennsylvania Conferences of the United Methodist
Church, beginning in 1932, including Martinsburg, Hastings,
Warriors Mark, Johnstown: Cooper Avenue, Apollo, South
Greensburg, Homestead: First, Beaver, Waynesburg: First,
Johnstown: Calvary, Lower Burrell: Bethel, and
Connellsville: Central. He retired in 1972. Rev. Shue was a
member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in State
College. Friends will be received from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Thursday, April 24, 2008, at the Mausoleum Chapel at
Grandview Cemetery, 801 Millcreek Road, Johnstown, Pa. The
funeral will follow at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Galen Sharp,
chaplain at Valley View Retirement Community, and the Rev.
J. Faust Hissong, a retired minister of the United Methodist
Church and resident of Valley View, officiating. Entombment
will be in the mausoleum. In lieu of flowers, contributions
in his memory may be made to St. Paul’s United Methodist
Church, 109 McAlli-ster St., State College, Pa. 16801, or to
Valley View Retirement Community, 4702 E. Main St.,
Belleville, Pa. 17044. Arrangements by Mark D. Heintzelman
Funeral Service. |
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