Lois N. DeArmey, 96 of Mishawaka, Ind., went to be with her Lord on Sunday, December 25, 2011, at Grace Village Healthcare Center, Winona Lake, Ind.
Lois was born on September 11, 1915, in Johnstown, Pa., and was a graduate of Johnstown High School. For more than 50 years, she ministered alongside her husband, Richard, in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches in Indiana, Iowa, California and Ohio. She has left a legacy of faithful prayer for her family.
Lois is survived by her son, Larry (Vicki) DeArmey of Columbus, Ohio; daughter, Kathy (Jack) Hiler of Elkhart; son, R. Neal DeArmey of South Bend; daughter, Lynne Dickey of Brookville, Ohio; grandchildren, Ginette (John) Bryan of Columbus, Ohio; Marc (Abeba) DeArmey of Oakland, Calif.; Eric (Debbie) Hiler of Elkhart, Ind.; Luc DeArmey of Oakland, Calif.; Bryan Hiler of Wakarusa, Ind.; David DeArmey of Lyon, France; Jaime (Paul) Surber of Brookville, Ohio; Jeremy (Katie) Hiler of Elkhart, Ind.; Mathieu (Lis) DeArmey of Lyon, France; Michael (Cala) Dickey of Brookville, Ohio; Jacquelyn Dickey of Brookville, Ohio; 17 great-grandchildren; and her sister-in-law, Norma McAchren of Warrenton, Va.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard P. DeArmey; parents, Leo and Matilde (Sann) McAchren; brothers, Lawrence, Trevor, Omas, Ned, Marlin and Ralph McAchren; sister, Joanna Wingard and son-in-law, Don Dickey.
Funeral services were held on December 28, 2011, at Chapel Hill Funeral Home, Ind. Burial was in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.
Jim Jackson, former Grace Brethren pastor and son of church planters Ed and Polly Jackson, died December 12, 2011, of congestive heart failure according to his father, Ed Jackson. The younger Jacksons were living near Jackson Hole, Wyo., where Jim had been serving as interim pastor at a small church. At first thought to have food poisoning, Jim was airlifted to Pocatello, Idaho, where he died.
Jackson, 57, had pastored Grace Brethren churches in Lakeland, Fla.; Homer, Alaska; and had pastored the Echo Valley, Pa., Grace Brethren church, north of Harrisburg, for 13 years. Jim’s son-in-law, Rick Wulf, who is married to Jim’s daughter, Jill, continues at the Echo Valley church as youth and children’s pastor.
At Jim’s request, he is being cremated. At a later time, a memorial service will be conducted at the Grace Brethren Church in Powell, Ohio, with Pastor Rick Nuzum officiating. Jim’s father, Ed Jackson, has served the Powell church along with his wife, Polly, for a number of years in the areas of missions and prayer.
Sylvia F. Jentes was born September 1, 1943, in Long Beach, Calif., and died at Hemet Valley (Calif.) Medical Center on January 18, 2012. She lived in Hemet for 30 years. She was a LVN Nurse at Hemet Valley Medical Center for 19 years. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Hemet and sang in the choir.
She is survived by her husband, Donald; her daughter Sharon of San Dimas, Calif.; son Daniel of Hemet; sisters Elizabeth Leaman of Munich, Germany; Nancy Windhauser of Orange, Calif.; Martha Vandeventer of Yorba Linda, Calif.; her brother, Richard of Myrtle Point, Ore.; and three grandchildren. A memorial service was held on January 28, 2012, at First Baptist Church, 26087 Girard St. Hemet.
Phyllis Marie Kantenwein, 78, of 3525 E. Center Street Ext., Warsaw, Ind., died on December 16, 2011, at Kosciusko Community Hospital, Warsaw, Ind.
She was born in Altoona, Pa., on September 29, 1933, to Orville Claire Grabill and Emma Mae (Tilson) Grabill. She was married on June 29, 1957, at the Altoona Bible Church, to Lee LeMoyne Kantenwein, who survives.
Phyllis graduated in 1951 from Altoona High School in Pennsylvania. She was part of the musical productions for the annual shows as a soloist. She had been a resident of Kosciusko County, Ind., for the past 46 years where she was a homemaker, a devoted pastor’s wife, a piano teacher, and the playground supervisor at Lincoln School in Warsaw.
She retired from Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, in 2001 as the switchboard operator after 25 years. She was a gifted musician starting at a very young age — a pianist, organist, and contralto soloist. In 2002 she released a CD titled “Songs from the Heart.” Phyllis was a speaker and presenter of musical programs with her daughters for mother-daughter banquets and elsewhere. She was also a longtime member of Pleasant View Bible Church in Warsaw, where she was also the organist.
She will be lovingly remembered by her husband: Lee L. Kantenwein (Warsaw, Indiana); two sons: Murry L. Kantenwein (Warsaw, Indiana); Scott A. (wife Carol) Kantenwein (Wooster, Ohio); two daughters: Cynthia J. (husband Larry) Buckholz (Warsaw, Indiana); and Sheryl L. (husband Gene) Gephart (Bourbon, Indiana). Also surviving are twelve grandchildren, three great-grandchildren; and her brother: Gerald L. (wife Theresa) Grabill (Polk City, Florida). She was preceded in death by her parents, and two brothers.
Funeral service were conducted December 20, 2011, at Pleasant View Bible Church, 2782 W. 200 N., Warsaw, Ind., and officiated by Pastor Michael Hontz. Burial followed at Pleasant View Cemetery of Warsaw. Memorial donations may be directed to Pleasant View Bible Church, 2782 W. 200 N., Warsaw, Indiana 46580; or to Lakeland Child Evangelism Ministries, P.O. Box 612, Winona Lake, Indiana 46590 and would be appreciated by her family.
Gerald B. Polman of Grace Village Retirement Community, Winona Lake, Ind., died on Wednesday, February 8, 2012, at Grace Village Health Care at the age of 89.
He was born on February 22, 1922, in Los Angeles, Calif., to Leo Polman and Leila Christine (Neher) Polman. Gerald was married in Dayton, Ohio, on August 22, 1944, to Phyllis Jeanette (Kinsey) Polman, who died on January 27, 2008.
Gerald was a graduate of South Side High School in Fort Wayne, Ind. He continued his education and graduated from Bob Jones University in 1943. He received his Master of Divinity in 1946 from Grace College and Seminary in Winona Lake, Ind. He served as a student pastor at two churches, Danville, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, Ind.
During his 43-year pastoral ministry, Polman served Grace Brethren churches in Meyersdale, Pa.; York, Pa.; Glendale, Calif.; Rialto, Calif.; Englewood, Ohio; and Lansing, Michigan. He retired in 1986, although he continued to travel with his motor home to help churches as an interim pastor.
Polman served on the board of the Brethren Missionary Herald Company from 1964 to 1993 and was secretary from 1972 to 1991 and assistant secretary from 1966-1971 and 1992-1993. His father, Leo Polman, led BMH as “secretary of publications” from October 1941 to December 1944.
Rev. Polman was a member of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, an active stamp collector at Grace Village Retirement Community, as well as belonging to the National Philatelic Society.
He will be lovingly remembered by his son: Roy Lee (wife Judy) Polman of Cherry Valley, Calif.; two daughters: Ann (husband Dave) Grant of Gainsville, Fla.); Kay (husband Jeff) Bowling of Cumming, Ga.); and eight grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind two sisters: Joyce (husband Robert) Griffith and Elaine Brenneman (both of Winona Lake, Ind.). He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife.
A funeral service was held February 10, 2012 at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana. His service was officiated by Pastor Bruce Barlow, and Chaplain Bryan Benjamin. Entombment took place at Royal Oak Memorial Gardens in Brookville, Ohio.
Memorial donations in Gerald’s name may be directed to Grace Village Retirement Community, P.O. Box 337, Winona Lake, Indiana 46590.
R. Paul Miller died December 17, 2011 in Florida. He graduated from Grace Theological Seminary in 1953 and served Grace Brethren churches in Garwin, Iowa; Uniontown, Pa.; Mansfield, Ohio; Maitland, Florida; Myerstown, Pa.; and he assisted at Ocala, Fla., in his retirement. During his ministry at the Marion Avenue church in Mansfield, he was instrumental in the founding of Mansfield Christian School.
He is survived by his wife, Esther, and five children and 13 grandchildren. Services were held December 28, 2011, with a private interment at the Florida National Veterans Cemetery near Bushnell, Fla. A public memorial service was held at 2:30 p.m. that day at Springlake Village Community Center near Silver Springs, Fla.
Ralph F. Miller, 78, of Roanoke, Va., died Sunday, November 27, 2011.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Norman and Esther Miller, brothers, Elmer, Stuart, and Jerry Miller, and sister Norma Truax.
Pastor Miller served churches in Ohio, Iowa, West Virginia, and Virginia. His last pastorate was at Boones Mill Grace Brethren Church. He was a veteran of the U S Army.
Surviving are his wife of 46 years, Nancy Schrock Miller; daughters, Lori Miller, of Roanoke, Va.; Janice Via, of Graham, N.C.; grandchildren, Nicole Hall, Danny Via, Brett Miller, Bryanna Brown, and Brendan Martin; six great grandchildren; sisters, Lanny Miller and Esther Ou, both of Mountain Top, Pa.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be made to Patterson Memorial Grace Brethren Church, 5512 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Va. 24019. Funeral services were held December 1, 2011 at Simpson Funeral Home, 5160 Peters Creek Road, by Pastor Don Eshelman. Interment was in the Virginia Veterans Cemetery, Dublin, Va.
Norma Jeanne Stech of 1423 Sunset Drive, Winona Lake, Ind., died January 9, 2012, at Lutheran Hospital of Fort Wayne, Ind., at the age of 71.
She was born on December 17, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, to Francis James Stech and Pearl Eldonna (Swaffar) Stech-Lofton.
Norma received a bachelor’s degree in 1966 from Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind.; then continued her education, receiving her Master’s degree at St. Francis University. She also received her endorsement in learning disabilities from Ball State University. She was an elementary school teacher for 44 years at Warsaw Christian School in Warsaw, Ind., retiring in 2011. She was a member of Community Grace Brethren Church of Warsaw, Ind.
She is survived by three brothers (all of Illinois): Richard, Wayne, and Gary Lofton; and two sisters: Linda D’Amoto (Illinois); Sandra Lofton (Australia). She was preceded in death by her parents.
Funeral service was conducted on Thursday, January 12, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Ind., officiated by Pastor Howard Immel. Memorial donations in Norma Stech’s name may be directed to Warsaw Christian School, 909 S. Buffalo Street, Warsaw, Indiana 46580.