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29 May

May 29, 2018 |

Neal and Carol Brinneman

Richard Neal Brinneman, 83, a longtime United Brethren endorsed missionary, passed away Saturday, May 26, 2018, after several days in hospice care.

Neal, a 1957 Huntington University graduate, spent 1966-1969 as a teacher and principal at Bumpe High School in Sierra Leone. In 1970 he joined Wycliffe Bible Translators and went to Togo to begin translating the Bible into the Lama language spoken by 200,000 people in West Africa.

Meanwhile Carol, a graduate of Houghton College, joined Wycliffe in 1970 and ended up spending seven years translating the Bible for the Godie people in Ivory Coast, a West African country to the west of Togo.

Neal and Carol were married in 1979 in Ivory Coast, and worked together in Togo. They helped complete the Lama New Testament in 1994, and then moved to North Carolina to work with JAARS, the aviation and technical support service of Wycliffe. Neal helped translators with computer and software needs, while Carol was a talented writer and editor.

Carol wrote, “Neal and I had an extraordinary chance to serve God together so that others might have God’s Word, God’s promises, in their own language. We worked together well as a team. We anticipated seeing the entire Bible completed by the Lama (Togo) team within three years. At 83 years old, Neal had still not retired from Wycliffe. He loved helping others complete Bible translations, and loved attending church and teaching Sunday school.”

02 Apr

April 2, 2018 |

Mary Ann Goldsmith, 86, wife of UB minister Rev. Wayne Goldsmith, passed away on March 31, 2018. She was a pastor’s wife for 66 years.

Viewing: 5-8pm Wednesday, April 4, 2018.
Viewing location: D.O. McComb & Sons Maplewood Park Funeral Home, 4017 Maplecrest Rd., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Funeral: 3pm Thursday, April 5, 2018.
Funeral location: Central Church, 5801 Schwartz Rd, Ft Wayne, Ind.

Read the online funeral notice.

23 Mar

March 23, 2018 |

Phil and Sandy Whipple with Patsy Burelison Nelson (center).

Patsy Burelison Nelson, the mother of former bishop Phil Whipple, passed away on March 21. Phil wrote on Tuesday: “My mom has decided to move to a new address. She left for her permanent home this afternoon. She decided that this Easter would be spent in heaven with Jesus himself. It is a wonderful blessing to have the hope that we have in Christ. Today is not the end, but rather the beginning. No more pain, no more confusion, and no more limitations.”

Viewing: 5-8 pm Monday, March 26.
Funeral: 11 am Tuesday, March 27.
Viewing and funeral location: Grace Point Church of the Nazarene, 8611 Mayhew Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46835.

Phil and Sandy Whipple pastor a Missionary Church congregation in Yale, Mich. Address:

Phil Whipple
14840 Jeddo Rd.
Brown City, MI 48416

16 Feb

February 16, 2018 |

Rick Pride

Rev. Rick Pride (right) passed away early Wednesday morning, February 14, 2018. He was 66 years old. Rick was senior pastor of Eagle Quest UB church (Now CrossLife) in Columbia City, Ind., 2002-2011. He was ordained as a United Brethren minister in 2003. After leaving Eagle Quest, Rick worked three years with Broadway Christian Church in Fort Wayne, and completed his ministerial career at Salem Missionary Church in Noble County.

Visitation time: 2-6 pm Sunday, February 18, 2018
Visitation location: Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City, Ind.
Funeral time: 1:00 pm Monday, February 19, 2018
Funeral location: Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City, Ind.

Rick and Roxanne were married in 1975.  to pray for and support Rick’s wife, Roxanne, and his three daughters and four grandchildren.

Cards can be sent to:

Roxanne Pride
414 Catherine Ave
Columbia City, IN 46725-2710

13 Feb

February 13, 2018 |

Mabel Zurcher

Mabel Zurcher, 93, passed away February 10, 2018. She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Dr. Carl Zurcher, who taught several generations of students at Huntington University.

Visitation: 3-7 pm Tuesday, February 13, at Bailey-Love Mortuary in Huntington, Ind.

Funeral: 11 am Wednesday, February 14, at College Park United Brethren church in Huntington, Ind.

You can read the complete obituary here.

06 Feb

February 6, 2018 |

Rev. Carey Knittle, 89, a United Brethren pastor in Indiana and Ohio 1960-2005, passed away February 2, 2018, at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich. He was a United Brethren pastor for 45 years, and a 1965 graduate of Huntington University.

Viewing: 11am – 1 pm Tuesday, February 6, 2018.
Funeral: 1pm Tuesday, February 6, 2018.
Viewing and funeral location: Monticello United Brethren church, 21057 State Route 116, Spencerville, OH 45887

Son-in-law David Riddle, a former United Brethren pastor, will officiate at the funeral.

Carey Knittle was born April 6, 1928, in Adams County, Ind. He graduated in 1946 from high school in Decatur, Ind., and then entered the Army, serving in post-war Japan. He and Marjorie, who survives, were married October 9, 1949.

In 1960, Carey began five years as pastor of the Winchester UB church in Monroe, Ind. He graduated from Huntington University in 1965 with a Bible degree, was ordained that year, and became pastor of the Northbrook UB church in Cincinnati, Ohio. He remained there until 1972, when he became pastor of the Monticello and Elgin UB churches, on a circuit outside of Van Wert, Ohio.

Knittle subsequently pastored the UB church in Lancaster, Ohio, 1983-1991, returned to Monticello (no longer on a circuit with Elgin) until 1995, and served the Hillsdale UB church in St. Mary’s, Ohio, until 2005.

02 Feb

February 2, 2018 |

Rev. Carey Knittle, a United Brethren pastor in Indiana and Ohio 1960-2005, passed away February 2, 2018. He was ordained in 1965, the same year he graduated from Huntington University. His longest tenure was pastoring the Monticello and Elgin UB churches in western Ohio 1972-1983. Funeral details will be posted when available.

10 Jan

January 10, 2018 |

Kimberly Schock

Kimberly Schock, 60, passed away on Thursday, January 4, 2018 in Wichita, Kansas. She was the wife of Rev. Richard Schock, pastor of Sabetha UB church (Sabetha, Kansas) since February 2016.

Memorial services will be held at 11 am on Saturday, January 13, at Westview Baptist church, 1325 S. Meridian, Wichita, Kansas.

Cards can be sent to:

Richard Allen Schock
512 Grant
Sabetha, KS 66534

05 Jan

January 5, 2018 |

Linda Carter, wife of Rev. Al Carter, passed away around 11 am on Friday, January 5, 2018. She was in hospice after a battle with cancer. Her husband has been pastor of First UB (Columbus, Ohio) since 2011. They previously served UB churches in St. Mary’s and Rockbridge, Ohio.

Visitation: 12:00-1:00 on Tuesday, January 9, 2018.
Funeral: Following visitation
Location: First UB church, 496 S. Wheatland Ave., Columbus, OH 43204

Condolences can be sent to Pastor Carter at this address:

Rev. Alfred Carter
711 Westfall Court
Columbus, OH 43228

27 Nov

November 27, 2017 |

Betty Ruedger Guenzler

Betty Ruedger Guenzler, 83, passed away November 19, 2017, in Mount Carroll, Ill. Betty served three terms as a United Brethren missionary nurse at Mattru Hospital in Sierra Leone, 1963-1971.

The funeral service will be held at 11 am on Tuesday, November 28, at the Mount Carroll Church of God, with visitation one hour beforehand.

Betty became a Christian at a young age, and graduated from high school in Mount Carroll, Ill. She entered nursing school in Lansing, Mich., and during her final year sensed God calling her to become a missionary nurse. After graduating, she enrolled at Huntington College to study the Bible. While at HC, she applied for service with the UB mission board.

Mission director George Fleming said her duties during her three terms at Mattru included surgery supervisor, ambulance driver when needed, teaching in the nursing school, bookkeeping, and head nurse. During part of that time, Betty served alongside Juanita Smith, who was also from Mount Carroll (Juanita’s father, Cecil, pastored the Mount Carroll UB church). Juanita served 12 years at Mattru, 1953-1965.

Charles Guenzler and Juanita Smith were married in 1965. After Juanita became ill, Betty Ruedger was among a group of missionary nurses who came to Mt. Carroll to help Charles care for his wife. After Juanita’s death in 1981, Charles and Betty stayed in contact.

Charles and Betty were married on June 8, 1985. They enjoyed 32 years of married. Charles, at age 93, passed away on October 28, 2017. Betty died 22 days later. (Read her obituary notice.)