26 Jul Death of Pastor Craig Loewen’s Mother

Lois Marie Loewen, 88, passed away July 23, 2016. She was the mother of Rev. Craig Loewen (right), pastor of the Heidlersburg and Mt. Olivet UB churches in Pennsylvania. She and her husband of almost 70 years, Rev. John Loewen, who survives, served 32 years in ministry with the United Methodist Church. (Read full obituary)

A memorial service will be held 10 am on Saturday, July 30, 2016, at the Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home, Shippensburg, Pa.

Condolences can be sent to:

Pastor Craig A. Loewen
2725 Heidlersburg Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325-7618

17 Jun Death of Dale Haupert

Dale and Elaine Haupert

Dale Haupert passed away June 17, 2016. A member of Emmanuel UB church (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Dale was a faithful and generous churchman. He was serving as chairman of the denominational Investment Committee, and was a longtime member of the Huntington University Board of Trustees. The new agricultural program was named after Dale and his wife, Elaine, who provided the lead gift–the Haupert Institute for Agricultural Studies.

Wrote Bishop Todd Fetters, “I for one am grateful for the legacy of generosity and faith that he leaves. He certainly lived out the value of one who trusted God more.”

31 May Death of Mark Ralph’s Mother

Mark Ralph (right), pastor of Mt. Zion UB church (Wayne, Ohio), is mourning the death of his mother. Leona Elizabeth Ralph passed away on Saturday, May 28, 2016, in Jupiter, Fla. She and her husband, George, spent their life in the ministry; at her death, she and George had been married 73 years. You can read the complete obituary here.

The funeral will be held Friday, June 3, at Grace Immanuel Bible Church in Jupiter, Fla.

Rev. Mark Ralph, a 1974 Huntington University graduate, has served United Brethren churches since 1975 in Michigan, Alabama, and Ohio.

Condolences can be sent to Mark Ralph at 7481 Bays Rd, Wayne, OH 43466.

22 Apr Obit: Funeral for Rev. Christopher Little

Rev. Christopher T. Little IV, senior pastor of Mt. Pleasant UB church (Chambersburg, Pa.), passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. He was 51 years old.

The funeral will be held Sunday, April 24, at Mt. Pleasant Church.

Visitation time: 2-7 pm Saturday, April 23; and 1-2 pm Sunday, April 24.
Funeral time: 2 pm Sunday, April 24.
Visitation and funeral location: Mt Pleasant UB Church, 2509 Black Gap Road, Chambersburg, PA 17201

Rev. Dr. John K. Smith and Rev. Dennis A. Sites will officiate at the funeral. A graveside service will be held at noon on Monday, April 25, at Eagles Mere Cemetery.

Chris was born December 2, 1964 in Williamsport, Pa. In 1997, he received a degree in electrical engineering from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa., and began working at the Naval Service Warfare Center in Silver Spring, Md. The family moved to Chambersburg in 1992, and he was employed at Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg and at Fort Ritchie in Maryland.

Chris was called to the ministry and began serving as associate pastor of Mt. Pleasant United Brethren Church in 1996. He graduated from Evangelical Theological Seminary in 2000 and, in 2001, became senior pastor of Mt. Pleasant.

Since 2011, Chris and his wife, Keri, have operated The Sweet Shop in Eagle’s Mere, Pa., where Chris worked growing up. He enjoyed coaching his children in soccer, baseball, softball, and basketball throughout the elementary school years.

Chris and Keri were married August 13, 1988, and have three children: Samantha Little of Lewisburg, Christopher Little V of Chambersburg, and Tabitha Baer of Clarion. He is also survived by his mother and two sisters.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mt. Pleasant Church Missions, 2509 Black Gap Road, Chambersburg, PA 17201; Eagles Mere Historical Village for The Sweet Shop, PO Box 362, Eagles Mere, PA 17731; or to Eagles Mere Community Church, PO Box 305, Eagles Mere, PA 17731.

14 Apr Obit: Dottie Foreman, Missionary in Sierra Leone 1979-1982

Dorothe “Dottie” Foreman, a former UB missionary in Sierra Leone (with her husband Clinton), passed away February 28, 2016. She had been in hospice care since November 2015.

Clint and Dottie spent most of their life in Ohio. In 1975, they retired to Fountain Hills, Ariz., where they became members of Fountain Hills UB church. There, they sensed God calling them to the mission field.

From 1979-1982, the Foremans served in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Clint was business manager while Dottie served as hostess for up-country missionaries and staff. They returned for six months in 1983.

The Foremans served on denominational committees and on the board of Huntington College. They also spoke in churches and conferences about their mission experience. In Arizona, they took an active role with the Hispanic UB church which started at the former Faith UB church in Phoenix.

After Clint passed away, Dottie moved back to Indiana.

14 Apr Obit: Mildred Nelson, Missionary in Sierra Leone 1947-1949

Mrs. Mildred (Rawley) Nelson passed away April 3, 2016, at age 92. She served as a United Brethren missionary in Sierra Leone 1947-1949. The funeral was held at 4 pm on April 8, 2016, at Trinity Evangelical Church in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Mildred, raised in Mt. Solon, Va., felt called to mission work, but didn’t see how it would be possible. But she entered Huntington College, and on March 8, 1947, she arrived in Sierra Leone to become principal of Minnie Mull School for Girls in Bonthe.

Jearl Nelson went out a year later, in 1948. He and Mildred were married on April 22, 1948, on the field by fellow missionary (and future UB bishop) Rev. Clarence E. Carlson.

Nearly all missionaries experienced malaria, but Mildred was relentlessly pursued by the disease. It became necessary for her to return to the States. She and Jearl settled in Mooreland, Ind., where they taught school and raised a family. Jearl passed away in 1996. In her later years, Mildred lived in Fort Wayne near her son Steve. She is survived by seven children.

22 Mar Death of Rev. Aden Porter’s Father

Longtime UB minister Aden Porter is mourning the loss of his father, who passed away on Saturday, March 19, 2016. The funeral will be held Saturday, March 26, at Zion UB church in Blissfield, Mich. Visitation is noon – 2pm, with a memorial service at 2 pm.

Aden Porter began his pastoral ministry in 1974. Since 1993, he has been pastor of Zion UB in Blissfield, Mich. Condolences can be sent to:

Rev. Aden Porter
9668 Crockett Highway
Blissfield, MI 49228