10 Jul Death of Emmett D. Cox

Emmett and Shirley Cox in Myanmar.

Rev. Emmett D. Cox passed away during the night. He and his wife, Shirley, were United Brethren missionaries in Sierra Leone 1954-1957, and 1960-1968. In 1969, he was elected General Secretary of Missions, which made him overseer of all UB missionary work around the world. He continued in that position until 1973. In subsequent years, he served as a United Brethren pastor. In retirement, the Coxes served as volunteer missionaries in Myanmar.

Funeral details will be published when available.

09 Jul Obit: Catherine Hawbaker, Widow of Rev. Laban Hawbaker

M. Catherine Hawbaker, 94, passed away Saturday morning, July 4, 2015, at a nursing home in Newville, Pa. She was the wife of former United Brethren pastor Rev. Laban Hawbaker, who passed away in 1999.

The funeral was held at 11 am on Wednesday, July 8, at Prince Street UB church in Shippensburg, Pa., where Catherine was a member.

06 Jul Obit: Rev. Robert Staup

Robert W. “Bob” Staup, 89, died July 3, 2015, at his home in Angola, Ind. Bob retired in November 2012 after 55 years of ministry as a United Brethren pastor.

According to denominational records, Bob served these UB churches:

• 1958-1967: Union Chapel (Fort Wayne, Ind.).
• 1963-1969: South Scipio (Harlan, Ind.).
• 1969-1982: Hudson (Hudson, Ind.).
• 1972-1982: Corunna (Corunna, Ind.).
• 1982-1995: Nettle Lake (Montpelier, Ohio) and Mt. Pleasant (Angola, Ind.).
• 2001-2012: Mt. Pleasant (Angola, Ind.).

Bob was born January 23, 1926, in Adrian, Mich. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard the LST 670 during World War II and participated in several Pacific Island invasions. He graduated from Huntington College in 1963 and was ordained in 1963.

He is survived by his wife, Joan, whom he married in 1948. Also surviving are two daughters, two sons, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.

Visitation time: 3-7 pm Tuesday, July 7, 2015.
Visitation location: H.E. Johnson & Sons Funeral Home, 108 S. West Street Angola.
Funeral service time: 11 am Wednesday, July 8, 2015. Visitation one hour beforehand.
Funeral location: Mt. Pleasant UB church, 2140 S. 850 E. Angola, IN 46703.

Officiating will be two grandsons, along with Rev. Devon Strine, pastor of Mt. Pleasant UB church.

Memorials are to Mt. Pleasant United Brethren In Christ Church, 2140 S. 850 E. Angola, IN 46703 or Honor Flight NEI, P.O. Box 5, Huntertown, Indiana 46748.

03 Jul Death of Rev. Robert Staup

We received news of the death of Rev. Robert Staup, a United Brethren pastor for 55 years. He began pastoring the Union Chapel UB church (Fort Wayne, Ind.), in 1958, and served five other UB churches in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio until retiring in 2012. His final pastorate was at Mt. Pleasant UB church (Angola, Ind.), 2001-2012.

Rev. Staup had been sick for some time, and was in hospice care. He was 89 years old.

Funeral details will be posted as available.

25 Jun Burton Lange: Memorial Services June 26 and June 27

Rev. Burton M. Lange, 82, of Chambersburg, Pa., passed away Monday morning, June 22, 2015, after an extended illness. He was a pastor, radio personality, entertainer, and extraordinary Gospel pianist.

Burt served 58 years as a United Brethren pastor–in Kansas, Indiana, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. At the time of his death, he was visitation pastor at Salem UB church in Chambersburg, Pa. He was also a long-time radio personality on WKSL radio as well as Christian station WNLR in Virginia. Burt was known as a pianist and entertainer, providing piano comedy programs to many civic and church groups.

For a number of years, he traveled extensively as the piano accompanist for singer Tony Fontane, as well as for other Christian singers.

Burt Lange was born in Grand Rapids, Mich., in 1932, but shortly thereafter his family moved to Peoria, Ill., where he grew up. He was a member of First UB church in Peoria. He entered Huntington University in 1950, where he majored in music and graduated in 1954. He and Esther were married in August of that year. He then studied for the ministry, graduating from the Huntington seminary in 1957.

In 1957, the Langes relocated to Kansas, pastoring the UB church in Abilene for one year followed by four years at the church in Colby. He was ordained in 1960.

In 1962, they returned to Indiana, where Burt pastored a Methodist circuit in Mt. Etna for two years. Then he moved east in 1964 to resume pastoring United Brethren churches:

• 1964-1968: the UB church in Rohresville, Md.
• 1977-1981: Jerusalem Chapel in Churchville, Va.
• 1983-1987: Mt. Olivet UB church in Mt. Solon, Va.
• 1988-1998: Mt. Olivet UB church in Aspers, Pa.
• 2002-2009: Cold Springs UB church in Fayetteville, Pa.

Burton Lange is survived by his wife of 60 years, Esther, and his two sons, Roger and Jerry.

Memorial services will be held June 26 and 27 in different locations. In both, the family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.

Memorial service time: 11am Friday, June 26.
Service location: Salem United Brethren Church, 4349 Letterkenny Road, Chambersburg, PA 17201. Senior pastor Art Page will officiate.

Memorial service time: 11am Saturday, June 27.
Service location: Bunker Hill E.C. Church, Bunker Hill, PA.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be sent to Salem United Brethren Church.

22 Jun Obit: Rev. Burton Lange

Rev. Burton Lange, who spent 40 years pastoring United Brethren churches in Pennsylvania and Virginia, passed away Monday, June 22, 2015. Since 2010, he had served on staff as visitation pastor at Salem UB church in Chambersburg, Pa.

Funeral arrangements are still being made.

Rev. Lange was well-known as an outstanding pianist. He accompanied Tony Fontaine on many of his gospel tours in the 1960s and 1970s, including performing at the White House. Every year at Pennsylvania annual conference, he would entertain people with his playing and his amazing wit.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Esther, and sons Roger and Jerry.

22 May Death of Father of Pastor Tim Scroggs

Fred P. Scroggs, 95, of Columbia City, Ind., died Wednesday, May 20, 2015. He was the father of Tim Scroggs, senior pastor of Eagle Quest UB church in Columbia City.

Visitation: Noon – 3pm Saturday, May 23, 2015.
Funeral: 3pm Saturday, May 23.
Visitation and funeral location: Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City, Ind. 46725. The burial will be at Fairview Cemetery, in Huntertown, Ind.

Condolences can be sent to Pastor Tim Scroggs at:

Timothy E. Scroggs
1120 N SR 109
Columbia City, IN 46725

21 May Obit: NoReena Eagle, wife of Pastor George Eagle

NoReena Elizabeth Eagle, 69, passed away on May 17, 2015, in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. She was the wife of Rev. George Eagle, senior pastor of the Harrison UB church in Harrison, Mich.

Viewing time: 1:30 – 4:30 pm Sunday, May 31, 2015.
Funeral time: 1:30 Sunday, May 31, 2015.
Funeral and viewing location: Eagle Church of God, 7087 East Dover Road, Clare, MI 48617.

06 May Obit: Missionary Mary Carter, Mother of Rev. Al Carter

We learned today of the death of Mary Carter, who is the mother of Rev. Al Carter, pastor of First UB in Columbus, Ohio. She had been ill for the past few weeks. Al and his wife, Linda, were visiting with her in Michigan.

Mary Carter and her husband, Ken, were missionaries in Sierra Leone 1969-1971. They served in Mattru, where he did maintenance and she served as hostess in that area. They were from New Hope UB church in Camden, Mich.

Visitation: Sunday, May 10, 5-8 pm.
Visitation location: George White Funeral Home, 403 S Main St, Reading, Mich.
Funeral: 11 am Monday, May 11.
Funeral location: New Hope UB Church, 501 W Montgomery Rd, Camden, Mich.