09 Dec Obit: Edna G. Davis, Wife of Rev. Keith Davis

Edna G. Davis, 77, of Elmore, Ohio, passed away Tuesday, December 6, 2011, with her family at her side. She and her husband, Rev. Keith Davis, were married in 1952 and served various United Brethren churches, including Bethel UB in Elmore, where she was a member. A strong supporter of Samaritan’s Purse, Edna made hundreds of Christmas shoeboxes over the years for Operation Christmas Child.

She is survived by her husband, Keith, and four children, 9 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.

Graveside services will be held at 9:30 am Friday, December 9, at Mt. Zion Cemetery, Wayne, Ohio. A celebration of Edna’s life will follow at 11:00 am at Bethel United Brethren Church, Elmore, Ohio. Memorial contributions may be made to Samaritan’s Purse (Operation Christmas Child) or the palliative care unit of Mercy St. Charles Hospital.

Condolences can be sent to Rev. Keith Davis at:

Keith Davis
15115 S. Portage River Road
Elmore, OH 43416

14 Sep Obit: Raymond Waldfogel, 1926-2011

Bishop Emeritus Raymond Waldfogel

Raymond Waldfogel, who served as bishop 1969-1981, passed away during the night of September 13, 2011. He was 85 years old.

The funeral will be held Saturday, September 17, in Huntington, Ind. The details:

Viewing Times: 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm Friday, September 16.

Viewing Location: Myers Funeral Home, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, IN 46750.

Funeral Time: 2 pm Saturday, September 17.

Funeral Location: College Park Church, 1945 College Ave., Huntington, Ind. 46750.

Raymond Waldfogel was born on April 27, 1926, in Fulton County, Ohio. He was converted as a boy in the Fountain Chapel UB church.

Raymond graduated from high school in 1943, and in 1946, at age 20, received a quarterly conference ministerial license from Fountain Chapel. He went on to graduate from Huntington College in 1950, and from its seminary in 1956. He was ordained in 1956 upon finishing seminary.

All of Raymond’s pastoral experience came in North Ohio conference. His first pastorate was Olive Branch Station, 1950-1953. From 1953-1955 he pastored the two churches on the Hopewell Circuit. He served the South Scipio church 1955-1958, and the Stryker Circuit 1958-1959.

After he had served as a pastor for nine years, the conference showed him their confidence and respect by choosing him as their fulltime superintendent. He held that position for six years, until 1965, when the conference adopted a system involving three pastor-superintendents. Raymond then began pastoring Harvest Lane UB church in Toledo, Ohio, while continuing as one of the three pastor-superintendents.

The 1969 General Conference elected Raymond as one of three bishops. During the 1969-1973 quadrennium, the bishops lived on their assigned districts. For the newly-elected bishop of the West District–everything west of Indiana–that meant moving his family to Sacramento, Calif. His pastor at the Hillsdale UB church in Sacramento was a young minister named Ron Ramsey.

The 1973 General Conference changed its mind about bishops living on their districts, and called all of the bishops back to live in Huntington, Ind. Raymond remained bishop of the West District until 1977, when General Conference stationed him on the Central District (Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Florida), which he served until 1981. He then returned to Toledo to again pastor the Harvest Lane church.

Bishop Waldfogel and Wardena eventually relocated to Huntington, Ind., and he served a number of years on staff at College Park UB church in Huntington and as chaplain at the Huntington hospital. He was also part of the “bishops’ cluster,” which Bishop Ron Ramsey started and Bishop Phil Whipple has continued, in which the former bishops meet periodically with the current bishop.

Raymond and Wardena were married in 1945 in Claytonville, Ill. They have five children.

09 Sep Slideshow about Titus Boggs

Here is a video slideshow about Titus Boggs, which was shown at his memorial service on September 1, 2011 (see his obituary announcement). This slideshow was prepared by Titus Smith, a newphew of Titus Boggs. It’s long–over 14 minutes–but if you knew Titus, you’ll probably enjoy watching it.

30 Aug Obit: Death of Titus Boggs

The Boggs family together for the wedding of Nathan and Lindsey. Starting at the front left: Lacy, Titus, Debbie, and Erica. Staring at the back left: Stephanie, Taylor, Hannah, Nathan, and Lindsey.

Rev. Titus J. Boggs, 61, passed away Monday morning, August 29, 2011, at the Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) hospital in Harlan, Kent. He was 61 years old.

Viewing: Thursday, September 1, at 3 pm.
Funeral: Thursday, September 1, at 7 pm.
Location: Mt. Pleasant funeral home: 122 N. Cumberland Ave., Harlan, Kent. 40831. Phone: (606) 573-1770

Titus and Debbie Boggs

Titus served as director of Laurel Mission for 30 years, 1980-2010. In October 2010, Titus went on medical leave as director of Laurel Mission–he has suffered from diabetes and other physical problems–but he continued as senior pastor of Laurel Bible Church. His son, Nathan, who had been serving as the mission’s youth pastor, and who holds a local conference ministerial license, began serving as executive director of Laurel Mission on October 8, 2010. Debbie Boggs, wife of Titus, became the new associate director of Laurel Mission.

Titus has been described as “a big man with a big heart.” Hundreds of United Brethren, on short-term trips to Laurel Mission, have fallen in love with this man. And they’ve all heard and loved the same stories. Like the one about Chief Running Bear and his daughter Falling Rock, who got lost in the mountains and was never found, which, Titus concludes deadpan, explains the many signs which say “Watch for Falling Rock.”

Titus is also known for his annual Ground Hog Day newsletter, a mixture of corny jokes and interesting information about the mission and the Boggs family.

And he’s known as a man who loves the Lord deeply, and who loves the people who live up and down Greasy Creek. He will be remembered for a long, long time, and missed.

When Titus was born in 1950, both of his parents, Alvin and Ruth Boggs, worked for Laurel Mission. Alvin grew up there, born just three miles down the road from the current mission house. Ruth, who grew up in the Colwood UB church in Caro, Mich., arrived in 1943 as a missionary teacher. Alvin returned from the Army in 1946, and he and Ruth were married that August.

“Being a preacher’s kid, I was expected to live a certain way,” Titus once said. “I was religious on the outside, but I didn’t have a change of heart until my freshman year of high school. Some wonderful, godly teachers were a great influence on my life.”

Titus and Debbie, an Iowa girl, met at Kentucky Mountain Bible Institute. They married in 1973, and spent the next year at Asbury College, where Titus majored in Bible and social work. After that, Titus worked a year in the Public Assistance Office in Lexington. And then they moved back “home,” serving as dorm parents at Pine Mountain Settlement School, where Titus attended grades 1-9 and where his father worked.

In August 1980, Bishop Raymond Waldfogel came for a visit. Titus had been assistant pastor under mission superintendent M. E. Burkett. Now the Burketts were leaving. Would Titus and Debbie take their place? Yes, they would.

Titus and Debbie have six children: Nathan, Hannah, Stephanie, Erica, Lacy, and Taylor.

Cards and remembrances may be sent to:

Debbie Boggs
77 Cedar Chapel Rd.
Big Laurel, KY 40808

Connie Boggs
9632 E Hwy 221
Pine Mountain, KY 40810

Ken & Sharon Smith
9672 E. Hwy 221
Pine Mountain, KY 40810

24 May Obit: Rodney Minor

Rodney A. Minor, 57, a former minister in Pennsylvania, passed away May 17, 2011, at his home. Surviving are wife Mary and daughters Adrienne and Allison.
Memorial services were held May 20 at at Lebanon AreaEvangelical Free Church in Jonestown, Pa.