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12 Jan

January 12, 2023 |

Rev. Gar Hull, 61, passed away January 9, 2023 in Jackson, Mich.

He graduated from Huntington University in 1984 and from the Graduate School of Christian Ministries in 1985. He was ordained in 1986. He served at four United Brethren churches in Michigan up through 2010. They include Homefront (now Maple Hill) in Grandville; East Washington in Ashley; and Hillsdale UB in Hillsdale.

Rev. Hull is survived by four children and one grandchild. His wife of 39 years, Lisa, preceded him in death.

Please visit hamptonfuneralhomes.com to sign the guestbook and/or send a condolence to the family.
Hampton Funeral Homes – Hillsdale
517-437-0605

01 Jan

January 1, 2023 |

Donald W. Dennie, 91, a longtime United Brethren in Christ minister, passed away the evening of Friday, December 30, 2022. He died at the home he shared with Gloria, his wife of 67 years, in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Don Dennie grew up around Lake Odessa and Lowell, Mich., the youngest of five children. Growing up, he attended Pleasant Valley UB in Lake Odessa. He went off to Huntington College in 1951, but was drafted and served two years in the US Army, mostly in Germany (he was a chaplain’s assistant).

After mustering out, he returned to Huntington and completed his degree in Social Studies in 1957. He added a Masters in Elementary Education and Administration in 1964 from Ball State University. Further coursework occurred at the California Graduate School of Theology, the HC School of Christian Ministries, Long Beach University, Biola University, and other schools.

Don and Gloria met at Huntington College and were married in 1955. They have three children: Steve (now age 66), Stu (63), and Rick (58). Steve is Communications director for the United Brethren in Christ denomination; Stu owns an automobile sales and repair shop in Van Wert, Ohio; and Rick is director of Student Support Services at Indiana University-South Bend. There are seven grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild, all living in Indiana and Ohio.

Don taught elementary school in the Huntington area and worked six years as assistant business manager at Huntington College. In 1966, the Dennie family moved to Harrisburg, Pa. Don taught sixth grade, and he and Gloria provided leadership to the recently-started Devonshire Memorial United Brethren church. Don also directed junior camp at Rhodes Grove Camp in Chambersburg, Pa.

In 1969, the family moved to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., where Don taught junior high while providing leadership, particularly in youth ministry, to the new First UB church started by Rev. Marvin D. Price.

In 1973, Don Dennie left teaching to become a fulltime United Brethren minister. He was assigned to the UB church in Pixley, Calif., serving there 1973-1983. He was ordained in 1983 by Bishop Raymond Waldfogel. Five more UB senior pastor assignments followed: Fountain Hills Community in Fountain Hills, Ariz. (1984-1989); Olive Branch in Lakeville, Ind. (1989-1995); Third Street UB church in Fort Wayne (now Anchor Community, 1995-1998); Convoy UB in Convoy, Ohio (1998-2001); and a second stint at Olive Branch (2002-2006).

A small memorial service will be held. There will be no body (cremation was chosen), and no meal afterwords.

Time: 2:00 pm Sunday, January 8, 2023. People can visit with the family one hour beforehand.

Location: Anchor UB church, 1529 Third St., Fort Wayne, IN 46808

Gloria asks that memorials be made to UB Global, the mission arm of the United Brethren in Christ. Contribute online at UBGlobal.org, or send a check to: UB Global, 302 Lake Street, Huntington, IN 46750.

01 Jan

January 1, 2023 |

Rev. George D. Cole, 96, passed away Thursday afternoon, December 29, 2022, in Huntington, Ind.

Visitation: 5-7 pm Thursday, January 5, 2023.
Funeral: 10:00 am Friday, January 6, 2023. Visiting one hour beforehand.
Location for both: Myers Funeral Home Huntington Chapel, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, IN 46750.

George was born in 1926 in Fulton County, Ohio. After graduating from high school in 1944, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp Cadet program, and went on to serve 13 years in Search and Rescue with the Civil Air Patrol.

George received his Bachelors in Psychology in 1966 and his Bachelors in Theology in 1967, both from Huntington University. He was ordained in 1967. He served three UB churches in Ohio (Montpelier, Kunkle, and Nettle Lake), as well as the Hudson/Corunna and Olive Branch churches in Indiana. After 24 years of ministry, he retired from Convoy, Ohio in 1988.

George is survived by his wife of 75 years, Aldene. Also surviving are two brothers and a sister preceded him in death. two sons, five grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and twelve step-great-grandchildren.

Memorial donations can be made to the New Hope United Brethren Church sent in care of Myers Funeral Home, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, IN 46750.

02 Nov

November 2, 2022 |

Dr. Paul R. Fetters

Dr. Paul R. Fetters, 88, of Fort Wayne, Ind., passed away early Monday morning October 31, 2022, in Fort Wayne, Ind. Paul lived out Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” in his leadership roles in the Church, ministerial education, and family, which he loved deeply.

Visitation: 4-8pm Friday, November 4, 2022.
Visitation location: Myers Funeral Home Huntington Chapel, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, IN 46750.
Funeral: 10:30 am Saturday, November 5, 2022. Viewing one hour beforehand.
Funeral location: College Park United Brethren Church, 1945 College Ave., Huntington, IN 46750.

Dr. Fetters was an ordained minister in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and served churches in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. In 1972, he founded the Graduate School of Christian Ministries at Huntington University and taught theology and Bible for over 45 years.

He is survived by his wife Barbara, whom he married in August 1956, three sons, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Dr. Fetters was born in 1933 in Celina, Ohio. He graduated from Huntington University in 1955, and from the HU Theological Seminary in 1959; he was ordained that year as a United Brethren minister. He went on to earn a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1980.

His pastoral ministry began in 1954 as pastor of Calvary UB church in Rockford, Ohio, followed by a year at Hopewell UB (Auburn, Ind.), and then 1957-1962 at Third Street UB in Fort Wayne, Ind. (now Anchor Community Church). He pastored a United Methodist congregation in Pennsylvania for two years while working on his MDiv at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He then returned to pastoring UB churches for eight years: 1964-1966 at Park UB (Bluffton, Ind.), and 1966-1972 at Kettering UB (Dayton, Ohio).

In 1972, Dr. Fetters moved to Huntington to found the Graduate School of Christian Ministries, a new paradigm for training UB ministers. He served as dean of the GSCM for the next 25 years. He then stepped down as dean, but continued teaching fulltime at Huntington University at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Over the years he served as general editor for several books related to the United Brethren church, including Trials and Triumphs (UB history), Theological Perspectives, and two volumes about UB bishops since 1889. He also wrote various other UB materials for the denomination–curriculum, booklets, pamphlets, and articles.

Paul and Barbara’s three sons are ordained United Brethren ministers and currently live in Huntington. Brooks is a former UB pastor, church planter, and two-term mayor of Huntington. Luke, a former UB church planter and missionary in Macau, is now Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Huntington University. Todd, a former UB pastor in Michigan and Pennsylvania, has been bishop of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ USA since 2015.

Interment will be at the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Huntington.

Memorial donations can be made out to Paul Richard Fetters Scholarship at Huntington University in care of Myers Funeral Home, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, IN 46750.

Other funeral information can be found on the Myers Funeral Home website.

05 Aug

August 5, 2022 |

Harold Hancock, a UB Global missionary, passed away August 1, 2022. Both visitation and the funeral will be held on Saturday, August 6, at New Hope UB church in Camden, Mich. Harold and his wife of 53 years, MaryAnn, served eight years as UB Global missionaries in Jamaica, concluding in 2020.

Visitation: 11am – 1pm Saturday, August 6, 2022.
Funeral: 1:00 August 6, 2022.
Location: New Hope United Brethren Church, 5051 W. Montgomery Road, Camden, MI

Harold and MaryAnne Hancock joined the UB Global staff in 2012 and served at Jamaica Bible College in Mandeville, Jamaica (now Regent College of the Caribbean). Harold spent his career working in various trades–welding, electrical work, plumbing, etc. He taught those skills at a vocational high school located on the college campus, while MaryAnn worked in the college library.

Harold and MaryAnn have eight children. They have been longtime members of New Hope UB church. MaryAnn worked many years there as administrative assistant for the church and the former New Hope Christian School.

View Harold’s online obituary here.

15 Jun

June 15, 2022 |

Rev. Keith Smith, 89, passed away June 11, 2022. He graduated from Huntington University in 1961 and from its seminary in 1965. He was ordained in 1965. Rev. Smith concluded his ministry serving on staff at First UB (now Element UB) church in Blissfield, Mich. from 2005 to 2018, most recently as Minister of Visitation.

Visitation: 6-8 pm Wednesday, June 15
Funeral: 11:00 am Thursday, June 16, 2022
Visitation and Funeral Location: Element UB church, 220 East Jefferson Street, Blissfield, Mich.

Keith and his wife Dorothy were one week away from celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary.

You can view the online obituary here.

10 May

May 10, 2022 |

Rev. Marion E. Burkett, age 100, passed away May 4, 2022. Since becoming a United Brethren minister in the 1940s, he has served as a pastor, church planter, evangelist, and missionary in Sierra Leone. Here are the funeral details:

Visitation: 10:00 – 11:00 am Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
Funeral: 11:00 am Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
Location: Bailey Love Mortuary, 35 W Park Drive, Huntington, IN 46750.

From the online obituary at Bailey-Love:

“Marion spent his whole life in ministry, started at the age of 16 and faithfully continued teaching bible study up until one week before his passing. His life was devoted to his family and ministry as a pastor in congregations in several states and Canada and mission work in Southeast Kentucky and Sierra Leone West Africa for the Church of The United Brethren in Christ, United Methodist and Missionary churches.”

Preferred memorials to The Gideons International, in care of Bailey-Love Mortuary, 35 West Park Drive, Huntington, IN, 46750. Or go online to www.gideons.org/donate.

Go to the Bailey-Love website for complete information.

23 Apr

April 23, 2022 |

Norma R. Murphy, 97, passed away April 16, 2022, in Fairborn, Ohio. She was both a United Brethren pastor and pastor’s wife for nearly 40 years in Michigan.

After graduating from high school in June 1942, Norma accepted a job constructing World War II amphibious landing craft at the Chris Craft boat plant in Cadillac, Mich. Two years later, she enrolled at Marion College in Marion, Ind. to study to become a teacher and athletic coach. There she met John Murphy, a World War II vet who was studying for the ministry. They were married in 1947.

After John graduated in 1951, they moved to Michigan for John’s first pastoral assignment. She served alongside him in ministry for 30 years as pastor’s wife, Sunday school teacher, youth leader, and young adult counselor. She and John had two sons.

John and Norma served the Pleasant View United Brethren church in rural Blanchard from 1966 until John’s death in November 1981. Norma was then granted a Certificate of Ministry from the Michigan Conference of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, and continued serving the Pleasant View congregation as pastor until she retired in June 1997. In addition to her pastoral duties, Norma worked as a dietician, store clerk, and cashier.

A private family graveside service will be held in Six Lakes, Mich.

01 Feb

February 1, 2022 |

Rev. Donald Merillat, 80, passed away January 29, 2022, at his home in Morenci, Mich. He cited the Munson UB church in Morenci as his home church, and was converted in 1953.

Don owned his own carpentry business from 1974 to 1982 prior to entering Huntington University to prepare for the ministry. He graduated from HU in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree, and received the Master of Christian Ministry from HU in 1989. He was ordained as a UB minister in 1989. He pastored the Victory Chapel UB church (Liberty Center, Ohio) for many years, and also served as a conference superintendent in Michindoh Conference.

The funeral service was held at 11:00 am on February 1, 2022, in Morenci, Mich.

Donald and Carol were married in 1960 in Hudson, Mich. and have three children. Condolences can be sent to Carol at this address:

Carol Merillat
301 Lincoln St.
Morenci, MI 49256