Rev. George and Nadine Speas

Rev. George Speas, 88, passed away on June 18, 2020. Over his ministry he pastored six different United Brethren churches in Michigan, including 31 years at Kilpatrick UB church in Woodland up through 2002. He was also a hospice chaplain for ten years.

George graduated from high school in 1949 in Lake Odessa, Mich., and then spent four years in the US Navy during the Korean War, being stationed in Japan. After completing his military service, he married Nadine Louise Cook in 1955. She passed away on April 26 of this year.

There will be a private graveside service. At a later date, a large celebration of life will be held for both George and Nadine.

Memorial contributions can be sent to Kilpatrick UB church, 10005 E Barnum Rd, Woodland MI 48897.

June L. Brown, age 89, of Chambersburg, Pa., passed away on Thursday, June 4, 2020. She served 35 years as a United Brethren missionary in Sierra Leone. Private graveside services will be held at Norland Cemetery in Chambersburg. No other arrangements have been announced at this time.

You can read June Brown’s obituary on the Geisel Funeral home website. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her name to UB Global, 302 Lake St., Huntington, IN 46750. Designed “Sierra Leone Hospital” on the memo lane. Or, contributions can be made to King Street Church Joy Class, 56 North Second St., Chambersburg, PA 17201.

Below is June’s story as told in All for Christ, Volume 2, by Steve Dennie.

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“It Took Love”

Beginning around 1973, Edward Morlai, the Sierra Leone Conference director of Church Services, worked with June Brown in the Bumpe office. He was a big fan, but by no means the only fan. “She is not a stranger; she is one of us, and we like her. She is readily accepted, not only in our church, but in our culture. We bring many problems to her, and she helps us a lot. She knows what to do at what particular time. Anywhere you go, people know Miss Brown.”

When Mr. Morlai visited the United States in 1985, he told June Brown, “Now I know what you’re giving up to come to Sierra Leone.”

June didn’t view it that way. “When I come home on furlough, I almost feel guilty being here. Everything I touch and feel and eat, everything reminds me of what I don’t have over there, and what they don’t have — and probably won’t get for years to come, no matter how hard they strive for it….I’m not giving up anything. It’s a call, a desire to do the Lord’s work.”

Mr. Morlai smiled. “I don’t think she has convinced me. It took love to leave a church like King Street and go to Sierra Leone, and stay all those years. It is a big sacrifice for her. It takes a lot of love.”

June Brown grew up in Pennsylvania. She accepted Christ at age eight, and at age 15 sensed God calling her to the mission field. She enrolled at Huntington College in 1948, but left to spend four years in the Women’s Air Force. While stationed in San Antonio, Texas, she taught math and science classes, and played on the base softball and basketball teams, both of which won the Women’s Air Force World Championship. She returned to Huntington College in 1954, graduated in 1956, and became a public schoolteacher in Rockford, Ill. But the call to missions remained. In 1957, she began 35 years as a United Brethren missionary in Sierra Leone.

June’s missionary service included six years as a teacher at Centennial Secondary School, followed by 29 years at Bumpe High School, where she taught math and Bible. She also served stints as boarding home manager, bookstore clerk and acting principal, and could ably step in when the school needed an electrician, plumber, or diesel mechanic.

During her furlough in 1966, June returned to Huntington College to teach physical education and coach basketball, volleyball, and tennis. In 1985, June took on the role of Director of Missionary Affairs. She remained in Sierra Leone until 1992, when all missionaries were evacuated from the country because of a military coup. She took the opportunity to retire from missionary service. June returned to her hometown of Chambersburg, Pa., and to her home church, King Street.

During Commencement services on May 18, 1993, Huntington College recognized her with the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. The citation began:

“June L. Brown has built a life of excellence everywhere she has invested her talent and energy. In education, in service to country, and in missions, she has always held to the highest standards in her personal life and professional endeavors.”

Rev. Ernest Belella, an ordained United Brethren minister, passed away May 15, 2020, at age 94.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, May 30, at the Oakwood Cemetery in Stryker, Ohio. Social distancing will be recommended. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ernie’s name to the Stryker United Brethren Church.

Rev. Richard E. Mose (right), 92, passed away Saturday, May 2, 2020, in Sharpsburg, Md. He was a United Brethren pastor for 40 years, and was ordained in 1979. His pastorates were all in Pennsylvania: Lurgan (Lurgan, 1973-1974), Mongul (Shippensburg, 1974-1981), Franklintown (Franklintown, 1981-1985), Ebenezer (Greencastle, 1985-1988), Criders (Chambersburg, 1988-1995), associate pastor at Ebenezer (1997-2003), and Lurgan (2003-2013). At the time of his death, he was a member of King Street UB church in Chambersburg, Pa.

Rev. Mose’s first wife, Ilene, passed away in 2006. He is survived by his wife Janet Mose, whom he married in 2007, along with three children, ten grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. There are also the families of five step children.

Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Rhodes Grove Camp, 7693 Brown’s Mill Road, Chambersburg, PA 17202.

You can read his online obituary here.

Nadine Louise Speas, 88, passed away April 25, 2020, in Grand Ledge, Mich. She is survived by her husband, George, to whom she was married in 1955. George was ordained as a United Brethren minister in 1987, and they served in the pastorate for many years in Michigan, including 30 years at Kilpatrick UB church (Woodland, Mich.). A private burial will take place in the Woodland Memorial Park Cemetery, with a public celebration of Nadine’s life to be held at a later date.

Condolences can be sent to Rev. George Speas at:

Rev. George Speas
c/o Jeff Speas
4173 Brown Road
Lake Odessa, MI 48849

Rev. Kyle McQuillen

Rev. Kyle McQuillen passed away on March 16, 2020. He and his wife, Mar Louise, had been living in Fredericksburg, Va. Funeral plans are on hold as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. However, cards can be sent to Mar Louise at this address:

5714 Spring Arbor Circle
Fredericksburg, VA 224071

Kyle McQuillen served eight years as the denomination’s Director of Missions, 1993-2001. That was a time of unprecedented international expansion for the United Brethren church, as we added work in Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Haiti. The tumultuous civil war in Sierra Leone occurred during those years, we changed how we support UB missionaries, Hong Kong and Macau came under the control of China, and our various international fields became self-governing national conferences.

McQuillen grew up in the United Methodist Church, in which he served as a pastor and a missionary in Nigeria. While pastoring a UMC church in Shippensburg, Pa., he became friends with the local United Brethren pastor, Rev. C. Ray Miller, who was also chairperson of the UB Board of Missions. That contact led to McQuillen agreeing to serve as a UB missionary in Sierra Leone 1983-1985 to oversee the nationalization of our work there. He subsequently became an associate director of missions at the United Brethren national office, and in 1989 began four years as senior pastor of College Park UB church in Huntington, Ind.

Rev. Ralph Fry (right), 79, a UB minister in four states going back to 1967, passed away November 27, 2019. He was from the former Beecher Street United Brethren church in North Baltimore, Ohio, and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Huntington University in 1970 and 1971. He was ordained in 1972.

Fry served the following United Brethren churches:

  • 1967-1971: Welcome Chapel (Van Buren, Ind.).
  • 1970-1971: Mt. Zion UB (Warren, Ind.).
  • 1973-1975: Victory Heights (Franklin, Pa.),
  • 1973-1974: Oil City UB (Oil City, Pa.).
  • 1976-1996: Faith UB (Lake Brantley, Fla.)
  • 1997-2005: Ebenezer (Greencastle, Pa.)

He is survived by his wife, Bev, whom he married in 1959. They had five children. At the time of his death, they were living in Hendersonville, N. C.

Rev. Dr. Harold R. Cherry, age 94, passed away on December 27, 2019, at his nursing home facility in Huntington, Indiana.

Visitation: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Tuesday, December 31, 2019.
Funeral: 1:30 pm.
Location: Gorsline Runciman Funeral Home, East Chapel, 1730 East Grand River Avenue, East Lansing, MI 48912

Following the funeral service, burial will be beside his wife Ruby at Maple Hill Cemetery in Charlotte, Mich.

Dr. Cherry and his wife, Ruby, served nine churches over a 44-year period in central and western Michigan. His other leadership roles include:

  • Nine times elected as a delegate to General Conference.
  • Eight years on the Huntington University board of trustees.
  • 54 years as recording secretary for Michigan Conference.
  • 31 years as treasurer for Michigan Conference.
  • 39 years on the conference council for Michigan Conference.
  • 30 years on the board of directors for the Lane Dulcenia Memorial Home.
  • Many years as dual pastor and conference superintendent.

He also served on the Michigan Conference boards of Publications, Missions, and Preacher’s Aid.

The full obituary can be read here.

Harold was born October 1, 1925, at Charlotte, Mich., the second son of Richard R. Cherry and Ruth L. (Snore) Cherry. He graduated from Charlotte High School in 1942 as class valedictorian. He went on to graduate twice from Huntington College (Huntington, Ind.) with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1945 and a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1947.

He was converted to Christ at age 13 and immediately experienced the call to Christian ministry. He married his college sweetheart, Ruby M. Rawley, July 8, 1948, in Virginia. They celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2008. Harold and Ruby had four children. He lived most of his life in Michigan except for his last few years in Huntington, Ind.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruby, his parents, and his three brothers Maurice, Howard, and Herbert. He is survived by son Judge Paul (Kristi), daughter Dr. Constance, son Rev. R. Kevin (Sharon), son Ronald (Debbie), daughter-in-law Jeanette, 11 grandchildren, and several great grandchildren.

Having a life-long strong interest in education, he earned two Masters degrees from Calvin Theological Seminary and Western Michigan University and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University in Rhetoric and Public Address.

He devoted his life to fulltime Christian ministry. He was ordained a minister by the Michigan Conference of the United Brethren in Christ denomination in 1949.

He wrote published commentary for adult Sunday School books for 10 publications over 20 years. He edited a sections of the UB history book, Trials and Triumphs, and wrote a chapter in the UB theology book, Theological Perspectives.

As a committed Bible believer, Harold read his Bible daily from age 11 for 83 years to the time of his death. He enjoyed Christian music, gardening, and watching college football and basketball, especially the MSU games. He enjoyed traveling with his wife Ruby, twice to the Holy Land, and three other trips to Europe and the British Isles. Years ago Harold and Ruby established an endowed scholarship fund at Huntington University for aspiring ministerial students.

Suggested memorial contributions are to Lane Dulcenia Memorial Home or to Huntington University.

Doyle Paul Clark (right), 79, passed away Sunday, December 1, 2019. He was a graduate of Huntington University and of the HU seminary, and was founding pastor of New Hope UB church in Camden, Mich. Memorial services will be held at a later date at New Hope church.

Rev. John Mark Rutledge, 78, passed away just before midnight on November 19, 2019, at Parkview Regional Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Viewing: 1-4 pm Sunday, November 24, 2019.
Memorial service: 4pm Sunday, November 24, 2019.
Location: Ketcham-Ripley Funeral Home in Rockford, Ohio.

Mark grew up in Van Wert, Ohio, and graduated from Huntington College and later St. Francis College in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he earned his Master’s degree. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen, and their two sons. He and Kathleen were married October 19, 1963.

Mark worked in public education for many years–as a high school guidance counselor, principal, and superintendent. He also held various pastoral positions at United Brethren churches, going back to 1962: the Willshire and Zion churches in Willshire, Ohio; Otterbein (now New Horizons) in Rockford, Ohio; and Mt. Victory in Decatur, Ind. His most recent UB position was associate pastor of Praise Point church in Willshire. He was most recently pastor of Rockford Belle Community Church in Rockford.

Memorials may be directed to The Rockford Belle Community Church. You can view his online obituary here.