USA > Ohio > The Church of the Brethren in northeastern Ohio > Part 19
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DONALD R. FLORY, a native of Naperville, Illinois, began pastoral service at Brookpark, Cleveland, Ohio, on December 1, 1958. He is a graduate of Manchester College and Bethany Biblical Seminary. Before coming to Brookpark he served as assistant pastor at Nokesville, Virginia, for a summer and at the First church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a summer. Brother Flory resigned as pastor at Brookpark in 1961 to become the pastor of the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, church. Since 1962 he has been with the Arlington church, Virginia.
LOREN D. FRANTZ, whose home church is the South Beatrice congregation, Nebraska, became associated with the District of Northeastern Ohio when, in September 1960, he came here from a three-year pastorate in Muskegon, Michigan. For two years he was the pastor of the Reading church, serving also the Alliance church for six months of that time, and then turned his attention to other work. Brother Frantz was graduated from McPherson College in 1954 (A.B. degree) and from Bethany Biblical Seminary in 1957 (B.D. degree). In 1955 he was married to Evelyn Barkdoll; they have three children.
ALLAN GALE FREED was born June 15, 1890, in Williamstown, Ohio, the son of Henry W. and Theodosia (Bradford) Freed. He was baptized in 1908 in the Eagle Creek congregation in Williamstown. His education was received at the Lima Business College, the College of Wooster, and Juniata College. Brother Freed married Helen Lenore Wilson on June 6, 1926; three children were born to this union. He was elected to the ministry in 1917, advanced the same year, and ordained to the eldership in 1932. He has served part-time pastorates at the Chippewa church, Northeastern Ohio (1926-1930) ; Oak Grove, Northwestern Ohio (1930-1934); Sugar Creek, Northwestern Ohio (1944-1947); and County Line, Northwestern Ohio (1948- ). At the present time he is pastoring the Oak Grove church in Northwestern Ohio. Brother Freed was secretary of the L. E. & W. Railroad from 1912 to 1913; bookkeeper of the City Bank of Lima from 1914 to 1917; bookkeeper of the M. D. Neff Lumber Company, Findlay, Ohio,
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in 1924 and 1925; and general office clerk in the offices of the Ohio Oil Company, Findlay, from 1930 to the present.
ORLIN F. FREY, the son of Otto F. and Mary Ann (Wittmer) Frey, was born at Noble, Iowa, on April 18, 1919. He was married to Esther Ellen Meyers on July 22, 1950; they are the parents of a son and a daughter. He was baptized in 1934 in the Eicher Emmanuel Mennonite church near Noble. A B.S. degree was granted to him by Bluffton College in 1947, and a B.D. degree by the Mennonite Biblical Seminary in 1950. Or- dained an elder by the General Conference Mennonite Church in Kansas, he served as pastor of the Mennonite church at Goessel, in that state, from 1950 to 1953, and of the Mennonite church at Topeka, Indiana, from 1953 to 1956. On a special arrangement made by the executive secretary of the Central Region, he served as pastor of the Ashland Dickey church from 1956 to 1958. Brother Frey then accepted Orlin F. Frey a pastorate in Illinois.
ELMER E. FRICK, son of Nathan and Sarah (Brumbaugh) Frick, was born in Kent, Ohio, July 5, 1894. He was baptized in 1907 in the Springfield congregation, elected to the ministry in 1919, advanced the same year, and ordained to the eldership in 1931. He was the part-time pastor of the Tuscarawas church from 1920 to 1922, from 1924 to 1938, and from 1947 to 1948. Brother Frick, who is an active Sunday-school teacher, has been employed in factories since he was seventeen years of age.
SAMUEL M. FRIEND was born in Harrison County, Ohio, on November 28, 1860. He was united in marriage with Emma C. Justice on January 12, 1890; to this union one son was born. Under the influence and the preaching of Edward Loomis, he
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was led to accept Christ and was baptized in June 1885. Brother and Sister Friend were devoted to the church. In 1904 the Black River congregation called him to the ministry. He was advanced to the second degree and then ordained as an elder within a period of four years. Before settling on the farm within the bounds of the Black River church, Brother and Sister Friend served as superintendent and matron of the Old Folks and Orphans' Home at Mexico, Indiana. In Northeastern Ohio, Brother Friend was the district Sunday- school secretary for eight years and a member of the home mission board for a number of years. For seventeen years he taught in the public schools in Tuscarawas and Stark counties. He died at the Old Folks' Home at Fostoria, Ohio, on February 6, 1943.
IVAN LOWELL FRY was born in Akron, Ohio, on July 22, 1924, the son of Elson M. and Bessie (Hershberger) Fry. He was baptized in Akron in 1932. His education was received at Manchester College (B.A., 1946) and Bethany Biblical Seminary (B.D., 1951). Brother Fry married Dorotha Louise Winger on May 30, 1947; three children have come into their home. Licensed to the ministry in June 1943, he was ordained in August 1946. In the summer of 1947 he was the pastor of the Franklin Grove, Illinois, church. He has served these other congregations in a pastoral capacity: Hickory Grove, Indiana, 1947 to 1948; Pleasant Chapel, Indiana, June 1949 to June 1950; First, South Bend, Indiana, September 1950 to July 1951; Toledo, Ohio, September 1951 to August 1953; Battle Creek, Michigan, February 1957 to August 1958. From September 1953 to February 1957 he was the director of Brethren Volunteer Service training at New Windsor, Maryland. In the summer of 1946 he visited Europe. A part of his work has been done in the public schools.
RALPH L. FRY, son of Lee and Mary (Butterbaugh) Fry, was born in Polo, Illinois, on March 8, 1918. He united with the West Branch church, Illinois, on November 7, 1926. After being graduated from Manchester College and Bethany Biblical Seminary, he pursued advanced study at the University of
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Michigan, Northern Illinois University, and the University of Missouri. His wife is the former Pauline DeLauter; they were married on September 24, 1939. Five children were born to them. On April 9, 1939, Brother Fry was ordained. As a pastor he has been associated with these churches: Rockford, Illinois (full-time, 1939-1940); La Motte Prairie, Illinois (summer, 1942) ; Olivet, Ohio (full-time, 1943-1944) ; Shepherd, Michigan (part-time, 1944-1947); Cedar Lake, Indiana (full- time, 1947-1951); Hickory Grove, Illinois (1951-1953); Con- gregational church, Pecatonica, Illinois (full-time, 1959 - ). During the years from 1950 to 1958 he was engaged in schoolteaching along with his services to the churches. His interest in youth has led him into the camping and C.B.Y.F. activities of the districts in which he has lived.
ROBERT P. FRYMAN assumed the pastorate of the Baltic and Sugarcreek congregations on September 1, 1958. He was graduated from McPherson College in 1952 and Bethany
Robert P. Fryman
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Seminary in 1955. Following his years at Bethany, he ministered to the Silver Creek and Walnut Grove congrega- tions in Northwestern Ohio for three years. Brother Fryman married Waneta Nunemaker; they have three daughters.
J. W. FYOCK, son of Abraham and Nancy (Varner) Fyock, was born August 10, 1879, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He was received into the church in 1900, called to the ministry in 1905, ordained in 1910, and advanced to the eldership in 1922. His marriage to Annie Strayes took place on August 24, 1898; three children were born to them. He was the full-time pastor at Pine Creek, Illinois (three years); Tyrone, Pennsylvania (four years); Richland, Ohio (two and a half years) ; Cumberland, Maryland (three and a half years) ; Monticello, Indiana (one and a half years). For five and a half years he was the part-time pastor at Alliance, Ohio. In 1941, Brother Fyock went into business for himself, manufacturing and selling household products. Death came to him on December 23, 1957.
TED ELWIN GANDY, the son of Allen C. and Gertrude (Wolfe) Gandy, was born at South Bend, Indiana, on March 29, 1917. He was baptized at Battle Creek, Michigan, in March 1925. Following gradua- tion from the Central high school, Battle Creek, in 1937, he attended Herzel Junior College in Chicago and the Bethany Bible Training School. He also did further school- work at Western Michigan College of Education, Kalamazoo. On July Ted Gandy 23, 1939, he was united in marriage to Olivia Turner; they are the parents of two sons and one daughter. Brother Gandy was elected to the ministry by the Battle Creek congregation on December 13, 1939, and was ordained by the same congre- gation in 1942. He served as the part-time pastor of the
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Sunfield church, Michigan, from October 1, 1948, to Sep- tember 1, 1955. It was while he was associated with this congregation that he was ordained to the eldership. Brother Gandy was employed by the Kellogg Company from March 29, 1943, to September 1, 1955. He lived in Battle Creek until 1950, when the Sunfield church purchased a parsonage; then he moved into it. On September 1, 1955, he became pastor of the Chippewa church in Northeastern Ohio, continuing there until 1960. During a part of this time he was also enrolled at the College of Wooster. In 1962 he took up the pastorate of the Dupont church, Northwestern Ohio.
HOLLY P. GARNER was born September 17, 1884, in Union Bridge, Maryland, the son of Jasper and Hannah (Yon) Garner. Baptized on December 12, 1903, in the Pipe Creek, Maryland, congregation, he was called to the ministry on May 1, 1909, and was advanced on July 12, 1910. Kathryn Barkdoll became his wife on May 27, 1913. In 1915 he was graduated from Blue Ridge College. Brother and Sister Garner went to India in 1916. During their sixteen years there, two sons were born to them. The Garners were stationed at Vada, Palghar, and Ahwa. He was the mission treasurer from 1918 to 1921 and from 1928 to 1929. Before returning to the United States the family visited Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ceylon, Austria, Hungary, Germany, Belgium, France, England, and Ireland. Brother Garner studied at Bethany Biblical Seminary after his return to the States. He was the part-time pastor at Silver Creek, Ohio, from 1937 to 1944 and at Okeechobee, Florida, from 1944 to 1947. From 1947 to 1951 he was the full-time pastor of the White Cottage church, Ohio, and from 1951 to 1952 he was with the Bristolville church. Brother Garner was the moderator of the Northwestern Ohio District and of the District of Florida and Georgia; a member of the Northwestern Ohio ministerial board for three years; a member of the Florida board of religious education for two years; and twice a member of the Standing Committee. In 1953 he was the manager of Camp Zion. The Garners have been living in retirement at North Manchester, Indiana, since 1953.
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EARL S. GARVER, son of David N. and Martha E. (Longaneck- er) Garver, was born at Woodworth, Ohio, on February 5, 1911. In 1919 he was baptized in the Woodworth church. From Manchester College he received a B.A. degree in 1933; from Yale University a Ph.D. degree in 1943. Winifred S. Greene became his wife on December 22, 1941; they have one son and two daughters. From 1933 to 1938 he taught in the Boardman schools. During World War II he was a director of civilian public service camps: Lyndhurst, 1943; Bedford, 1944; Wellston, 1945. After teaching economics at Manchester College for a few years he became the dean of the college in 1950. From 1953 to 1958 Brother Garver was a mem- ber of the General Brotherhood Board. In the summer of 1950 he was the director of the In- ternational Peace Institute held in Vienna, Austria, under the sponsorship of the Brethren Service Commission. In 1954- 1955 he was the chairman of the Annual Conference committee to study the establishment of a Brethren center in Washington, Earl S. Garver D. C. In collaboration with Ernest B. Fincher he wrote Puerto Rico: Unsolved Problem (first edition, 1943; second edition, 1945). He is also the author of An Introduction to Modern Economics (1952), in which a number of other economists collaborated. While he lived in the Northeastern District of Ohio he was the vice-president and then the president of the B.Y.P.D. (1934-1938).
JACOB GARVER was born near Hagerstown, Maryland, on June 16, 1800. With his parents he moved to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in 1802, and in 1812 to Fayette County, Pennsylvania. On August 22, 1822, he was united in marriage to Mary Lucas. In 1827 he and his family moved to Wayne County, Ohio, into the territory of the Mohican church. In 1830, he and Sister Garver united with the Church of the
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Brethren. Brother Garver was called to the ministry in 1837, and in 1855 was ordained to the eldership. He donated the land on which the Mohican church and cemetery are located. Brother and Sister Garver were the parents of sixteen children. Two of their sons, Samuel and George, were ministers in the Church of the Brethren. He served the church until his death on May 14, 1879.
Samuel Garver
SAMUEL GARVER, son of Jacob and Mary (Lucas) Garver, was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, on October 8, 1825, moving to Wayne County, Ohio, with his parents in 1827. In 1847 he married Sarah Rice. They moved into the Black River congregation's area in 1849 and in 1854 united with the church, becoming charter members of it. Brother Garver was called to the ministry in 1857 and ordained to the eldership at a later time. He served the church in that capacity until near the end of his life; his death occurred on May 13, 1907.
H. ROBERT GEMMER, the son of Hiram and Edith (Miller) Gemmer, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 4, 1923. He received his education at Indiana University (B.S.), the Chicago Theological Seminary (B.D.), the University of Chicago, Yale University, and Butler University (M.A.). While studying in college and seminary, Brother Gemmer preached in churches of twenty different denominations, not becoming associated with the Church of the Brethren until 1944. He was ordained July 7, 1947, in Indianapolis. His marriage to
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Myrna Jean Flory took place on June 11, 1949; one son and one daughter have been born to the union. In 1949 Brother and Sister Gemmer made a world tour to forty-eight countries as unofficial "ambassadors of goodwill." Brother Gemmer was very active in the Prohibition Party in his college days, and is still interested in the temperance movement. He is the author of Solving the Alcohol Problem, What Are the Facts About Alcohol?, Four Ways of Solving the Alcohol Problem, The Contribution of the Prohibition Party, Frances Willard's Views on Economics, Is There Hope for Peace? and other articles. He has taught at Camp Mack for a number of years. Some of the offices he has held are secretary-treasurer of the Greater Cleveland Ministerial Association; chairman of the youth work committee, Cleveland Church Federation; chairman of the personnel and nominating committees, Student Christian Union of Cleveland; adviser to the Heights Young Adult Fellowship; member of the National Council of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Brother Gemmer was part-time pastor of the West Chicago, Illinois, Congregational church from 1944 to 1945; full-time pastor of the First Friends church, Indianapolis, from 1947 to 1948; and full-time pastor of the Cleveland First Church of the Brethren from 1951 to 1955. After some years as the director of the social welfare department of the Cleveland Area Church Federation, he is currently the executive secretary of the Utica, New York, Council of Churches.
PIUS GIBBLE, son of Harvey and Ilda (Rohrbaugh) Gibble, was born in Astoria, Illinois, May 17, 1915. He united with the church in Astoria on October 23, 1936, was called to the ministry December 7, 1941, and was ordained August 25, 1942. He attended Manchester College for two years before going into civilian public service. Miami University granted him a B.A. degree in 1953; in addition to his pastoral responsibilities he is now enrolled at the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. Brother Gibble married Lois Royer on June 12, 1948; they have two sons. He has served as pastor at Walnut Grove, Northwestern Ohio, part time, from 1946 to 1948; Zion Hill, Northeastern Ohio, 1948 to 1950; Four Mile, Southern
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Indiana, 1950 to 1954; Loon Creek, Middle Indiana, 1957 to 1960. Since 1960 he has ministered to the Middle District congregation in Southern Ohio.
DALE EDWARD GIBBONEY, a native of Troy, Ohio, was born April 16, 1922, to Ezra and Olive (Wolfe) Gibboney. Having united with the church on December 4, 1934, he was licensed to the ministry on August 23, 1942. He is a graduate of Manchester College, Bethany Biblical Seminary, and Northern Illinois University. On June 22, 1947, he married Edna Marie Craig; they have two sons. Although much of his work has been in the public schools, Brother Gibboney has rendered pastoral service to the following churches: Marble Furnace and Strait Creek, Southern Ohio, summer, 1944; Reading, Northeastern Ohio, summer, 1946; Center, Northern Indiana, part time, 1947-1948; Defiance, Northwestern Ohio, weekends and summer, 1949; Reading and Freeburg, Northeastern Ohio, full time, 1950-1952; Midland, Michigan, full time, 1952-1953; Fairview, Southern Indiana, part time, 1953-1957; West Branch, Northern Illinois, full time, 1957-1958. He is now giving his entire time to teaching in the public schools of Elgin, Illinois.
I. J. GIBSON was born March 22, 1890, in Girard, Illinois, a son of Charles and Susan (Neher) Gibson. He was baptized in 1903 in the Sugar Creek church near Auburn, Illinois. Receiving his call to the ministry in 1912, from that year until 1918 he served the Girard, Virden, and Mount Morris, Illinois, churches in the free ministry. He married Ethel Mummert on December 24, 1919; two children were born to them. Brother Gibson attended Mount Morris College, Western Illinois State Teachers College, and Bethany Biblical Seminary. He has taught in Astoria and Cuba, Illinois, and at Hebron Seminary, Virginia. His part-time pastorates were at Liberty, Illinois (1918) ; Woodland, Illinois (1926-1929); and Astoria, Illinois (1934-1937). He was full-time pastor at Canton, Ohio (1923- 1924), and at Fostoria, Ohio (1924-1926). He shared in the free ministry at Nokesville, Virginia, in 1920 and 1921. He died on March 31, 1954.
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WILLARD L. GRANT began his pastorate in the Paradise congregation on September 1, 1960, coming to Northeastern Ohio from the Fairview church in Northwestern Ohio. His boyhood home was within the boundaries of the Owl Creek church. The Grants have four children. Since being called to the ministry at the age of thirty-five, he attended Bethany Bible Training School. Before coming to Paradise, he had been at Kaskaskia, Illinois, for four years and at Fairview for three years.
Willard Grant
Harlan Grubb
HARLAN C. GRUBB was born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, on August 15, 1906, the son of Harry and Ella (Weigley) Grubb. Originally a member of the Disciples of Christ, he was baptized into the Church of the Brethren in Akron in 1932. On September 6, 1931, he married Mildred M. Border; they have one daughter and one son. Brother Grubb received his education in the fields of business administration and accounting and worked as an accountant in Akron prior to entering the ministry in 1946. He was licensed to preach in the Akron First church on January 4, 1946, ordained to the ministry on June 12, 1946, and ordained to the eldership on November 7, 1948. His pastoral work has been done in the Center church, Northeastern Ohio (1946-1959) and the Pleasant Hill church, Western Pennsylvania (1959 - ). In Northeastern Ohio he carried varied district responsibilities: youth director and dean of youth camps; moderator of the district conference;
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member of the ministerial board; chairman of the council of boards; co-chairman of the CALL program; Standing Committeeman two times.
MATHIAS WILLIAM HAHN was born June 25, 1868, in North Georgetown, Ohio, a son of Joseph and Rebecca (Haas) Hahn. He united with the church in 1882. Without the benefit of a high school education, Brother Hahn entered Mount Union College, graduating in 1893. On November 25, 1894, he married Alice Fugeate; five children were born to this union. Called to the ministry at Reading in 1893, he was advanced at Freeburg in 1898. He served in the free ministry at the Sandy congregation (Reading-Freeburg) from 1893 to 1910. From 1896 to 1897 he was principal of Damascus Academy. Brother Hahn moved to Greenwood, Delaware, in 1910, where he sold real estate, taught, and preached.
HENRY PRICE HARLEY, son of Henry and Amanda (Price) Harley, was born December 22, 1885, in Royersford, Pennsylvania. Having united with the church in 1901, Brother Harley received his call to the ministry in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, in 1911 and was advanced the same year. He was educated at Juniata College, the University of Pennsyl- vania, and Western Reserve University. His marriage to Gladys Tillson MacGregory took place in 1922. Brother Harley taught and preached in Robertsdale, Pennsylvania (1914 to 1916), Delta, Pennsylvania (1916 to 1917), and Aberdeen, Maryland (1917 to 1918), being the principal of the high school in each of the three towns. After 1918 he was engaged in teaching and teacher training in Cleveland. He is the author of a popular school text, Exploring the World of Science. He is now living in Cleveland.
WAYNE P. HARMAN came to the White Cottage church as interim pastor on September 13, 1959, from West Lafayette, Ohio, where he was a barber for a number of years. He was then a licensed minister in the Baltic congregation. Later the church asked Brother Harman to serve full time and on April
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12, 1960, requested his ordination. On May 22, 1960, Alvin Kintner, a member of the ministerial board of Northeastern Ohio, conducted the ordination. With his family, Brother Harman moved to White Cottage, his first pastorate, during the summer of 1960. Following graduation from the Baltic high school, he was in the Marine Corps for several years.
Wayne Harman
Albert Harrold, Associate Editor of the 1914 History
ALBERT W. HARROLD, the son of Samuel and Susan (Crumbacher) Harrold, was born near Columbiana, Ohio, on May 18, 1860. He married Ella Wilderson on October 27, 1881; thirteen children were born to them. Brother Harrold was baptized on May 11, 1890, at Zion Hill. His education was received in the Columbiana schools and Juniata College. Elected to the ministry at Zion Hill on August 22, 1891, he was ordained there on September 3, 1893, and ordained to the eldership on October 31, 1903. While he was serving the Zion Hill and Bethel churches as an unsalaried minister from 1891 to 1929, his services extended beyond the boundaries of these two congregations. He went to Bristolville and Reading frequently; he conducted many funerals, performed many marriages, and held many revivals in other congregations. Along with his church work, he engaged in farming during his active years. Because his services to the church were rendered during the years of the free ministry, he turned also to other types of work to support his large family: he was the
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township assessor; he traveled with a threshing outfit, operated a coal mine, and sold dairy products, fruit trees, and other merchandise. Brother Harrold was the associate editor of A History of the Church of the Brethren: Northeastern Ohio, published in 1914. He died on September 13, 1939; Sister Harrold had preceded him on October 19, 1933.
KENNETH I. HARTMAN, son of Peter Sylvanus and Elizabeth (Whitlock) Hartman, was born January 6, 1919, in Live Oak, California. There he became a member of the church in 1930. Early in 1942 he was called to the ministry; on February 21, 1944, he was ordained. He is a graduate of Ashland College (B.A., 1947) and Bethany Biblical Seminary (B.D., 1950). Mrs. Hartman was the former Grace Keeny; one son and one daughter came into the home. Brother Hartman's first pastoral service was given to the Shiloh congregation, in Second West Virginia, in the summer of 1943. Subsequent charges have been Maple Grove, Northeastern Ohio, from 1944 to 1947; Lafayette, Southern Indiana, as a student from 1948 to 1950 and on a full-time basis from 1950 to 1954; Eversole, Southern Ohio, from 1954 to 1958; Emmanuel, a newly begun congrega- tion in the Huber Heights suburb of Dayton, Southern Ohio, since 1958. In 1946-1947 Brother Hartman was a member of the intermediate cabinet of Northeastern Ohio; he has held a number of offices in the other districts in which he has worked.
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