USA > Ohio > The Church of the Brethren in northeastern Ohio > Part 25
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SIMON A. SHOWALTER, son of John and Elizabeth (Shank) Showalter, was born in Wayne County, Ohio, April 22, 1868. He united with the Mohican congregation in February 1890. Lenora Fike became his wife on December 5, 1889; they were the parents of five children. Brother Showalter was elected to
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the ministry in the Chippewa congregation in November 1913 and ordained to the eldership there in October 1920. He served as a deacon from 1896 to 1913 and was a regular alternating pastor at Beech Grove and East Chippewa until 1929. He later did supply work at Akron, Springfield, East Chippewa, Wooster, New Philadelphia, Bunker Hill, and Mohican. His home was in Wooster at the time of his death in 1954.
PAUL F. SHRIDER, son of J. F. and Florence (Holtz) Shrider, was born near Zanesville, Ohio, on October 19, 1915. Having united with the church in 1924 in the White Cottage congre- gation, he was called to the ministry there in May 1936 and ordained there in April 1938. He was ordained to the eldership on October 11, 1945. His education was secured at Manchester College (A.B., 1940) and Bethany Seminary (B.D., 1944). On September 1, 1940, he married Violet Bollman; they are the parents of a son and a daughter. Brother Shrider was the summer pastor at Baltic and Sugarcreek (1940), Woodworth (1941), and the Dillonvale mission (1942). Full-time pastoral care was given to the mission in 1943 and 1944 and to the Chippewa church from September 1944 until August 1948. From 1949 to 1957 he was with the West Branch church, Illinois, in a part-time capacity. He was the director of the intermediate camp at Camp Zion in 1947 and 1948. Since 1948 he has been the superintendent of buildings and grounds at Bethany Biblical Seminary.
AARON F. SHRIVER, son of George and Julia Ann (Carper) Shriver, was born near Louisville, Ohio, on September 12, 1870. As a youth he was baptized into the Reformed Church; in 1908 he united with the Church of the Brethren in the Canton Center congregation. Called to the ministry in 1908 at Canton Center, he was later advanced to the second degree there and then ordained to the eldership. He married Jennie Culler on March 20, 1898; one daughter was born to them and another daughter was adopted. Brother Shriver received his education at Ohio Northern University and Bethany Seminary. He was pastor at Akron from 1909 to 1916 and at New Philadelphia from 1916 until the time of his death late in 1922.
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REUBEN ROBERT SHROYER, son of Leonard and Lovina (Price) Shroyer, was born in Stark County, Ohio, on June 10, 1859. While still a youth he was baptized in the Zion congregation. Called to the ministry by that church in 1884, he was advanced to the eldership some years later. Irene Kimmell became his wife on February 20, 1885; six children were born to them. Brother Shroyer served the Zion and Eden churches in the free ministry from 1884 to 1915 and the West Nimishillen church under the same arrangement from 1915 to 1922. He was an active and successful evangelist during most of his min- isterial career.
MERLIN GROSH SHULL was born to Merlin C. and Pearl (Grosh) Shull in Chicago, Illinois, on July 1, 1927. When he was still a small boy the family moved to Johnson City, Tennessee, and, after seven years, to Elgin, Illinois. He was baptized at the age of ten in Johnson City. In 1949 he received a B.A. degree from Manchester College. The Elgin church ordained him to the ministry in 1947. During the summer of 1949 he was with the Central church, Roanoke, Virginia, as its interim pastor. In June 1950 he went to Austria under the direction of the Brethren Service Commission. He remained abroad until August 1953, during which time he traveled in nearly twenty European countries. His years in Austria were spent as material aid director, vocational director, and finally as assistant director of the Austrian service unit. In the summer of 1954 he was the assistant pastor of the Trotwood church in Southern Ohio. In September of that year he returned to Bethany Seminary, from which he received a B.D. degree in 1955. Since September 1955 he has been the pastor of the East Nimishillen church in Northeastern Ohio, sharing responsibly in district work during these years. Mrs. Shull is the former Mary Grace White; they have two children.
E. STANLEY SMITH is the son of W. Harlan and Frances (Sheller) Smith; he was born in China, where his parents were missionaries, and spent about seven of his boyhood years there. His education was received at Manchester College and
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Merlin G. Shull
E. Stanley Smith
Bethany Biblical Seminary (B.D., 1958). He and his wife, the former Jean Weaver, have two children. After having served the Decatur, Illinois, church from 1958 to 1962, he became the pastor of the Akron Eastwood church on September 1 of the latter year. He has made some contributions to Brethren periodicals.
WILLIAM DWIGHT SMITH was born on February 8, 1928, to W. Harlan and Frances Jane (Sheller) Smith in Chicago, Illi- nois. In October 1938 he was baptized in the Bethany church, near Stet, Missouri. While still of grade-school age, Brother Smith spent eight years in China with his parents, who were missionaries. He was graduated from Manchester College with an A.B. degree and has completed two years of seminary work. Called to the ministry at Flora, Indiana, on July 7, 1948, he was ordained in Mansfield, Ohio, on September 28, 1952. After acting as the summer pastor of the Mansfield church in 1951, he became its full-time pastor in 1952, remaining there until 1955. From 1955 to 1957 he served the Woodland, Michigan, congregation and from 1957 to 1959 the Liberty Mills, Indiana, church. He is now the part-time pastor of the Pine Creek Christian church near Dixon, Illinois, along with teaching in the Dixon high school. In Northeastern Ohio he was the manager of Camp Zion in 1950 and directed young people's camps. His marriage was to Janice Hoff; they have one son.
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CARL S. SMUCKER, son of Simon and Lydia (Wenger) Smucker, was born in Orrville, Ohio, on January 9, 1910. He was baptized in the East Chippewa congregation in 1929. On November 27, 1929, he married Verda Griner; three children were born to them. Brother Smucker was called to the ministry in Orrville in 1935, advanced there in 1937, and ordained to the eldership in Rockford, Illinois, in 1943. He is a graduate of McPherson College and Bethany Seminary, and has carried on additional study at Rockford College and Northern Illinois University. From 1939 to 1940 he was the pastor of the Monitor church, near Conway, Kansas, and from the latter year until 1950 of the church in Rockford. From 1950 to 1953 he was the director of Protestant welfare service in Rockford, working extensively in the rehabilitation of delinquent youth. Since 1953 he has been an employee of the Illinois Youth Commission, giving special attention to delinquents who have been institu- tionalized. In 1957 he represented the commission at the International Social Workers Conference in Munich, Germany, visiting also seven countries of Europe to study the problem of delinquency. Much time and effort has been given to various phases of the field of human uplift through social welfare work. He has held many positions of responsibility in the work of the church in the District of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin and has contributed articles to the Church of the Brethren Leader and to the Gospel Messenger. His home is in Rockford.
JOSEPH H. SNYDER, Sr., was born on June 22, 1890, in Columbiana County, Ohio. His parents were Benjamin F. and Ida W. (Snell) Snyder. He was married to Irene M. Longanecker on August 22, 1912; they were the parents of three sons and six daughters. He was baptized in February 1913 at the Zion Hill church. His education was received at Ohio Northern University and the Youngstown law school. He taught in the public schools for twenty-eight years, carried mail for two years, and was a justice of the peace in Springfield Township, Mahoning County, for twenty-six years. At present he is engaged in the farm machinery business and also in farming to a limited extent. He has been active in the Bethel church as a Sunday-school teacher, church clerk, church treasurer, deacon, trustee, and Sunday-school superintendent.
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The first layman to become the moderator of a congregation in Northeastern Ohio, he served the Bethel church in that capacity.
Joseph and Irene Snyder
David and Dorothy Sower
DAVID E. SOWER, son of William H. and Elizabeth (Bowser) Sower, was born in Ithaca, Michigan, on March 14, 1879. He was baptized in the North Manchester congregation, Indiana, in January 1898. Called to the ministry in the New Haven church, Michigan, on September 3, 1898, he was advanced at Elmdale, the same state, in 1905 and ordained to the eldership at Long Lake, also in Michigan, on August 26, 1911. Brother Sower was married to Dorothy Shafford on May 23, 1907; they were the parents of six sons and three daughters. He had a long and varied pastoral experience: in the free ministry at New Haven (September 1898 to February 1903), Elmdale (February 1903 to September 1906), and Manchester, Indiana (November 1, 1906, to November 1, 1907); as full-time pastor at Indianapolis, Indiana (November 1, 1907, to November 1, 1908); again in the free ministry at Elmdale (November 1, 1908, to May 1, 1910), Long Lake (May 1, 1910, to November 1, 1918), and New Haven (November 1, 1918, to November 15, 1923) ; as part-time pastor at Black River, Ohio (November 15, 1923, to September 1, 1929), and Mohican, Ohio (January 1, 1930, to May 1, 1945); as full-time pastor at Maple Grove (January 1, 1936, to December 1, 1944) and Bristolville, Ohio
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(September 1, 1946, to the time of his death on December 25, 1950). From 1941 to 1950 he was on the Northeastern Ohio mission board.
RICHARD D. SPEICHER began pastoral service at the Woodworth church on September 1, 1960. He was born on May 19, 1924, near Hollsopple, Pennsylvania, the son of John W. and Annie (Thomas) Speicher. On March 15, 1952, he was married to Marianne Miller; they have three children. Brother Speicher was baptized on July 2, 1935, at the Berkey church, Western Pennsylvania. A graduate of Manchester College with a B.A. degree in 1949, he received a B.D. degree from Bethany Biblical Seminary in 1952. The Berkey church licensed him to the ministry on September 2, 1945, and ordained him on September 3, 1946. His ordination to the eldership took place at Kokomo, Indiana, on November 19, 1953. Brother Speicher ministered to the Kokomo church from 1952 to 1960. In the District of Southern Indiana he was the moderator once, was the chairman of the district board for three years, was president of the Howard County Council of Churches for one year, and was a member of the executive
Richard Speicher
Samuel Sprankel
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committee of the Indiana Council of Churches. Currently he is the secretary of the stewardship committee and the director of interpretation in Northeastern Ohio.
SAMUEL SPRANKEL, the son of Jacob and Rachel (Pence) Sprankel, was born in Stark County, Ohio. In 1864 he was married to Sarah Killinger. He became a member of the church in 1863, was elected to the ministry in 1873, and was later ordained an elder. Although his life and his work centered in the Eden (Tuscarawas) congregation, he spent many of his winters doing evangelistic work. He attended forty-three Annual Meetings, serving twice on the Standing Committee. Moderator of the district conference of Northeastern Ohio many times, he was a pioneer in the mission work of the district and held membership on the district board for many years. He was very active in campaigning against the liquor traffic and traveled in nearly every state in the Union in the interests of the church. However, most of his work was done in the District of Northeastern Ohio. His death occurred in 1918.
WILLIS B. STEHMAN, son of Henry B. and Bessie (Bruckhart) Stehman, was born in Manheim, Pennsylvania, on December 4, 1918. He was baptized in the Manheim congregation in April 1930. Brother Stehman was married to Alta B. Zug on January 26, 1941; to them were born a son and a daughter. He was called to the ministry on March 4, 1946, and ordained on April 17, 1947, at Manheim. He has attended Elizabethtown College. Brother Stehman served the East Fairview, Pennsylvania, church in the free ministry from March 1946 through 1951. From January 1, 1952, until 1959 he was at New Philadelphia, Ohio; from 1959 to 1961 at Marion, Indiana; since 1961 at Sugar Creek in Northwestern Ohio. He shared in the activities of Northeastern Ohio as dean of an area training school and as a member of the children's cabinet. He had been employed by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Cooperative Association from 1942 to 1951.
HAROLD L. STEINER, son of Christian J. and Frieda (Scharer) Steiner, was born in Sterling, Ohio, on April 1, 1911. He was
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baptized at Wadsworth, Ohio, on May 5, 1935. In 1930 he was graduated from the Milton Township high school. Grace M. Irvin became his wife on June 6, 1937; they are the parents of two children. The Steiners are members of the East Chippewa, Ohio, congregation. Brother Steiner is active in the district men's fellowship, serving as its president for several years; he has been a member of the Camp Zion trustee board. In 1955 he represented the District of Northeastern Ohio on the Standing Committee. Since May 1936 he has been self-employed in the oil business.
WILBUR BRENNER STOVER was born near Greencastle, Pennsylvania, on May 6, 1866. The oldest of four brothers, he was left with much of the responsibility for himself and his family when he was only nine. Some years later the family moved to Illinois, where Wilbur entered Mount Morris College, intending to prepare himself for the profession of bookkeeper. While taking his course he became a Christian and decided that he wanted to prepare for a Christian vocation. While working in Minnesota, he attended a Presbyterian church which was supporting a missionary and was emphasizing missions. He read many missionary books that year. When he returned to college, his sincerity and his desire to serve his Master brought him to the attention of the church at Mount Morris, and he was called to the ministry by that church. He became the pastor of the Germantown Church of the Brethren in Pennsylvania. While in this pastorate he also attended Temple College. During his student days at Mount Morris College he met Mary Emmert; married on June 29, 1893, they became the parents of three sons and two daughters. Besides caring for her family, Sister Stover gave herself fully to help him fulfill his lifework. It took time to create sentiment in the church to send missionaries. Brother Stover first offered to go to India in 1892, but it was two years later that he and his wife and Bertha Ryan were commissioned to go. They selected a location at Bulsar, one hundred twenty-five miles north of Bombay. The Stovers spent three terms on the India mission field, returning to America in 1920. For the next ten years his life was as busy as ever. He lectured, and he taught missions in Mount Morris College and Bethany Biblical Seminary. He
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secured a Master of Arts degree at Northwestern University. Later he served as pastor at Cleveland, Ohio, from 1924 to 1925 and at Seattle and Olympia, Washington. He died at Olympia on October 31, 1930. A prolific writer for Brethren missions throughout his life, he contributed numerous articles, mostly about missions, to the Gospel Messenger. Later he wrote five books: India, a Problem; Missions and the Church; One Year Visiting India (written with Mrs. Stover's collaboration) ; The Great First-Work of the Church - Missions; and The Family Worship.
GEORGE S. STRAUSBAUGH was born near Republic, Ohio, October 28, 1880, a son of John LaFayette and Fianna (Snavely) Strausbaugh. He was baptized in the Greenspring church, in Northwestern Ohio, on October 25, 1901. Called to the ministry in this congregation on June 14, 1902, he was advanced there on September 3, 1904; the Owl Creek church ordained him to the eldership on October 26, 1906. He was united in marriage with Mabel Grubb, March 14, 1906; three chil- dren were born to them. Brother Strausbaugh attended Manchester and Canton colleges. His pastoral charges have been in the free ministry at Greenspring (1902- 1906), Richland (1903-1906), and Owl Creek (1906-1917) ; part time at Owl Creek (1919-1926) ; full time at Canton City (1917-1918), East George and Mabel Strausbaugh Nimishillen (1926-1929), Zion Hill (1929-1941), and Kent (1941-1945). He was moderator of the district conference of Northeastern Ohio eleven times; assistant moderator eleven times; writing clerk in 1909; reading clerk in 1910; a member of the Sunday-school board from 1914 to 1917; a trustee of Manchester College from 1916 to 1952 (on May 26, 1953, Manchester honored him with a citation for his long and faithful service); a member of the ministerial board from 1931 to 1934; of the mission board from
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1935 to 1945 and from 1947 to 1954; of the joint boards since 1923. At five Annual Conferences he has represented North- eastern Ohio on the Standing Committee. Having retired from active pastoral service in 1945, he now lives in Columbiana, Ohio.
ELI STROUP, a native of Homeworth, Ohio, was born to Mr. and Mrs. George Stroup on February 23, 1839. He married Lucinda Weaver in 1862; ten children blessed the union. Brother Stroup was baptized in the Reading congregation in 1869, called to the ministry there in 1884, advanced in 1887, and ordained to the eldership in 1892. He served the Liberty, Reading, Sandy, Science Hill, and Chambersburg churches in the free ministry from 1884 to 1898.
DAVID F. STUCKEY was born to Tobias and Ellen Mary (Myers) Stuckey in Stark County, Ohio, on October 9, 1878. He was married to Viola May Starkey; they were the parents of three sons and four daughters. Brother Stuckey was baptized on June 17, 1894. After attending the public schools, he received further education at the Damascus (Friends) Academy, Ohio Northern University, and Mount Union College. Elected to the ministry on May 25, 1901, at Freeburg, Ohio, he was ordained to the ministry there on May 14, 1904, and to the eldership on September 9, 1916. Brother Stuckey served the Freeburg church in the free ministry from 1901 to 1936. He farmed for forty-one years; taught school for twenty-two years, being a township superintendent of schools for five years; and was president of the Farm Mutual Insurance Company for fifteen years. He served on several district boards of Northeastern Ohio: the temperance committee (1917-1925) ; the child rescue committee (1919-1920); the Sunday-school board of control (1918-1921); and the home mission board (1922-1941). He was the presiding elder (moderator) of a number of churches in the district: Bethel, Woodworth, Freeburg, Maple Avenue, Alliance, Kent, Bristolville, Cleve- land, and others. He pastored the Canton Maple Avenue church on a part-time basis from September 1938 to June 1940, and the Alliance church on a voluntary basis prior to the
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organization of the congregation. Brother Stuckey represented Northeastern Ohio on the Standing Committee in 1923 and 1936. He died on October 28, 1957.
Simon and Anna Stuckey
SIMON B. STUCKEY was born in Stark County, Ohio, in 1833. Anna Summers became his wife on April 24, 1856; to this union three children were born. He united with the church in his youth and became an earnest and devoted worker. In 1876 he was elected to the ministry and was ordained an elder on May 26, 1901. He was a faithful worker in the Freeburg church. It is said of him that he was not a fluent minister but that he was gifted in music and was in demand by the churches as a song leader. He died on September 21, 1904.
MILTON M. TAYLOR, son of John and Saloma (Miller) Taylor, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on July 3, 1870. He was baptized in the Center church, Louisville, Ohio, in December 1891. His marriage to Savilla Hang occurred on November 27, 1892. She died on July 12, 1944. He was married
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to Lotisha Seefong on June 20, 1945. Elected to the ministry in the Center church on May 23, 1913, he was advanced June 5, 1914, and ordained to the eldership September 9, 1916. From May 11, 1918, until August 1946 he had the pastoral oversight of this church, at first in the free ministry and then as a supported pastor. Brother Taylor was a member of the district temperance committee from 1917 to 1925; the home mission board from 1920 to 1945; the Camp Zion trustee board from 1936 to 1947; the Standing Committee two times. From 1913 to 1946 he owned a greenhouse. Death came to him on April 20, 1954.
Clair Throne
Milton and Savilla Taylor
CLAIR O. THRONE is one of the active laymen of North- eastern Ohio. A native of Pioneer, Ohio, he was born on August 3, 1908, to George S. and Zella (Kuszmaul) Throne. He was baptized in April 1920 at Pioneer. On October 6, 1934, he was united in marriage to Ferne Chaffin; they are the parents of two children. He was graduated from Manchester College in 1931 with a B.Sc. degree and from the Ohio State University in 1932 with an M.Sc. degree. A resident of Cleveland, Ohio, he was employed as a chemist for the Industrial Rayon Corporation of Cleveland from 1932 to 1941; since 1941 he has been employed by the Glidden Company, also
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of Cleveland. A member of the Cleveland church for many years, he shares in the work of its boards and committees. In 1951 he was elected as a trustee to Manchester College from Northeastern Ohio. Since 1951 he has been the secretary of the district council of boards and has been a member of the historical committee since that same year. In 1960 he was chosen to be the district writing clerk.
WILLIAM E. WALTERS, son of Earl B. and Hallie (Givens) Walters, was born in Maytown, Pennsylvania, on Christmas Eve, 1927. Since graduating from high school in Maytown in 1945, he has studied at Elizabethtown College and Lancaster Business College. Brother Walters was baptized in the West Green Tree congregation, Florin, Pennsylvania, on December 10, 1946. In 1947 he was married to Dorothy M. Shearer; they are the parents of two sons. After gradu- ating from high school, Brother Walters was employed for many years by a local feed manufacturing concern. During this period he was with the armed forces for eighteen months in Japan and the Pacific area. Elected to the ministry in 1953 by his home congregation, he was ordained there on August 21, 1954. From 1953 to 1954 he pastored William Walters this congregation and the newly formed Florin congregation in the free ministry. Since 1955 he has been the pastor of the First church, Mansfield, Ohio. To the District of Northeastern Ohio, Brother Walters has given varied service such as that of pastoral adviser for the C.B.Y.F., chairman of the Brethren service committee, camp dean and counselor, chairman of the council of boards, reading clerk, and moderator.
ERVIN WEAVER, son of Benjamin and Sarah (Troup) Weaver, was born in Bremen, Indiana, on March 26, 1888. He
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was baptized in the Bremen congregation June 4, 1899. Called to the ministry in Bremen on October 10, 1908, he was advanced there December 9, 1910, and was ordained an elder November 29, 1919, at Oak Grove, Illinois. He served the Bremen congregation in the free ministry from 1908 to 1913, when he entered Manchester College. After graduation from Man- chester, he went to Bethany Seminary for two years. Hattie Carbiener became his wife on October 10, 1911; six children were born to them. Brother Weaver was the part-time pastor at Oak Grove from 1919 to 1920. Full-time pastorates have been Spokane, Washington (1920-1922) ; Centralia, Washington (1922-1923); Rock Run, Indiana (1923-1925); White Cottage, Ohio (1925-1929); Woodland and Sunfield, Michigan (1929- 1931); Osceola, Indiana (1931-1938); North Liberty, Indiana (1938-1944) ; Midland, Michigan (1947-1952). He and Sister Weaver were the superintendent and the matron of the Brethren Welfare Home at Mexico, Indiana, from 1944 to 1947; from 1952 to 1960 and for a while in 1961 they were helpers there. Since late 1961 they have been living in retirement in Elkhart, Indiana.
CLINTON I. WEBER, son of Thomas Martin and Lizzie (Johnson) Weber, was born in Illinois on January 18, 1898. He was baptized in the Dixon, Illinois, congregation November 25, 1917. Brother Weber married Margaret Alice Nelson on June 11, 1919; two boys were born to them. Having been elected to the ministry at Woodland, Illinois, he was ordained to the eldership in Indianapolis, Indiana, in September 1937. Brother Weber received his education at Muskingum College, Bethany Seminary, and Butler University. His entire life was devoted to the pastoral ministry: Chippewa Valley, Wisconsin (January 1, 1922, to September 1, 1924) ; Kansas City, Missouri (October 1, 1924, to August 31, 1925) ; Allison Prairie, Illinois (September 1, 1925, to August 31, 1937); La Motte Prairie, Illinois (part time, September 1, 1925, to August 31, 1929) ; White Cottage, Ohio (September 1, 1929, to August 31, 1934) ; Indianapolis, Indiana (September 1, 1936, to September 30, 1938) ; Hutchinson, Kansas (November 1, 1938, to August 31, 1944) ; Dallas Center, Iowa (September 1, 1944, to August 31, 1949); Omaha, Nebraska (September 1, 1949, to August 31,
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