Alumni Obituaries, April 2013
DRICKEY- Marjorie R. (1975, DDiv), 92, went to be with the Lord on February 8, 2013. She had served as a United Methodist Pastor in four churches in northwestern Illinois, in addition to churches in the Chicago area, Nebraska, and Michigan. Marjorie graduated from Homer High School in Homer, Nebraska, and Wayne State Teachers College. After a year of teaching mathematics, Marjorie volunteered at a church camp and was so impressed with Asbury students that she accepted the call to attend Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. After graduating from the seminary, Marjorie served as a youth leader, and then an assistant at two churches in Michigan. She then returned to her home state of Nebraska and was appointed to serve the Spencer-Bristow charge in north central Nebraska. While serving in Spencer, she met Charles A. Drickey, and they were united in marriage on June 13, 1955. Charles accepted a position as an engineer with UPI and the two moved to Chicago, where Marjorie served the Central Park Methodist Church, and later the Garfield Blvd. Church, an inner city church on the south side of Chicago. Marjorie was next appointed to Fairmont Methodist Church in Lockport (later to become Christ United Methodist). In 1984, she was appointed to Calvary United Methodist Church in Stockton. Charles was still employed at UPI in Chicago and commuted on the weekends. After Charles retired from UPI and later Marjorie from fulltime service in 1989, the two took a long awaited vacation trip to Alaska. Upon her return, Marjorie continued to serve part-time, now at the Hanover United Methodist Church. Lastly, Marjorie received one more calling to the Kent-Willow charge where she served until 2007, finally completely retiring at age 86. When Marjorie first accepted the call, the Lord gave her a vision of people going over a cliff without receiving the Word. She accepted the call and considered herself a missionary to the Methodists. Marjorie always remembered her paternal grandparents, Albert and Melvina Johnson, who served together as traveling ministers. As a child she preached to her dolls, cats and younger sister Maxine. She also remembered when her father became a Christian as a young father, giving up the playing of baseball on Sunday and observing the Sabbath. She received the Lord while in college and then followed as the Lord led. In addition to leading many to Christ over the years, Marjorie and Charles made numerous very close friends during their ministry. Many of these friends became like family. They include Elaine Cox of Barrington, the Rev. Bob Wood, a one-time Michigan youth who went into the ministry, the Garrett family of Indiana, Nancy Sata of Rockford, Rev. Ruben Cruz of Chicago, and Carol Rowe of Stockton, Illinois. Marjorie Rose (Johnson) Drickey was born on August 22, 1920 in rural Winnebago, NE to Roscoe Ulysses and Minnie (Sundine) Johnson. She was the fourth of five children, born on the family farm. Her four siblings, infant Roscoe Johnson, Keith Johnson, Evelyn Rasmussen, and Maxine Rohde, along with her parents, all preceded her to Heaven, in addition to her husband Charles, who passed away in 2001. She was also preceded in death by niece Janet Rohde Koopman, and nephew-in-law Rich Gray. She leaves behind the following nieces and nephews on the Johnson side of the family: Mark Rasmussen of Petaluma, CA, Bob (Annette) Johnson of Smithland, IA, Linda Johnson Gray (John) Smith of Omaha, NE, Denny Koopman of Emerson, NE, and Dennis (Beth) Rohde of Emerson NE. She also is survived by brother-in-law Donnel Rohde of Emerson, NE and sister-in-law Nina Johnson of Mapleton, IA. On the Drickey side of the family, she was preceded in death by brothers and sisters-in-law Don and Jane Drickey, and Eugene and Marjorie Drickey. She is survived by brother-in-law Dr. James Drickey of Cape Giradeau, MO, and the following nieces and nephews: Judy (Tom) Scarborough of Rapid City, SD, Don (Jeanne) Drickey of Amarillo, TX, Janice Drickey of Dupont, WA, Dr. Bob (Sherry) Drickey of Fraser, CO; Ron (Nancy) Drickey of McMinnivelle, OR, and also cousin RB (Bev) Drickey of Spencer, NE. She is also survived by numerous great-nieces and great-nephews, and Trevor Butler of Aurora, IL and Jodie (Butler) Seibert of Kasbeer, IL, to whom she was Grandma Drickey. Marjorie has passed into glory and it has always been her keen desire that all who knew her would also know and receive the Lord. She was beloved as a rock in her family who could always be counted on to pray. She will be sorely missed by her family and all those who came to know the Lord through her over the years.
VESEY – Donald M., Jr, (1956, BD), 86, went home to be with the Lord Jesus Saturday afternoon, February 2, 2013, at hospice in Hughson, California after a series of illnesses. He was born October 6, 1926 in Sacramento, California. He is a graduate of Los Angeles Pacific College and Asbury Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity, 1956). He and his wife Claris were married in March of 1947. He was ordained through the Free Methodist Church of North America. They served as missionaries to Paraguay from 1951-1955, returning to the States due to health issues for both. They then went to Nogales, Arizona where Don taught Bible in the Nogales Bible School. Don and Claris have four sons: Donald, Lawrence, Gerald, and Kenneth. Don is now reunited with the one child that was miscarried. From 1959 to 1963 they served once more as missionaries to the Dominican Republic. Returning to the States again, they settled into various ministries including: Seattle Pacific College; they pastored a church in Redwood City, California; and did Spanish-speaking missions work in Chicago, Illinois. They retired in 1989 to The Colony, Texas, and moved to Bethany homes in Ripon, California in 2011. Since then they have been active members of Ripon Free Methodist Church. Don is survived by his wife, Claris, of nearly 66 years; sons Donald (Salinas, CA), Lawrence (Chesapeake, VA), Gerald (Forreston, IL), and Kenneth (The Colony, TX); a sister, June Bakotich of Sacramento, and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.