Obituaries
Audrey P. Clyde, 89, formerly of Elkhart and Syracuse, IN, passed away on April 16, 2021, in Sheboygan Falls, WI, at Pine Haven Christian Communities- Giddings Avenue, where she and her husband, Robert (Bob), resided for the past 14 months.
Audrey was born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada on July 6, 1931 to Edwin R. and Edith M. (Lageer) Good. She was raised in Stouffville, Ontario where she graduated from high school at the age of 16 and worked for a year before continuing her studies at Bethel College (now University) in Mishawaka, Indiana. She graduated in 1953 with her Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Literature, after which she served as a secretary at Gospel Center United Missionary Church, South Bend, Indiana. There she met her husband, Robert S. Clyde, where they were united in marriage on June 19, 1954.
During her husband’s many years in Christian ministry, Audrey served alongside him as a church pianist, organist, Sunday School teacher, and choir member. She was highly gifted in sewing, cooking, handcrafts, gardening, and enjoyed serving people, especially her family. She was a much-sought-after seamstress for many years, and was well known for her deep love of God’s creation and His many four-legged creatures. Most recently she was a member of Nappanee Missionary Church, Nappanee, Indiana.
Audrey is survived by her loving husband, Robert Clyde; four children, Heather (David) Tempas of Sheboygan, WI; April (Curt) Oberholtzer of Watertown, WI; Robert (Josie) Clyde of Indianapolis, IN; and Andrew (Jennifer) Clyde of Athens, GA; six grandchildren: David Clyde, Plymouth, MI; Aaron (Brittany) Oberholtzer , Madison, WI; Stephen Clyde, Carmel, IN; Madelaine Tempas, Woodbury, MN; Brittany (Charlie) Leeds, Fond du Lac, WI, and Michaela Tempas, Sheboygan, WI; and one great-grandchild, Elliana Oberholtzer, Madison, WI. She is further survived by one sister, Lois Titus, Modena, Ontario and two sisters-in-law, Audrey Good, Kitchener, Ontario and Audrey Good, Calgary, Alberta, plus numerous nephews and nieces and friends in both Canada and the United States.
Audrey is preceded in death by her parents, Edwin and Edith Good, and siblings Evelyn, Ruby, Helen, Edward, Harold, and Garth, and one grandchild, Matthew Christian Oberholtzer.
A private funeral service will take place at the Wenig Funeral Home in Sheboygan Falls. A private burial will take place at South Union Cemetery in Locke, IN.
Rev. Hugh Don Barksdale, aged 78, died peacefully in his sleep at his home Thursday, May 27, 2021, in Mayfield, Kentucky. His voice was silenced, but his influence will live on through the many lives he touched.
He was born March 31, 1943, in Mississippi County, Missouri, to Horace M. Barksdale and Eva Jane Burleson Barksdale. His family moved to Rocky Ford, Colorado, and he graduated from Rocky Ford High and Otero Community College in La Junta, Colorado, before obtaining a master’s degree at Murray State University. He also attended Asbury Seminary in Wilmore.
Upon entering the ministry, he served Methodist churches in Calloway, Graves and Fulton counties in Kentucky, and Henry County, Tennessee. His last charge, before and after retirement, was at Mount Zion in Union City, Tennessee.
Before entering the ministry, he taught English at Murray State and was an insurance agent in Murray for many years. Hugh was also a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Vietnam War in the 26th Combat Engineer Battalion of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Peggy Sutton; and a brother, Larry Barksdale, both of Cedaredge, Colorado.
Hugh is survived by his wife, Charlotte Marilyn Allen Barksdale, whom he married June 9, 1967; his daughter, April Suzanne Barksdale (Mark Evans), of Mayfield; his son, William Joseph Barksdale; his grandchildren, Christopher Allen Davis of Mayfield and Daphne Jade Barksdale of Murray. He was proceded in death by his parents, his sister, Peggy Sutton, and a brother, Larry Barksdale both of Cedaredge, CO.
Missy Ruth (Shelton) Belote, aged 44, made her grand entrance onto Heaven’s stage as the Father welcomed his daughter home on Thursday, June 3, 2021, after 44 amazing years as a friend, a beloved daughter, sister, wife and mother, and a witness to Christ.
Her voice echoed around the world, praising her Lord in song, sharing her faith in sermon, and showcasing others’ journeys in story.
Missy came into this world on a snowy Thursday in January 1977. She graduated from Dobyns-Bennett High School, earned her journalism degree from the University of Missouri, and completed her master’s degree in communications at Missouri State University. She was enrolled at Asbury Theological Seminary working on her Master of Divinity at the time of her death.
She enjoyed three successful careers: a journalist and leader for public radio and television in Springfield, Missouri; a marketing communication representative for Eastman; and an associate pastor at First Broad Street United Methodist Church. With each new adventure, she made her teams stronger with her unselfish commitment to her colleagues, her attention to detail and excellence, and her giving heart and listening ear.
Missy’s greatest accomplishment was as architect of a family that connected hearts across continents. She wanted nothing more than to become a mother and traveled to Vietnam, Ethiopia and China to fulfill that dream. Those three gold stars carry their mother’s love in their hearts and endure as her biggest legacy.
A stage never shined brighter than when Missy was on it. She made her debut as Molly in “Annie” at the Civic Auditorium. She cultivated her talents through elementary school, John Sevier On Stage, the Showboat Dinner Theatre, the D-B Show Choir and Springfield Little Theatre in Missouri. Her favorite roles included Grace in “Annie,” the Narrator in “Joseph,” and Milly in “Seven Brides.”
She was always planning the next trip. Her travels took her to nearly every corner of the planet. One occasion, she had breakfast in Amsterdam, lunch in Brussels, and dinner in Paris. There was no beach she did not love. Her favorite sands included Hawaii, Myrtle Beach and Amelia Island, Florida.
As a child, she did not have pets. As an adult, her heart overflowed caring first for her beloved cats, Little Buddy and Pierre. They returned the affection by staying by her side as she battled back the side effects of the first wave of chemotherapy. She never thought they could be replaced, but Jack and Twig gracefully took up the mantle of feline caregivers in the final years of her life.
A teacher once told her she never saw Missy without a book in her hand. Her voracious appetite for reading informed her imagination and inspired her to write as often as she could. Her poetry and short stories reflected her hopes and dreams. In 2015, she re-imagined her and Brad’s infertility experience as a royal romance and became an author herself. (“Inconceivable” by Tegan Wren).
She is survived by her devoted husband Brad; children Zeke, Quilla, and Zeb; her parents, Ron and Lowanda Shelton; her sister Wendy Tase (Neiko); and her brother Quinn Shelton (Megan Krager); brother-in-law Travis Belote (Melissa); her in-laws, Steve and Terry Belote; and nieces and nephews Vivi and Vizo Tase and Bridger and Henry Belote.
She was preceded in death by Lewis and Thelma Salyer (grandparents), James and Martha Shelton (grandparents) and Little Buddy and Pierre Clovis, her beloved cats.
Joseph Andrew Fralick, M.Div ’62, aged 87, of Coldwater, passed away on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at the Laurels of Coldwater. A memorial service celebrating the life of Joseph will take place at 1:00 PM on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at the Free Methodist Church 200 N. Fremont St. Coldwater, MI, 49036. Visitation will be held from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM also at the church. Joseph was born on July 31, 1933, to Henry and Elsie (Erskine) Fralick in Marquette, Michigan. He graduated from Coldwater with the Class of 1951 and went on to receive a Master of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary. On October 4, 1957, he married Nova Jean Curtiss in Indianapolis, Indiana. Over the years Joseph served as a pastor with the Free Methodist Church, Church of Nazarene, Wesleyan Church and The Missionary Church throughout the South and Midwest. Joseph frequently worked bi-vocationally while pastoring. His jobs included realtor, schoolteacher, and pressman for variousing companies. He was a voracious reader and lover of good music. He also enjoyed the outdoors, gardening and fishing, as well as tinkering with clocks and woodworking. Surviving are his wife, Nova (Curtiss) Fralick of Coldwater; children, Andrew (Virginia) Fralick of Lansing, Rebecca (Rick) Nesbitt of Goshen, Jonathan (Patricia) Fralick of Petoskey, Judith (Brian) Farrell of Grayling and Joanna (Robert) Gould of Whitehall; grandchildren, Bethany (Kurt) Lovegrove, Hannah (Cameron) Macmillan, Rachel (Martin) Shilton, Joelle Green, Luke (Sadie) Fralick, Joshua Nesbitt, Adrienne Nesbitt, Matthew (Shawna – deceased) Nesbitt, Aaron (Kelsey) Nesbitt, Jared (Esmeralda) Nesbitt, Nick (Kelly) Heikkinen, Erica (Nate) Golding, Emory (Grace – fiance) Fralick, Alyssa (Brian) Spalding, Brianna (Scott) Myers, Easton Farrell, Gabriella (Justin) Bean, Sarah (Christian) Subdon and Robin (Ethan) Kafila; and a quiver full of great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Crystal Joyce; and a daughter-in-law, Patricia Heikkinen-Fralick.
Rev. Coral R. Ide, Bachelor of Divinity’56, aged 90, “finished the race” March 4, 2021, peacefully in his home in Sylmar, CA. He was born July 24, 1930, in Lehman Township, PA, the fifth of six children. His wife of 67 years, Mavis, survives him, along with 6 sons, 16 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren and 2 brothers.
Coral was a graduate of Roberts Wesleyan College, North Chili, NY, ‘53 where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Literature. He earned a Masters of Divinity from Asbury in 1956. Ordained a Minister of the Free Methodist Church, Coral served churches in the New York Conference as Senior Pastor: Waverly, PA (1956–59); Dover-Ironia, NJ, where a new church was built (1960–63); and Beach Lake, PA (1963–64). Later he served as Pastor of the Marina Free Methodist Church, Marina Del Rey, CA (1980–85).
Twenty years of his career were spent in Christian education. In July 1964 he moved his family of seven from coast to coast, settling in Sylmar, CA, to become Administrator-Principal of the Light and Life Christian School (Kindergarten through Grade 6) and Assistant Pastor of the Sylmar Free Methodist Church (1964–1979). In 1986 he returned to be the Administrator of Sylmar Light and Life for another five years, retiring from formal ministry in 1991.
A friend from his first day of college gave this tribute at his memorial service. “His quiet but complete dedication to Jesus Christ, to the church and to his call to the ministry distinguished him in college, seminary and throughout his whole life.”
The last paragraph of his autobiography, Hand of God, written in 1997 underscores the purpose and direction of his life. “I am confident that the very same “Hand of God” will guide me to the land of Paradise where I will forever rejoice with the saints as we worship our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, without distraction and time-limiting demands. Thanks be to God!”
After graduating from Asbury Theological Seminary in 1951, he returned to his native New Jersey with a young family in tow to be ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church. He went on to pastor churches in Bridgeboro, Pemberton, Rancocas/Masonville, Levittown (now Willingboro), Elmer and finally Ocean Grove. Even after retirement in 1991, he often preached and fulfilled short-term ministerial assignments across the state. He continued as Pastor Emeritus for the Ocean Grove St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, a Trustee Emeritus for the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, and honorary chaplain for the E. H. Stokes Fire Company until his death. Mission work was an integral part of Walter’s life and he chaired numerous mission committees for the churches he served as well as for the broader denomination. Traveling the world as part of short-term mission teams was a regular and treasured part of his life
David Wayne Wilson, aged 82, of Needham, IN, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, June 3, 2021 at his residence.
David was born on October 10, 1938 in Shelby County, IN to the late Wayne and Ruth (Hendricks) Wilson. He married his wife, Jean, on June 15, 1958. He was a graduate from Clark High School, an alumnus of Asbury College, and attended Asbury Seminary. He attended Franklin Faith Chapel in Franklin, IN. He made his home in Johnson County and devoted his life to farming.
David is survived by his wife, Jean (Mitchell) Wilson of Needham, IN; his twin daughters, Sherrill Shields of Dalton, GA and Theresa Wilson of Franklin, IN; his son, Jeffrey (Lora) Wilson of Franklin, IN; his four grandchildren, Daniel and Dustin Shields, Rebekah Herendeen, and Rachel Wilson; his six great-grandchildren, Braxton, Ellie, Landon, and Levi Shields, Judah and Abiah Herendeen.
David was preceded in death by his parents, Wayne and Ruth Wilson, and his sister, Marjorie Fifer.
May our brothers and Sisters find rest in eternity. I was greatly touched by the passing to glory of the 44 years old Missy Ruth, though I never knew her at a personal level. Then the obituaries are presented by the editors is glowing!