Alumni Link

Obituaries

Published Date: October 3, 2022

Rev. Charles BertrandThe Rev. Charles Bertrand, M.Div. ’59, aged 93, retired United Methodist pastor, was promoted to glory Friday September 16, 2022.

Charles grew up amongst the apple orchards of Okanogan, Washington and loved to tell stories of his early life there. He proudly served in the US Army Headquarters’ Company in Germany in the 1950s. His love for the Lord and service to others was evident throughout his life. Charles loved teaching Sunday School, playing the piano and singing in the choir.

He met his beloved wife of 50 years, Elizabeth, at Cascade Bible College and together they came to Asbury Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky so he could pursue a Master of Divinity. For the next 40 plus years he and his wife faithfully served pastorates in the Kentucky Conference together as a wonderful ministry team.

He is preceded in death by his wife Elizabeth Delano Bertrand, brother Dan Bertrand, and daughter-in-law Lisa Bertrand. Survived by his son Harold Bertrand, daughter Sabra Martin (Gary), son Roger Bertrand, daughter Zoe Morley (John), and eight grandchildren – Christopher Bertrand, Ashley Isaac (Eric), Wesley Martin (Ellen), Laura Hill (Rob), James Martin, Rachel Hoagland (Andrew), Elizabeth Thornburg (Jesse) and John Morley III and five great-grandchildren – Holly, Analynn, Zach, Brayleigh, and CharlieRhys.

He and his wife Elizabeth’s selfless commitment to serving the Lord grew from their desire to give their utmost for His highest. Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord!

John Monroe Clements, M.Div. ’61, aged 86, passed away Saturday, September 17, 2022, at Lumber City Nursing Home surrounded by his loving family. He was born and raised in Wheeler County, one of three children on an expansive farm outside of McRae. As a young person, he loved reading books, talking about politics, working hard in school, and running track. As a teenager, he attended Indian Springs Camp Meeting and surrendered to Jesus – a decision that changed his heart and life forever. This encounter led to a call to ministry and devotion to following Christ. A man of deep faith, he spent much of his life on long prayer walks in the countryside, studying his Bible, investing in the lives of his parishioners, and helping people find their way to Christ.

He attended Asbury College in Kentucky, where he studied Bible, theology, and philosophy, as well as a young co-ed from Minnesota named Lois Renner, who was preparing to be a schoolteacher. The two were married after their junior year of college, and after he completed a divinity degree at Asbury Theological Seminary, the two of them set out on a life of service and ministry in the United Methodist Church. One of the greatest honors of his life was his 41 years of ministry, serving in churches all across South Georgia. He never met a stranger and would strike up a conversation with anyone he ran into about life, faith, and most important of all, Jesus. Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and the power of living a Spirit-filled life brought him great joy. Countless parishioners were impacted by his tireless service, listening ear, and encouraging spirit, pointing them to the One they were looking for.

Nothing made him prouder than his three sons, and conversations were always lively around the dinner table. All four of them were devoted to Lois, the heart of their family and their home. Heartbreakingly, she lost an eleven-year battle with cancer in 1992. Later, John remarried a dear family friend, Noni Carlson, and the two partnered together in the final years of his formal ministry. They retired in 1999 to live at the family farm, and of course, their ministry continued as they opened their hearts and home to family and friends through the years, until Noni went to be with Jesus in 2014. The final chapter of his life was shared with his third wife, Jeanette Cannady, a fabulous godsend who brought him love, companionship, and selfless care in his last days.

Across the years – in formal and informal settings—John impacted everyone he met. His willingness to strike up a conversation, his peculiar questions, his delightful sense of humor, and his devotion to Jesus, ALL these left a mark on the people of South Georgia, and the ripple effects of his life will be felt in eternity. His intentional, delightful, faithful spirit will be sorely missed in this world and in our lives.

Mr. Clements is survived by his wife: Jeanette Page Clements; three sons: Steve (Markie) Clements of Wilmore, KY, Dan (Wendy) Clements of Lawrenceville, GA, and Paul (Sharon) Clements of Lexington, KY; four step-daughters: Ruth (Mike) Moore of Thayne, WY, Martha (Brian) Rudd of Lawrenceville, GA, Miriam (Jerral) Mayes of Savannah, GA, and Candy (Mike) Wimer of Ashville, NC; seven grandchildren: Lee (Natalie) Clements, Taylor Clements, Parker (Daniela) Clements, Aaron Clements, Katy (Kenny) Ordway, Carolyne Clements, and Renner Clements; three great-grandchildren: Abigail, Isaac, and Peter; brother: David (Melba) Clements of Athens, GA; and sister: Mary Leila Smith of Cochran, GA. He was preceded in death by his two wives: Lois Renner Clements and Wynona Carlson Clements; and his parents: John Bain and Mary Green Clements.

Ronald Eugene Dear obituary, San Antonio, TXRonald “Ron” Eugene Dear, aged 74, entered the Lord’s presence and joined the company of heavenly saints on September 5, 2022. After a three-year battle against ALS / Lou Gehrig’s disease, he died peacefully, surrounded by his family in San Antonio, Texas.

He was born on February 20, 1948, in Alexandria, Virginia, but grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated from Provine High School in Jackson, Mississippi, and Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi, and served in the U. S. Navy during the Vietnam War.

Ron was a diligent worker, and because of his kindness and generosity was highly respected by those he served. His long and distinguished career included years of service with the Internal Revenue Service, the U. S. Small Business Administration, and Bexar County Appraisal Review Board, as well as serving as President at Citizens State Bank in Brandon, Mississippi. He was honored to spend several years doing what he considered Kingdom work for the Lord, serving as Regional Representative of Asbury Theological Seminary, in Wilmore, Kentucky.

Ron met the love of his life, Gloria Pickard, while they were students in junior high school and lived down the street from one another. They were married on January 27, 1968, and enjoyed 54 years of faithful, joy-filled marriage. Ron was a loving father and grandfather, and a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, having trusted in the Lord as a teenager. He and Gloria raised their three sons in the Crossgates community of Brandon, Mississippi, where they were long-time active members of Crossgates United Methodist Church, and where Ron became affectionately known as “1” among the sound engineers.

He was an avid sports dad (and granddad), attending countless soccer games, baseball games, and swim meets as both a spectator and a coach. Along with his love for his children’s sports, Ron was a devoted fan of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, along with San Antonio Spurs, Texas Longhorns, and Dallas Cowboys. Ron loved to sing and play his beloved 1969 Martin D-28 guitar, and for many years performed locally with Gloria as a popular music duo called “Jasmine”. Since that time, he used his musical talents to lead others in singing worship and praise to the Lord. He was extremely active in the ministries of Methodist Cursillo of Mississippi, South Mississippi Methodist Cursillo, and Kairos Prison Ministry of Mississippi. In 2009, he and Gloria moved to San Antonio, Texas, where they became members of St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church.

Ron deeply loved every part of God’s Word, but his favorite Bible verse was 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Walter Cleveland “Pete” Dear and Jessie Carlene Pridgen Dear; and brother, Gary Preston Dear. He is survived by his wife, Gloria; his sons, Brian Dear (Beth) of Austin, Texas; Pastor Josh Dear (Karen) of Muskegon, Michigan; and Jonathan Dear (Helen) of San Antonio, Texas; and his grandchildren, to whom he was lovingly known as “Papaw”, Christian Dear, Kenzie Dear, Luther Dear, Nora Grace Dear, and Wesley Dear.

O. Kemp EdwardsKemp Edwards, M.Div. ’65, aged 86, went to be with the Lord on Friday August 26, 2022, with his loving family by his side after a long year of challenging health issues.

Kemp was born on March 3, 1936, in Ayden, North Carolina to Hal Lamar Edwards and Renno (McLawhon) Edwards.

He graduated from Ayden High School and went on to study at Asbury University in Kentucky. He furthered his education at Asbury Seminary, while pastoring at Paris United Methodist Church.

From 1958-1960, he went to Japan as a missionary for church planting and evangelism while working alongside Japanese pastors. When he returned to attend seminary, he met the love of his life, Jean.

Kemp and Jean were married in 1963 and felt called to serve as missionaries through One Mission Society (OMS) in Japan. Together, they served in Japan for 21 years along with their children. Kemp served OMS for a total of 57 years, which included travels to India, Spain, Haiti and Ecuador.

Kemp was an avid fan of the Indianapolis Colts and Pacers. He was also a fan of Duke basketball. In fact, he was so loyal, he named two of his dogs Duke.

Kemp became the Director of Recruitment for OMS in 1987 until 1992. He then became a Regional Director for OMS. He traveled thousands of miles visiting college campuses to help recruit and encourage the younger generation to serve on the mission field. Following his years as a Regional Director, he served in the Prayer Department.

He was devoted to his family and will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Kemp is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Jean (Pratt) Edwards; his three children, Bryan (Monique) Edwards, Jill (Kenny) Carr, and Kristen Joy (Scott) Bieri; three grandchildren, Megan, Bryan Jr., and Elliott. Surviving siblings include Hal Edwards and Ret. Col. Thomas Edwards. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother William Edwards.

Rev. Randy L. Scraper D.Min. Ph.D. obituary, Oklahoma City, OKRandy Lee Scraper, aged 72, was born in Beloit, Kansas on July 5, 1950, to Robert Dale and Vida Lee Davis. He married Wanda Joy Jones on August 16, 1970 in Robinson, Kansas. They are the parents of three children, Heather, Matthew, and Stephanie. He graduated from Hiawatha High School in 1968 and Baker University in 1971 where he earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree. He went on to earn a Master of Arts in Theology from Oral Roberts University in 1978; a Master of Divinity from St. Paul’s School of Theology in 1980; a Doctor of Ministry from Oral Roberts University in 1984; as well as a Doctor of Philosophy in Franklian Psychology from the Graduate Theological Foundation in 2008. He completed additional post-graduate work at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Dr. Scraper was ordained in the United Methodist Church in 1974. He served congregations ranging from six members to over eight thousand in Texas, Ohio, Kansas, and Oklahoma. He has also served on the Board of Trustees for Baker University, the Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry in the Kansas East Conference, the Board of Directors of the Ecumenical Christian Ministries in Kansas, and the Council of Finance and Administration for the Oklahoma Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He was also tenured as the Joseph Fabry Professor of Pastoral Logotherapy for the Graduate Center for Pastoral Logotherapy at the Graduate Theological Foundation, after earning a Diplomate from the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy in Vienna, Austria where he served as an officer in the Mid-American Institute of Logotherapy.

Dr. Scraper did individual research in the Menninger Library where copies of all of Dr. Frankl’s articles were housed. He has taught Logotherapy at Baker University’s School of Professional and Graduate Studies and at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He served on the faculty of the Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy and the Graduate Center for Pastoral Logotherapy with the Graduate Theological Foundation where his field of expertise was the relationship of Logotherapy and Logo philosophy to Christian Spiritual Formation.

He was appointed to First United Methodist Church in Pecos, Texas; Edenton – Second Creek United Methodist churches in Edenton, Ohio; the Church of Pecos, Texas; Robinson United Methodist Church, Robinson, Kansas; St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, Topeka, Kansas; Leawood United Methodist Church, Leawood, Kansas; First United Methodist Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma; First United Methodist Church, Duncan, Oklahoma; District Superintendent of the Woodward District of the United Methodist Church; Nichols Hills United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Lawton First United Methodist Church, Lawton, Oklahoma.

His hobbies included golf, chess, reading, writing, and flying remote control airplanes, model railroading, ham radio and gardening. He was an Eagle Scout. He was listed as an Outstanding Young Man of America in 1984. He was listed in the Third Edition of Who’s Who in Religion in America.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Robert Dale and Vida Lee Davis, his brothers Robert David and Larry Eugene, and grandson Jacob Dakota Oden. He is survived by his spouse Wanda of the home, Heather Oden and husband Jon, Dr. Matthew Scraper and wife Kate, Stephanie Greenwald and husband Rev. Phil, as well as grandchildren JJ Oden and wife Allison, Lexi Gay and husband Coleman, Cody Oden, Caitlin Oden, Robyn Scraper, Samantha Hughes, Megan and fiancé Christopher Sollenberger, Kalli Greenwald, Tori Greenwald, and one great-grandchild on the way.

Michael Struve obituary, Lubbock and formerly of Abernathy, TXMichael Struve, M.Div. ’77, aged 80, of Lubbock and formerly of Abernathy, left this world to be in glory with Jesus on Friday, September 9, 2022, after a short battle with cancer.

Mike was born August 10, 1942, in Lubbock, TX, to Minnie (Horton) and Arno Struve. He grew up in Abernathy, TX. After graduation in 1960, he attended Texas Tech before enlisting for a 2-year tour of duty in the US Navy and was in the Naval reserves for 11.5 years. After his active duty, he returned to Texas Tech to march in the Goin’ Band and complete his degree in Administration. He married Vicki (Morris) in May of 1965, and they celebrated 57 years this year. He attended Asbury Theological Seminary and entered ministry in the United Methodist Church (1977-1993). He retired from continued ministry in chaplain services in 2004.

Mike is survived by his wife, Vicki, his 3 daughters, Robyn Bulham (Bobby), Micki Jackson (Ken) and Rebekah Parkinson (David) and two grandchildren Rhys and Bethany Bulham, his siblings Mona Toler, Gail Struve, and Horton Struve (Sandy), and many extended family and friends.

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2 responses to “Obituaries”

  1. Lynton Perry says:

    Mike & I were classmates and close friends at ATS. We shared school & family life together – both Mike & Vicky and Lynton & Nancy had two preschool daughters, and we both had apartments in Nicholasville. Mike & I sang with the Singing Seminarians as roommates as we toured West Texas by bus – which he drove! We shared the Asbury experience together as students, including personal & national holidays. Those shared memories are precious to us. We thank God and the Struves!!!

  2. Larry E. Myers says:

    Randy Scraper and I crossed paths several times as I graduated in ’79. I also was ordained in the Kansas East Annual Conference. Randy had such a sensitive spirit and spirit of discernment. He was someone that you could trust!

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