Remembering Our Friends

The Rev. Clair W. Shultz BA ’36, BTh ’39 died Dec. 17, 2006, in Anderson, Ind. He had lived in Anderson since 1970 when he returned from the mission field. Clair and his wife, Retha (Mills) Shultz BA ’37, pastored congregations in Noblesville, Bemidji, and St. Paul Park, Minn. Clair was also known widely in the Church of God as a gifted preacher and evangelist. The Shultzs’ terms of missionary service were in Trinidad, Tobago, and Grenada, in the British West Indies (now known as West Indies) from 1945 to 1958; in Jamaica, West Indies, from 1958 to 1962; and in Kenya, East Africa, from 1962 to 1970 and 1985 to 1986. He attended South Meridian Church of God. Survivors include his wife Retha, whom he married in Anderson on Dec. 25, 1935; a son, the Rev. David Shultz MDiv ’76; a daughter, Carol (Shultz) Lehner BS ’60; five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Lavera C. (Morgan) Smith BS ’46 died Nov. 19, 2006, in Nebraska at the age of 100. She and her identical twin, Alverta, grew up at Vincennes, Ind., and were well known by photographers throughout the area for their beauty and for being identical twins. Saved and baptized during a Church of God tent meeting, both sisters worked to build the Church of God at Vincennes. Lavera was married to Herman Stephen Smith BA ’36 in a double ceremony with her sister and Paul Breitweiser on June 18, 1929, at Anderson, Ind. The wedding party included seven sets of identical twins, and the only people who were not identical twins were the grooms and the woman pastor who married them. The wedding was filmed and shown in movie theaters across America by Pathe News. Lavera and her husband pastored at Flint, Mich., and Vincennes before returning to AU so her husband could complete his degree. During that time, she pastored at the Church of God in Noblesville, Ind. Following his graduation, they pastored in Montevideo, Minn., and in Warsaw and Stringtown, Ind. In 1942, they felt and followed God's call to overseas missions and became missionaries for the Church of God. Due to the war, women and children were not allowed to go overseas, so Herman went on to Trinidad, British West Indies, while Lavera completed her degree at AU. In 1946, the mission board sent the family to Kima Mission, currently Kenya International School of Theology in Kenya, to oversee the work and to be the General Secretary for the Church of God in Kenya. In 1951, they moved to Georgetown, British Guiana, where, in addition to her regular missions work, they hosted week-long training sessions where pastors and lay leaders from across the country learned how to teach Sunday school, plan and write curriculum, and lead worship services. In later years, following their retirement from missionary service, they served in interim pastoral ministry assignments in Ogallala and Hyannis, Nebraska. She is survived by her daughter, Kathy Smith Delisle ’55; a son, Herman Paul Smith ’52; and two grandchildren, Steve DeLisle BA ’87 and Joy Delisle-Plummer BA ’86.

J.D. Thomason BTh ’48 died Oct. 22, 2006, in Findlay, Ohio. He did graduate work at Garrett Seminary and Huntington School of Christian Ministries. Over a period of 43 years, he served five churches in Michigan, Missouri, and Indiana. He served 12 years on the National Pension Board of the Church of God and seven years as committee coordinator for the International Convention in Anderson, Ind. He retired in 1991 from the East Foulke Avenue Church of God. He is survived by his wife, Gladys (Tefft) Thomason BS ’46; a son, Dale Thomason BA ’78; four daughters, Wanda (Thomason) Miller BA ’72, Marga (Thomason) Queen BA ’79, and Anita (Thomason) Smith BA ’86; eight grandchildren; four stepgrandchildren; two stepgreat-grandchildren.

Vivian Z. Phelps BA ’49 of Marion, Iowa, died Dec. 10, 2006, following a short illness. Vivian also held a degree from Ball State University. For 13 years, she did missionary work in the Caribbean and Kenya, East Africa. Vivian served as a teacher overseas and at Garfield School in Cedar Rapids. Survivors include her sister, Ila Thorn; a brother, Mart Phelps; and many nieces and nephews.

Ruth McQuinn BS ’50 died Nov. 15, 2006, in Middletown, Ohio. Ruth earned her master’s degree from Oklahoma State University in 1960. She taught school in Oklahoma for 14 years before returning to Middletown in 1964, where she taught at Oneida and Wildwood Schools. Ruth retired from teaching in 1980 after 30 years in the classroom. She had also worked at Armco Central Office for 9 years. She was a member of Breiel Blvd. Church of God. Ruth worked in two mission workcamps in Lima and Peru. She volunteered at both Willow Knoll and Mt. Pleasant nursing homes. She is survived by a half-sister, Marie Collier; many nieces, nephews, and cousins, including her caretaker, Sophie Howard.

David E. LeViere ’51 died April 22, 2006. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and participated in the Korean War. He is survived by his wife, Jean (Snarr) LeViere BS ’52; five children, Robin Leroy LeViere BA ’79, Lynn Bryan LeViere ’77, Lana (LeViere) Henry BA ’78, Bradley LeViere, and David LeViere Jr.; 10 grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters.

Lawrence T. Withers BS ’52 died Nov. 8, 2006. He was a masonry contractor, owner, and operator for Lawrence T. Withers Construction Company for 30 years, after which he farmed for many years. He attended Park Place Church of God in Anderson, Ind. Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Lorraine (Sommers) Withers ’47; three sons, Thomas Withers, Michael Withers, and Lawrence Withers; a brother, Marion Withers; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Kenneth D. Kardatzke BS ’53 died Nov. 15, 2006, in Fort Wayne, Ind. He taught high school science and biology and coached track, basketball, and baseball at Hopewell-Louden High School, Bascom, Ohio. He was a pharmaceutical representative in Cleveland, Ohio; vice president of Layman Life Insurance Company, Anderson, Ind.; and was a serial entrepreneur predominately in real estate. During retirement he was the volunteer food director at New Creations Food Bank. Surviving are his wife of 56 years, Juanita “Nita” Ballard Kardatzke BS ’59; daughters, Deborah “Debbie” Kardatzke Nunneley ’70 and Barbara “Biba” Kardatzke Herman ’74; a son, Stephen R. Kardatzke; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Arthur B. Williams BA ’54 died Jan. 19, 2007. He was a retired librarian from the New York Public Library. In addition to his degree from AU, he earned a BD from Hartford Theological Seminary and an MS from Columbia University School of Library Science. He attended Church of the Holy Apostles in New York City. Survivors include his stepbrother, Robert Benak, and several cousins.

Henry M. Williams BA ’56, BD ’62 died Nov. 13, 2006, in Huntsville, Ala. He served for 49 years as an ordained Lutheran minister. He also taught for several years at various community colleges. His first academic love was history, but he also taught psychology and sociology. Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann (Beth) Williams ’52; sons Mark Williams, Steven Williams, and Philip Williams; six grandchildren; and sister Barbara Glaze.

Carol Virginia McCulloch BS ’61 died Dec. 16, 2006, in Titusville, Fla. She grew up in the Carolinas and Virginia. She moved to Titusville in 2004 after retiring from a career in teaching in Wisconsin, Florida, and Guam. She traveled extensively in the Pacific while teaching in the U.S. Territory of Guam for 13 years. Between high school and university teaching, she also was a director of education in two churches. She is survived by her mother, Edith Crippen; her sister, Julia (Stephenson) Ferrell ’57; her brother, David Stephenson ’57; and her two children, Julie Pringle and Matthew McCulloch; and eight grandchildren.

Emil Mantei ’65 died Oct. 12, 2006. He was living in Springfield, Ill., at the time of his passing. He was a college professor for the past 25 years at a community college. He taught physics, astronomy, and math in Michigan, Iowa, and Illinois. While a student at AU, he met a young woman from Australia — Lina (Siebert) Mantei BA ’64; they were married for 41 years. He was a member of the First Church of God in Springfield. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Jeff Mantei ’86 and David Mantei; five grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

John R. Barno BA ’67 died Jan. 11, 2007, in Fontana, Calif. After graduating from Anderson University, he moved to California, residing in Yucaipa for the last 22 years. He worked about three years at JPL in Pasadena, followed by 37 years with the probation department, where he enjoyed both handling caseloads and later as a supervisor and director. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie (Hoover) Barno BA ’66; their two sons, John Douglas Barno and Kirby David Barno; five granddaughters; two sisters, Martha Williams and Mary Lee Dunning.

Bernus “Bernie” Phillips ’71 died Jan. 24, 2007. He was retired from Guide Corporation in Anderson, Ind. He graduated from Ball State University in 1995. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Carol Phillips; his parents, Mildred Phillips and Bruce Phillips; a daughter, Wendi Russell; a son, Andrew Phillips; and three grandchildren.

Julie Ann Fields BA ’82 died on April 10, 2006, in Belleville, Mich., after a 15-month battle with lung cancer. She received a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan and was a therapist with The Guidance Center in Southgate, Mich. She is survived by her daughter, Laura Fields-Sommers.

David Wayne Ritchie BA ’83 died Dec. 8, 2006. He was a former student at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer (Gabe) Ritchie BA ’90; three children, DuWayne, Lance, and Jessica; his parents; and a sister, Sheila Ritchie.

Daniel J. Feterick ’06 died Dec. 27, 2006, in Riley Hospital in Indianapolis. Daniel graduated from Frankfort High School in 2005 and attended Anderson University one year, studying Bible and Christian ministry. He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Daniel enjoyed singing and playing guitar and recorded a country music CD in Nashville, Tenn., Waiting for the Sun to Find Me. He was a member of the band Rustik Roots, and last played at the Relay for Life Cancer Walk in Frankfort, Ind. Survivors include his parents, Ron and Mary Ann Ripley Feterick; two brothers, Matthew Feterick and Andrew Feterick; his fiancé, Erin Hall; paternal grandmother, Viola Feterick; maternal grandmother, Christina Ripley; and several aunts and uncles.