Remembering our friends

Mary Wilson ’43 died Sept. 18, 2008. Her husband, Charles Wilson BTh ’45, remembers her as a wonderful helpmate in ministry. She met Charles at a campmeeting in West Virginia where she was the pianist for the services and Charles was asked to sing. They were married 65 years. They lived in Anderson for 26 years and raised their two children. In 1969, Charles returned to preaching. They served congregations in California. In addition to her husband, Mary is survived by her children, Beth McAuliff and C. Brady Wilson; two grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.

Alores Sena Thoma ’46 died Dec. 20, 2008. She worked at the Gospel Trumpet Company and Warner Press. She is best remembered for her beautiful voice and her zeal for the Church of God. She traveled by Greyhound distributing thousands of copies of Vital Christianity. When the magazine was discontinued, she passed out pictures of Christ. Lillie McCutcheon called Alores “the Johnny Appleseed of the Church of God.” Alores is survived by her husband, Ferd; her daughter, Penny Culver; her son, Bob Thoma; and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Edgar Guyer BA ’49 died Jan. 26, 2009. He was active on campus while a student at AU. He graduated first in his class. He taught Sunday school classes in the Church of God for 60 years. He studied the New Testament in the early Greek language and authored the book Symmetric Cosmology. His wife, Dorothy Guyer ’49, died in 2006. He is survived by two sons, Mark Guyer BA ’72 and Stephen Guyer BA ’77.

Henry M. Coker BA ’50 died Feb. 14, 2009. He was a World War II Navy veteran and a Church of God minister for 50 years. He is survived by his wife, Frances Willodine; their children, Sylvia Cummings and Craig Coker; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

William Dreger BTh ’50 died Dec. 26, 2008. He began pastoring in 1950 and was ordained in 1953. He pastored Church of God congregations in Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, retiring from active ministry in 1985. He continued to work as a pulpit supply pastor and interim pastor until the mid 1990s. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mamie (Heffron) Dreger, on Oct. 26, 2008. He is survived by children Gerri Gosser BA ’68 and Dale Dreger BA ’72, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

William Arthur ’55 of Middletown, Ohio, died March 18, 2009. During his college career, he received his first opportunity to serve as a minister of music at the Arrow Heights Church of God in Anderson. He was ordained in 1955. This began his tenure of 35 years of youth and music ministry, taking him to churches in Arizona, Indiana, and Ohio. For the past two decades, he served in pastoral ministry in Okeana, Ohio, and Mt. Carmel, Ind., continuing until his recent illness. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Bettie (Brady) Arthur; sons Layne Arthur, Martin Arthur, and Jamie Arthur; and two grandsons, Shawn O’Neil and Kyle Arthur.

Harold W. Ausbun ’55 died March 13, 2009. Harold is survived by his wife, Helen L. Ausbun; children Ronald H. Ausbun, Margaret S. Ausbun; grandchildren Marla Hicks, Amber Yeagy, and Daniel H. Ausbun; four great-grandchildren; his brother, Gary Ausbun; and sisters, Freda Gustafson and Shirley Kramer. He was preceded in death by two daughters, Patricia Carol and Sandra; a brother, James H. Ausbun; and a sister, Verla Seemann.

Ruth Margaret (Hunter) Hurt Morgan ’57 died July 16, 2008, in Decatur, Ill., with her four children by her side. She married Harvel Terrence (“Joe”) Hurt, and he preceded her in death. She later married Fonso Morgan, and he preceded her in death. Ruth was most recently a member of Peoples Church of God in Decatur. She received her bachelor’s degree from Mansfield State College in Mansfield, Pa., and attended seminary at Anderson University, where she met and married Joe. Ruth was a charter member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. As an educator, she taught elementary and high school and also at Ivy Tech Community College in Anderson, Ind. She is survived by her children, Philip Dean Hurt, Leanne Ruth Brooks BA ’84, Jonathan Dale Hurt, and Elizabeth Ellen Hurt Vernau; and grandchildren Elliott Dean Hurt, Caitlin Elizabeth Hurt, Jason Roderick Brooks, and Laura Megan Brooks.

David A. Bebee BA ’70 died Nov. 29, 2008. He graduated from AU with a degree in mathematics. After graduation, he settled in the San Francisco Bay area. His early career was in the mortgage business and later in the nonprofit industry. He spent several years working at Glide Memorial United Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Myrtle Bebee. He is survived by his wife, Lynn Bebee; stepdaughters Kim and Becky Stiewig; and brothers Richard Bebee and Douglas Bebee.

Alison J. (Blevins) Rodgers BA ’05 died Feb. 10, 2009, at her residence in Pendleton, Ind., after a sudden illness. She was a sales representative for Monster.com in Carmel for three years. She attended Madison Park Church of God. Survivors include her husband, Nicholas Thomas “Nick” Rodgers of Pendleton, whom she married Sept. 10, 2005; parents, John M. Blevins BA ’69 and Jill O’Malia ’72; grandmothers, Dorothy Blevins Thomas BA ’43 and Annabelle Jackson; brothers and sisters, Amanda Tansel and Angela Garner, Alyssa and Austin O’Malia, and Kassidy and Kyler Hiatt; several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews; and many close friends.