Remembering our friends
The Rev. Lester Crum BTh ’43 died March 26, 2004, at age 89. Funeral services were held in Ada, Ohio, with burial in Lima, Ohio. During his ministry, he pastored Churches of God in Bloomington, Ind.; West Baraboo, Wis.; and Dennison and Chillicothe, Ohio. In his retirement, he provided assistance to churches in West Virginia. He is survived by his children, Jim Clum, Merrill Clum BA ’73, Darlene Brackett, and Leanna Roe; and seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
John Thomson ’49 of Moonachie, N.J., died Jan. 2, 2004. Before retiring in 1994, he was a sales representative for Deerbrook Fabrics, Fairview, where he worked for 25 years. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Moonachie, where he was an elder and served as a teacher and assistant superintendent of the Sunday school. He had served in the Naval Reserve.
Jerry D. Hamon BS ’50, BTh ’53 died Nov. 1, 2003, in Houston, Texas, after a yearlong illness. He served in the Seabees during World War II. He owned and operated the J.D. Hamon Insurance Agency in Pasadena for 32 years. He also authored four technical books on investing. He is survived by his wife, Rosemarie Hamon; three daughters, Bonnie Drew, Rebecca Hicks, and Jeri Callahan; three brothers, Wayne Hamon, Raymond Hamon ’50, and Kahn Hamon; and four grandchildren, four stepchildren and several stepgrandchildren.
M. Dean Sergeant BTh ’53 of Kearney, Neb., died Dec. 27, 2003. During World War II, he served the United States Army by working in counterintelligence in Korea. He was discharged in 1949 and came to AU. He attended Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary, earning a master’s degree and a doctorate in education. He and his wife, June, lived in India for 10 years serving with the Presbyterian Church in educational ministry. He taught counseling and psychology at Kearney State College from 1964 until his retirement in 1980. Along with his wife, he is survived by three daughters, Sharon Cox, Sandra Ayers, and Cynthia (Sergeant) Olson BA ’79; three sisters, Eleanor Wiltrout, Phyllis Hand, and Clarys (Sergeant) Boyle ’53; and seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Jerry G. Carey ’54 of Fresno, Calif., died May 1, 2004. While at AU, he met and married Marvel Freeby ’54 of Long Beach, Calif. In 1955 Jerry joined his father and brothers in the Fred O. Carey & Sons Construction Co. In the 1960s, he started his own Church Service and Supply Co., building churches throughout the Midwest. In 1977, the family moved to Fort Collins, Colo., where he joined his brother Nick in Carey Masonry Inc. and later created another masonry company with his son, Rick. There he met and married his present wife, Kathy. They moved to California and settled in Madera, where Jerry continued using his skills teaching masonry classes at the Central California Women’s Facility and creating KC Masonry Co. He attended Fourth Street Church of God, served on the church board, and participated in ministries of the church. He especially loved the mission trips to Mexico, helping communities in need build structures. He was preceded in death by his parents; father and mother-in-law, Edward and Virginia Empenger; and Marvel Carey, the mother of his children. He is survived by Kathy Carey, his wife of 18 years; his children, Rick Carey, Cindi (Carey) Webb BA ’79, and Cris Carey AA ’84; three brothers, Larry Carey, Nick Carey, and David Carey; and five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Sharon Carroll Clark BA ’65 of Anderson, Ind., died May 31, 2004, after a lengthy battle with cancer. She lived all of her life in Anderson. After earning her bachelor’s degree at AU, she attended Indiana University School of Law. She began practicing law in Anderson in 1969. She was a member of South Meridian Church of God, Madison County Bar Association, Indiana State Bar Association, charter member of Anderson Police Department Horse Patrol, charter member of the Roosevelt Kennedy Democrat Club, and was dually licensed to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1998, she received the Gideon Award for No. 1 public defender in the state of Indiana. Survivors include her husband, Donald J. Clark; parents, William and Emma Carroll; a son, Matthew Clark; and a daughter, Christine Allen.
Michael Matchette BA ’73 died April 15, 2004, at his home in Fairmount, Ind. He was a lifelong resident of Grant County, Ind. He worked as a CPA and senior partner at Matchette Elrod & Co., P.C. and was a member of the Indiana CPA Society and American Institute of CPAs. He was treasurer and board member of Youth for Christ and treasurer of Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends. He was a member of College Wesleyan Church, Marion, Ind. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Carr Matchette BA ’74; his parents, Charles and Rosemary (Wright) Matchette; a son, Jason Matchette; daughters, Abby and Betsy Matchette; grandson, Isaac; brothers, Randy Matchette, Kevin Matchette BA ’77, and David Matchette; several nieces and nephews; and an exchange student “daughter,” Karoliina Grohn of Finland.
Karen K. Clausen ’74 died March 16, 2004, after many years of coping with Huntington’s disease. She died in the home she shared with her mother in Anderson, Ind. Karen attended AU for two years, and then graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in social work from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich. She was active in the fight against Huntington’s disease for many years, attending national meetings and donating tissue and blood samples for various research projects. She attended Park Place Church of God when her health permitted. Her father, the Rev. Paul F. Clausen BA ’51, and her brother, David B. Clausen ’78, preceded her in death. Both had Huntington’s disease. Karen is survived by her mother, Barbara (Taylor) Clausen ’50.
Evela “Harvey” (Goodman) Ryan ’83 of Summitville, Ind., died May 15, 2004, following an extended illness. She had been employed at several nursing homes, the Veterans Administration Hospital at Marion, as a dispatcher at the Alexandria Police Department and as a jailer at the Madison County jail. Survivors include her two daughters, Stacii Ryan and Laura Byrd; her father and stepmother, Amos and Linda Goodman; a brother, David Snyder; sisters, Kathy Kurtz, Sheryl Mong, and Teresa Murray; and seven grandchildren.
