- Rev. Francis Davis SAUNDERS
of Milton, Wisconsin, joined the Church Triumphant on May 2,
- 1989 at the home of his son, Herbert,
after a long illness. He was 75.
- "Pastor Fran" SAUNDERS
was born in Boulder, Colorado, on June 5, 1913, the son of Herbert
- and Myrle SAUNDERS. On June
11, 1939, he married Lila M. STEPHAN in Nortonville, Kansas.
He was a graduate of Salem College, Salem, West Virginia, in
1942,and attended Faith Theological Seminary in Wilmington, Delaware.
- While attending seminary he served
as pastor of the first Seventh Day Baptist church, the
- Marlboro Church, in rural Bridgeton,
New Jersey (1944-47). He was ordained during his pastorate
in Denver, Colorado (1947-50) in 1947. He was pastor in North
Loup, Nebraska (1950-56); Los Angeles, California (1956-65);
Lost Creek, West Virginia (1965-71); the Pawcatuck Church in
Westerly, Rhode Island (1971-75); and Farina, Illinois (1975-78).
- After his retirement in 1978, he became
the manager of Camp Joy in Berea, West Virginia, and
- served the church in that community
until moving to Milton in 1981.
- "Pastor Fran" enjoyed writing,
which included many articles in The Sabbath Recorder and
- numerous lines of poetry. He enjoyed
writing songs and hymns which were always arranged by his wife,
Lila. During his retirement years, he wrote the "Comment
on Scripture" section for The Helping Hand, the denominational
Sabbath School Bible study guide.
- He served Seventh Day Baptists as a
trustee of the American Sabbath Tract Society (1944-47),
- as a member of the Board of Managers
of the SDB Missionary Society (1971-75), and as a member of the
denominational Commission (1970-73).
- Pastor Fran's faith and witness to
the love of Christ is evidenced by the fact that his three sons
are
- in the ministry.
- Pastor Saunders is survived by his
wife, Lila; his three sons, Herbert (Barbara), Stephan (Irene),
- and Daniel (Jessie); 11 grandchildren;
and a brother, William, of Boulder.
- Memorial services were held on May
4, 1989, at the Milton Seventh Day Baptist Church with his
- "pastor" and son, Herbert,
officiating, assisted by Stephan and Daniel, and Executive Secretary
Dale D. THORNGATE. Interment is in Milton East Cemetery.
- Memorials may be made to the Seventh
Day Baptist Center on Ministry for the general scholar-
- ship fund for the training of pastors.
- The words of Jesus come to mind as
we remember "Pastor Fran"; "Well done, good and
faithful
- servant, you have been faithful over
little, I will set you over much. Enter the joy of your Lord."
HES [Vol. 211, No. 7, p. 32]
-
- Courtesy of Jon Saunders
|
