Rosella Ruth Cochran
Richard H. Cornwell
Charles E. Lawson
Leland J. Friesen
Jeffrey Mark “Jeff” Thornley
Bill Tweeddale
Scott Weaver
Rosella Ruth Cochran, former missionary to the Central African Republic, died August 4, 2011 at Grace Village Health Care in Winona Lake at the age of 85.
{mosimage}She was born on September 1, 1925, in Montana to Earl Cochran and Myrtle Gray Cochran. She grew up in Iowa and was a member of the Leon, Iowa, Grace Brethren Church.
In May 1942, Rosella graduated from Mount Ayr High School, in Mount Ayr, Iowa. She graduated in 1946 from Broadlawns County Hospital of Des Moines, Iowa as a registered nurse. She then served in the U.S. Army as a nurse.
In 1952 she went to Grace College and Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind., where she received her Bachelor of Christian Education in 1954. She served as a missionary in the Central African Republic from 1954-1986. She briefly retired, and then returned to the mission field in 1988 remaining there until 1990. Rosella resided in Winona Lake, Ind.
She is survived by several nieces and nephews.
Richard H. Cornwell, 74, died Saturday, May 22, 2011. He was pastor of several Grace Brethren churches; including the West Kittanning (Pa.) Grace Brethren Church.
Richard was born March 9, 1937, in Findlay, Ohio, a son of the late Burley Cornwell and Edna (Daniels) Cornwell. He was a retired minister, pastoring churches in Michigan, Virginia, and Somerset County, Pa., all before coming to Grace Brethren Church in West Kittanning in 1976, where he was a member. In Michigan, he was involved with Child Evangelism and the ministries of the towns he pastored.
Richard loved golfing, volleyball, basketball, men’s softball, bowling and he was an avid reader.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Rosalie (Yoder) Cornwell; daughter, Melody Hooks and her husband, John Jr., of Kittanning, Pa.; son, Mark Cornwell and his wife, Anne, of Pittsburgh, Pa.; seven grandchildren, John Hooks III, Nathanael Hooks, Matthew Cornwell, Lindsay Cornwell, Samantha, Patrick and Alexandria; and his pet dog, Katie. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers and two sisters.
Services were held May 26 at Grace Brethren Church in West Kittanning, Pa. His son, Pastor Mark Cornwell, officiated, assisted by Pastor Larry Weigle, Pastor Ron Jarvis and Pastor Robert Burns. Interment was in Ford City Cemetery.
Charles E. Lawson, 75, Trotwood, Ohio, died May 28, 2011. He was born on Nov. 5, 1935 in Knoxville, Tenn., to Alford and Aletha (Gates) Lawson. He was preceded in death by his sister, Joyce Houser, and brother, David Lawson. He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Fayth Ann (Conner) Lawson; two sons, Charles A. (Linda) Lawson, and Ken (Kim) Lawson; sister, Joann Wright, and brother, William Lawson; four grandsons, Jarred, Caleb, Blake, and Conner Lawson; and many more dear family members and close friends. Charles was the beloved pastor of Trotwood Grace Brethren Church for 46 years.
Funeral services were June 2, 2011 at the Trotwood Grace Brethren Church, 12 Strader Dr., Trotwood, OH 45426, with Pastor Everett N. Caes officiating. Interment followed at Arlington Cemetery.
Leland J. Friesen, 68, of Ashland, Ohio, died following a courageous battle with cancer late Thursday evening, May 26, 2011 in his home.
Services were Sunday, May 29, 2011, at the Grace Brethren Church in Ashland with Rev. Norm Johnson officiating. The family received friends and guests following the service.
An additional memorial service was also held at a later date at the Brooksville, Fla., Grace Brethren Church, where he pastored for 11 years.
Leland was born on January 24, 1943 in Butterfield, Minn. to the late John R. and Marie (Quiring) Friesen.
He married the love of his life, the former Janelle Fuhrman, on July 18, 1964. He was a well educated man, having graduated from Butterfield High School in 1961. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from the Grace Bible Institute in Omaha, Neb. and a master’s degree of divinity from Grace Seminary in Winona Lake, Ind.
Leland retired in 2007 from the Brooksville Grace Brethren Church in Florida after having been the church’s pastor for eleven years. Throughout his career, he ministered more than 43 years in which 37 of those years were in various Grace Brethren churches.
He was a devoted attendee of the Ashland Grace Brethren Church and enjoyed fishing, camping, wood working, and reading; although, spending time with his family and grandchildren was by far the most important.
He is survived by his wife of 46 years of marriage, Janelle Friesen of Ashland; one daughter, Shari (Nate) Benyousky of Warsaw, Ind.; one son, Dr. Steve (Stephanie) Friesen of Ashland; six grandchildren, Daniel, Joelle, Tara, Kaylee, Jason, and Drew; two sisters, Shirley (Arnold) Dick of Long Prairie, Minn. and Sandy Warling of Memphis, Tenn.; and two brothers, Roger Friesen of Minneapolis, Minn., and Howard (Rhonda) Friesen of Mankato, Minn.
In addition to his parents, Leland is preceded in death by a sister, Verna Hempeck.
Jeffrey Mark “Jeff” Thornley, 55, of Waldorf, Md., died May 3, 2011.
Born May 10, 1955, in Fairbanks, Alaska, he was the son of James F. Thornley and Olga Marie Simpson Thornley.
He grew up in the Washington suburbs of Virginia and Maryland. He lived in Southern Maryland for the past 30 years. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in zoology. He studied at Grace Theological Seminary and graduated with a master’s of divinity in 1979.
Following graduation he became an assistant pastor at the Grace Brethren Church in Temple Hills, Md., and began a Grace Brethren church in Charles County with a Bible study. He also started a Bible study in Frederick that later became Grace Community Church. He founded Grace Christian Academy in Waldorf in 1986.
He served as senior pastor of the church and headmaster of the school for more than 31 years. Numerous churches were started all over the world with the support of the Waldorf church and his mentoring of many people. He initiated ministries oriented toward meeting physical, emotional and spiritual needs. His last sermon on May 1 captured the greatest good of life, God’s love as defined by I Corinthians 13. This was the measure of his life. He devoted himself to loving God, loving people and introducing others to the love of Christ.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by his wife of 33 years, Cynthia Ann Thornley; sons, John, Paul and Luke; and sister, Jana.
Services were held at the Grace Brethren Church, Waldorf, on May 10, 2011. The Rev. R. Dallas Green officiated. Burial took place at Heritage Memorial Park, Waldorf.
Bill Tweeddale died April 29, 2011. He was an enthusiastic church planter who worked in the Lancaster, Pa., and St. Petersburg, Fla., areas. He was a faithful husband to Carol for 59 years, a devoted father to Steven, Debra, Cheryl and Billy, his children; a loving brother, and a beloved pastor since 1954 planting churches throughout Pennsylvania and Florida.
{mosimage}A celebration of Pastor Bill’s life was held Saturday, May 7 at the First Baptist Church of Melbourne, Fla.
Scott Weaver, 91, of Winona Lake, Ind., formerly of Mishawaka, Ind., died Monday, June 13, 2011.
Rev. Weaver was born on September 10, 1919 in Kokomo, Ind., to the late Scott R. and Marie Virginia (Uitts) Weaver. Rev. Weaver was united in marriage to Betty Lou Parker on December 24, 1940. Scott and Betty shared 70 years of marriage together until his passing.
His wife, Betty, survives along with their son, Gerie Lee Weaver of Las Vegas, Calif. Also surviving are two grandsons, Andy (Emily) McCargar of Elk Grove, Calif., and David (Kelly) McCargar of Walnut Creek, Calif. Rev. Weaver was a loving and caring great grandfather to six great-grandsons, Braden, Tyler, Zachary, Kolby, Grant, Ryan McCargar and great granddaughter, Grace McCargar. Linda Annette (Weaver) McCargar, a daughter, precedes Rev. Weaver in death.
Scott studied for two years at the Grace College and graduated from Grace Seminary with a master’s degree in the studies of Divinity. Scott became an ordained minister. He established and ministered at several churches though out the Michiana community.
The funeral service was held June 21 in Mishawaka, Ind., with Dr. Robert Divine officiating. Burial followed at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Osceola, Ind.