VIII. LET US REMEMBER Reverend Jean Cale Arthur
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2019 NEW YORK AnnUAL CONFEREncE - 345 VIII. LET US REMEMBER Unless otherwise noted, these remembrances were prepared from the Let Us Remember notices and published obituaries. A. MEMOIRS Reverend Jean Cale Arthur June 22, 1924 – September 16, 2018 Jean felt called to the ministry of the church at an early age. She wanted to provide service to her community’s needs for both physical and spiritual healing. Jean was a registered nurse and served in India as a Methodist missionary in the 1950s, taking time off only to get her master’s degree in New York City, as well as additional certifications at London University in tropical medicine, before returning to India. She was ordained a deacon in the North India Conference in 1952. While in India, she was the director of nursing at the Clara Swain Hospital in Bareilly for two years, and then became the district evangelist appointed by the Methodist Church in Bijnor and later in Moradabad. Jean met her husband, Rev. Dr. Edwin Arthur, in India. They married in 1959 and moved back to the United States. While Jean had their two children, Edwin was a United Methodist pastor in Pennsylvania and New York, serving White Sulphur Springs and Harris UMCs in NY in 1962 and 1963. In 1964, Edwin was in a car accident that left him unable to walk. In 1966, Jean was appointed pastor for East Branch, Fish’s Eddy and Harvard UMCs in NY. She and her family moved to Washington, DC in 1969, where she completed her doctorate at Wesley Theological Seminary. In 1971 she became a provisional member of the New York Conference and was appointed to Derby UMC in CT. Jean became an elder in the NY Conference in 1973 and served at Derby until 1979. In 1979, Jean and Edwin moved to Lake Mahopac, NY, where she served Lake Mahopac UMC and Mount Hope UMC in Mahopac Falls. After her retirement from the NY Conference in 1990, Jean served Holmes UMC in NY from 1992 to 1996, and then moved with her husband to North Carolina. While living in Pinehurst, NC, Jean was a volunteer chaplain at a local nursing home. Edwin passed away in 2003. US REMEMBER LET Jean died peacefully on Sunday, September 16, 2018. She is survived by her two children, Pamela Arthur Stuart and Dion Arthur; her two grandchildren, Benjamin and Daniel Stuart; her son-in-law, Kevin Stuart; her sister, Patricia Cale Sink; and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband, and her older sibling, Donald Cale, as well as her parents, Norman and Helen Cale. 346 - LET US REMEMBER Reverend Kenneth R. Baldwin June 26, 1923 – August 27, 2018 Kenneth was born June 26, 1923 in Syracuse, NY to the late Bert and Mae Baldwin of Fayetteville, NY. Ken studied chemical engineering at Syracuse University, and during WWII he served in the Pacific for three years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a combat engineer. In 1940 he met the love of his life, Nancy Hall, at a youth social at the Charlotte Congregational Church, where her father, the late Raymond A. Hall, served as pastor. Although WWII lengthened their courtship, they were married in 1948 in the same church by Rev. Hall and shared 70 years of happy marriage. Ken and Nancy enjoyed dancing well into Ken’s nineties, often to the applause of onlookers. Following the war, Ken was called to the ministry. He studied at the University of Edinburgh, Union Theological Seminary and Yale Divinity School. He was ordained to the Christian ministry in 1953 and began his pastoral work at the North Presbyterian Church in Flushing, NY. During this time, Ken and Nancy hosted three refugee families from Hungary and Cuba. After serving churches in the Upper New York Conference, Ken served in the New York Conference for fourteen years, pastoring the following churches: Red Hook, NY and Rowe UMC in Milan, NY; Liberty, NY; Higganum and South Middletown in CT; and Treadwell, NY. He retired in 1988, and served the Upper Catskills Larger Parish (NY Conference) and East Worcester UMC (Wyoming Conference) in retirement. Ken loved to sing, joining the choirs of the churches he served and regional choral groups. He also enjoyed golf. Following his retirement, he and Nancy settled in Oneonta, NY. Ken continued to supply preach and served as a chaplain at A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta. He was honored with regular invitations to preach at Catholic churches in the region, which reflected his ecumenical spirit. He was an active member of the Rotary and the VFW and served on the boards of Catholic Charities and the Foothills Performing Arts Center. Ken was predeceased by his parents; his brothers, Clarence and Guy; his sister, Doris; and his cousins, Robert Clifford, Jack Clifford, and Neil Frink. He is survived by his loving wife, Nancy; his son, Stuart and his wife, Harriet (Cone) Baldwin; his daughters, Amy and her husband, Douglas Berry, and Anne Baldwin; his brother-in-law, Avery Hall and his wife, Andrea Rogers; his niece, Marko Russell; his nephew, Michael and his wife, Joan Spasyk; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Kenneth died on August 27, 2018. A memorial service was held at the Fairport UMC, 31 West Church Street, Fairport, NY on Saturday, September 8, 2018. Interment was at the Grandview Cemetery in Charlotte, VT. Donations may be made in Ken’s memory to the Charlotte Congregational Church or the University of Vermont. MEMOIRS 2019 NEW YORK AnnUAL CONFEREncE - 347 Reverend Arthur W. Bloom March 16, 1927 – February 7, 2019 Art was born on March 16, 1927 in Bronx, New York, the only child of Knut William Bloom and Esther Christianson Bloom. Art served in the U.S. Army for two years as a sergeant in the military police. He attended Wilkes College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, receiving a degree in criminology. In 1948 he received his license to preach in the Central Pennsylvania Conference. While serving churches, he continued his education at Drew University, attaining his master of divinity degree and several years later completing his doctor of ministry degree. He became a full member of the New York Conference in 1957. Art met his future wife, Margaret Reed (Peg), when he was an assistant minister for Peg’s father, Rev. William B. Reed. Art and Peg served five United Methodist churches - Central PA Conference: York; New York Conference: Bedford Hills, Ossining, Northport and Patchogue. During his time in Ossining, he served as chaplain at Sing Sing Prison, where he counseled individuals facing the end of life; he was very proud of this work. Throughout his career, Art was passionate about his role in developing and mentoring new pastors entering the ministry. After his retirement in 1992, Art continued his ministry, with Peg by his side, preaching, performing baptisms, weddings and funerals, and counseling those in need. Art and Peg enjoyed over twenty years of retirement. Art enjoyed boating, fishing and swimming. He peacefully entered the church triumphant on February 7, 2019. Art was predeceased by his life partner of 60 years, Margaret Reed Bloom (Peg). Reverend Donald E. Collier February 7, 1935 – September 30, 2018 Donald was born in Lakewood, OH on February 7, 1935 to Earl and Florence (Dunn) Collier. The family moved to Westchester County, NY when Don was quite young; he always considered himself a New Yorker. Don received his bachelor’s degree from US REMEMBER LET Ohio Wesleyan University and his masters from the Yale School of Divinity. Don became an elder in the New York Annual Conference in 1960, pastoring Trinity UMC in LaGrangeville, St. Paul’s UMC in Peekskill, and Rye UMC, all in NY. From 1968 to 1974 he served as associate conference program director for the New York Conference and then returned to parish ministry for five years at Meriden UMC in CT. In 1979 he was appointed to United Methodist Communications, where he served as assistant general secretary and later as associate general secretary for the Division of Program and Benevolence. In the mid-1990s Don worked at Creative Connections in Media in Rhinebeck, NY and served as an interim pastor at UMC of Peekskill and at Asbury UMC in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. In 1998 he 348 - LET US REMEMBER was appointed to UMC of Peekskill, where he served until his retirement in 2002. After retirement, he also worked as a communications officer for the New York Conference. Don was a beloved pastor, known for his creative worship and capacity to accept and care for his congregation. Don was active in the pastors’ associations in many of the locales he served. He was also active in social justice causes including civil rights, peace, and women’s rights throughout his life. Music filled Don’s soul – all kinds of music, both sacred and secular. He loved nothing more than a great organ toccata or a Neil Diamond song. He was often found playing the hymns on either the piano or organ at meetings. Don’s other passion was trains. From his childhood through his senior years, Don loved trains, and often found a way to travel for work or pleasure via the rails. Many of his homes included model train set-ups. At the time of Don’s Memorial Service, Tom Vencuss commented that “Don hired me to work at Session Woods when I was 17. It was part of the process which led me into the outdoors, the Appalachian Trail, rock climbing, etc. So, I credit Don with providing me with an opportunity that few friends had.” Don entered the church triumphant on Sunday, September 30, 2018 in Des Moines, WA.