Class Notes

Anne Childress Ruggiero of Fort Myers, Florida passed away February 14, 2021.

The Reverend Doctor Raymond Douglas Saunders, age 92, of Freeport, IL, who lived and died by the providence of God, passed away on Thursday, August 10, 2017. He was born November 9, 1924 in Chelmsford, MA to the late John and Janet (Peverill) Saunders. Raymond married Helen Gentry on August 23, 1950 in Tennessee. After high school, Raymond attended Maryville College, Maryville, TN, where he received his bachelor’s degree, interrupting his studies to serve for three years in the United State Army. He went on to McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, where he received his masters and doctoral degrees. Raymond was a Presbyterian Minister in North Dakota, Chicago, South Dakota and Tennessee. In addition to serving the community through his ministry, Raymond enjoyed bird-watching, hiking, reading, teaching, storytelling, and spending time with his family. Raymond is survived by his wife, Helen Saunders of Freeport; his three daughters, Joyce (Mike) Wymer of Rock City, Judith (Pete) Deszcz of Chicago, and Bonnie Rae (Brian) Letton of Pecatonica; 15 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents and his three siblings. There was a memorial service at United Presbyterian Church in Freeport on August 16, 2017. A memorial fund has been established in Raymond’s name.

Helen Elizabeth Gentry Saunders, just 3 weeks shy of age 95, went to “rest in the land of the Living God” on Sunday, January 1^st, 2023, at home, with family at her bedside. She was born on January 22, 1928 in White Rock, North Carolina to William Labe and Bonnie Effie (Higgins) Gentry. She grew up in Flag Pond, Tennessee at the foot of the beautiful Smokey Mountains.  Helen’s family was active at the Jennie Moore Memorial Presbyterian Church, where she has been a lifelong member.

After high school Helen attended Maryville College where she met her future husband, Raymond D Saunders. They were married on August 23^rd 1950.  The couple received degrees at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

Always a supportive pastor’s wife, Helen served with her husband at churches in LaMoure North Dakota, Chicago Illinois, Britton South Dakota, and Johnson City Tennessee as well as providing interim support to churches in many other locations after retirement.  Helen served in Christian Education at churches in the Chicago area, as well as writing and editing educational curriculum materials for a Christian publisher. Helen was a champion for education, in the church and in the public sector, evidenced by the ways she chose to be involved in her community.  She taught workshops, promoted cultural opportunities, has been an avid reader, and promotor of experiences that expand the understanding of the lives of others.  She has been an active member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood since 1953, joining local chapters wherever she lived.  Helen raised three daughters and lived a full life of study, prayer, and service.  She was a gracious friend to many and a generous encourager to all.  Her presence will be greatly missed, as she was so deeply loved.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband in 2017, her parents, and her brother, Bill Gentry, all of her sisters-in-law & brothers-in-law, and a niece, Lucinda Knarr.

She is survived by: Her daughters and their families:  Joyce (Mike) Wymer of Rock City, IL; Judi (Pete) Deszcz of Plainfield, IL; Bonnie Rae (Brian) Letton of Pecatonica, IL; 15 Grandchildren: Jason (Kenalee) Rupnow, Tim (Katie) Rupnow, Sarah (Joel) Boettner, Ted (Kara) Rupnow, Todd (Emma) Rupnow, Angie (Scott) Gussick, Linsey Wymer, Tim Wymer; Wai-Yee Letton, Grace (Patrick) Randolph, Jayson Letton, Tiffany Letton, Bret Letton; Ed Deszcz,  Andre Deszcz; 19 Great Grandchildren: Odell, Maverick, Iris, Falyn, Levi, & Randy McPeek; Rachel, Ashley & Hailey Rupnow; Benjamin & Susannah Boettner; Elliott, Josiah, Quinton, & Maxwell Rupnow; Caitlin Wech &  Arianna Gussick; Emma Wymer; William Randolph.

Ola Harwood Sherrill, 90, of Rogers died Sunday, Jan. 11, 2016 at Mercy Medical Center in Rogers, AR. She is survived by many loving relatives including: two nieces; Kenda Vaughn, of Rogers, and Barbara Holman, of Birmingham, Ala. No local services are planned.

Barbara E. Smith, Professor Emerita of Skidmore College, died on July 11, 2016. She was born on June 26, 1927 in Menominee, Michigan, the daughter of Enid and Leslie Eggleston. She grew up in Marinette, Wisconsin, twin city to Menominee. After graduating from Marinette High School, she attended Maryville College in Tennessee, graduating with highest honors. She was valedictorian of both her high school and college graduating classes. A lover of books, she worked in the library at Maryville and several other colleges and universities where her husband, Robert (Bob) Smith, was teaching. After Bob joined the Skidmore faculty, Barbara earned an M.A. degree in library science at SUNY Albany and joined the Skidmore faculty as a reference librarian. As such, she greatly enjoyed assisting her Skidmore colleagues in their research. She spent a sabbatical researching British government documents. After publishing several articles comparing the American and British government document systems, she was invited on two occasions to lecture at British universities. She spent a sabbatical semester as an intern at the U.S. Government Printing Office which publishes and distributes government documents. She also was a member of and served a term as chair of a government committee that oversaw the Government Printing Office and insured that government documents were widely distributed. For these efforts, she was honored with a formal dinner and an article describing her achievements by the American Library Association in its official publication. Barbara and Bob were happily married for sixty-six years. She was the loving and beloved mother of two sons, Michael and Kevin. She greatly enjoyed family life and activities and especially loved camping and hiking with her family in the Adirondacks. She was an avid reader, enjoyed biking and swimming, and had a special fondness for ocean beaches. She loved music, theater, and movies. She also enjoyed sports and, especially, watching baseball on television. She loved traveling, and she and Bob spent a year at Oxford University, extended periods in London, and trips by car throughout the European continent, including travel to Eastern and Southeastern Europe. In sum, Barbara lived a happy, active, interesting, and useful life. She will be greatly missed by her family, relatives, and friends. She is survived by her husband Bob, sons Michael Smith and Kevin Smith, their wives Gina Odell and Lynn Hall, respectively, and granddaughter Emily Smith. Memorial services will be held at 3:00 pm on August 6, 2016, at Hospice & Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley, 6805 U.S Highway 11, Potsdam, NY, 13676.

87, of Tallahassee, died Sunday Oct. 2. 2014 after a long illness. A native of Philadelphia, she had lived in Tallahassee since 1955. Before moving to Florida, Maryjane taught at secondary schools in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Coatesville, Pennsylvania. She attended Maryville (Tennessee) College before earning bachelor's and master's degrees in home economics at Pennsylvania State University. She received a graduate teaching certificate from Florida State University. She was an icon in the Leon County Schools, teaching and guiding thousands of elementary school children during her 40-year career in the district. She was widely known for her progressive approach to curriculum design. Maryjane served as a 2nd and 5th grade teacher, assistant principal for curriculum, and district administrator for elementary school curriculum. She worked at several elementary schools, including Oak Ridge, Bond, Ruediger and Gilchrist. She also served on Fairview Middle School's first administration as its assistant principal when it opened. Maryjane was one of the first two women in Leon County to serve as an elementary school administrator, serving as assistant principal at Oak Ridge. When Maryjane learned she wasn't earning pay equal to her male counterparts, she challenged the superintendent, who said, "Well, you don't make as much because I figure you wouldn't be doing the same kinds of things the men would do." Maryjane replied: "I once escorted a sheriff's deputy to a classroom so he could take a fifth-grader into custody. I also stopped an armed student on campus who was planning to shoot a teacher, and I confiscated his pistol. Now, what is it that I wouldn't do?" After retiring from Leon County Schools in 1998, Maryjane continued to serve as a mentor for first-year elementary school teachers, and volunteering in her grandchildren's classrooms at Gilchrist, Hawks Rise and W.T. Moore. She was a founding member of Faith Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee, serving in numerous volunteer positions and as its interim Director of Christian Education. She served on the Faith Presbyterian Preschool Board of Directors and Presbyterian Women's Circle. An active member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary organization of outstanding women educators, Maryjane held several leadership positions and was a founding member of the Fidelis Omicron chapter in Tallahassee. Her favorite role as an ADK sister was "Mother Emeritus" for the ADK Scholarship House on the FSU campus. Maryjane's tender loving care, mentoring and mothering of the young women who lived there earned her the nickname "ADK Grandma." Throughout her life in Tallahassee, Maryjane generously gave her time and love to many charitable organizations, including the Junior Woman's Club, Brehon Family Services, Leon County Retired Teachers Association, Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science, and the Southern Scholarship Foundation.She was also actively involved in her daughters' organizations, Broken Hearts of Florida and The Compassionate Friends/Tallahassee Chapter. She was preceded in death by her husband, George Thurston III, her grandson, Jonathan Barch, her brother and sister-in-law, Samuel and Harriett Blizzard, and her brother, Robert Blizzard. She is survived by her four children and their spouses: Becky and Doug Barch, Tallahassee; Lee and Eydie Thurston, Tallahassee; Bob and Linda Thurston, Woodbridge, VA; and Karen and Joaquin Chavez, Tallahassee; seven grandchildren: Diane Crim and her husband, Russell, Virginia Beach, VA; Paul Thurston, Seattle, WA, and Lauren Thurston, Tallahassee; James and Eric Thurston, Woodbridge, VA; and Martin and William Chavez, Tallahassee; and three great-grandchildren: Russell and Ava Crim, Virginia Beach, VA; and Auroralei Thurston, Woodbridge, VA; her sister-in-law, Dee Blizzard, Denver, CO; and six nieces and nephews.

Charlotte Anne Laster DeShazo Van Kampen age 92 of Leeds passed away April 22, 2020 and is survived by her Nephews; Jack Vance and Mel Vance. Step Daughter; Sara Ruth Frances, Step daughter in law; Mary Ann Van Kampen and daughter by heart; Cathy Sizemore. Graveside services will be held Saturday, April 25th, 2020 at 2:00 PM at Mt. Hebron Cemetery.

passed away December 15, 2013.

age 86, of Martin, TN died Monday, November 10, 2014 at Martin Health Care. Born in Parsonburg, Maryland (1928), she spent her childhood in that area. After her father’s death in 1944, Miss Weaver, sister Nancy an her mother moved to Hendersonville, NC to be close to family. She was proud of her Weaver heritage, her Weaver ancestors founded Weaverville, NC. Miss Weaver was a crafter, photographer and traveler. She also enjoyed cuisines from many world cultures. An avid reader, she embraced electronic books. Her Kindle was her constant companion. And, she volunteered for her church and community organizations. She is survived by her nephew, Vann (Laura) Evans of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She was preceded in death by her parents, ROscoe Robinson Weaver and Ethel Christina Lancaster Weaver and her sister, Nancy Jane Weaver Evans.

Robert Max Willocks, 96, of Phoenix, Ariz., passed away peacefully on Jan. 20, 2021, at Sweetwater Pines group home in Scottsdale, AZ. Born in Maryville, Tenn., Max was the son of Willis Lemuel Willocks and Hannah Ellen Emert Willocks of Maryville. He graduated from Maryville College and served in the Navy in Asia and the South Pacific during WWII. He married the love of his life, his darling Neysa Nerene Ferguson, and with her and their five children relocated to war-ravaged South Korea in 1956, to serve the people there as Southern Baptist missionaries for nearly ten years. After returning to the States, he worked in Library Science as either a Director or an Associate Director of Libraries at Heidelberg College, Columbia College, Syracuse University and the University of Florida. Max and Neysa later created Share his Love Missions, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to helping others. Through this foundation they continued to do mission work in Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean. Max and Neysa shared a love of adventure. Throughout their marriage, they traveled to more than 80 countries. They climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro when they were in their 70s, drank fermented mare’s milk in a yurt in the freezing steppes of Mongolia, risked falling from treacherous cliffs while journeying to the high mountains of Peru and braved government and rebel antiaircraft guns as they flew into southern Sudan. To celebrate his 90th birthday, Max snorkeled in The Great Barrier Reef and hiked the rain forest of Australia. Max was an extraordinarily loving and supportive man who lived his life in the service of others. He was loved by his children: Sharon, Sam (Penny), Mark, Bob (Cindy), Kent (Bethel); his grandchildren: Colin Flanagan (deceased), Megin Killian (Mike), Braden Zitoun (Adrien), Courtney Francis (Vijay), Ren Isen, Ben (Jenilyn), Dave (Wendy) and Karley Willocks; great-grandchildren: Amelia and Henry Zitoun, Max and Theo Francis, Spring Killian-Brooks (Ryan Brooks), Mike Killian, Jr., Andrew Killian, Willow Willocks, and Iris Willocks; great-great-grandson Graham Killian-Brooks. An online Memorial Celebration will be held over Zoom in the coming weeks. All those interested in attending, please email Sam at samwillocks@gmail.com. The family is eternally grateful to the staff and caregivers at Sweetwater Pines group home for the love and tender care they gave Max during his 18-month stay. We want to express our deep appreciation to our many friends here and in many other countries for their loving concern and prayers. Those wishing to do so may honor Max by contributing to Share His Love Missions, 15596 W Flower Court, Goodyear, AZ 85359.

Sara was born in Maryville, Tennessee on Nov. 15, 1927 to the late John Herbert and Helen Kiger. She graduated as valedictorian from Everett High School in Maryville, Tennessee. She went on to major in chemistry at Maryville College and graduated at the top of her class in 1949. She married Carl William Wilson, Jr. on Aug. 17, 1948 in Maryville, Tennessee. Following this, she completed an LPN degree from Loma Linda University in Los Angeles, California. She was a faithful wife and ministry partner alongside her husband for seven decades. Over the years, she led choirs and played the piano for many churches. She formed and ran a bookstore to provide Christian books and materials at the lowest possible price for 35 years. She welcomed many people into their home for meals and for a temporary place to stay and she always sought to meet the needs of others. Her highest privilege was to raise and lovingly serve her five children and 17 grandchildren over the entirety of her life, which she did with grace, humor and unconditional love. She exemplified the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) in every situation, despite the circumstances. She loved her Lord most of all. She saw all of life as being controlled by God’s loving sovereign hands and never complained, regardless of what life brought her way. She expressed gratefulness to others for any small kindness they showed her. She was a quiet, humble woman; yet she deeply impacted all she interacted with by the quality of her character. She was a lover of God’s Word, books, words and crossword puzzles. She was an enthusiastic bargain hunter, able to find quality items at the lowest prices. She always had something on hand that could be a special gift for someone or meet a need. She was renowned for her homemade fudge, fried chicken, and rice krispy treats. She was preceded in death by her father, John Herbert Kiger; her mother, Helen Kimball Kiger; and her brother, Paul Alan Kiger. Survivors include: her husband, Carl W. Wilson, Jr.; her children, Mary (Steve) Farrar, David (Carrie) Wilson, Stephen Wilson, Sharon (Bryan) Owens, and Joy (Gary) Alms; her grandchildren, Rachel (Courtney) Treadaway, John (Cristina) Farrar, Josh (Laura) Farrar, Jennifer Wilson, Carissa (Hector) Wilson, Justin Wilson, Sarah (Steve) Grice, Katie (David) Bond, Maggie Wilson, Benjamin Owens, Matthew (Rebecca) Owens, Micah Owens, Andrew (Grace) Alms, Philip (Courtney) Alms, Bethany Alms, Anna Alms, and Rachel Alms; and her great-grandchildren, Maddie, Caleb, Holden, Lucas, Jamie, Violet, Patsy and Clyde. A private funeral service will be held at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home in Franklin, Tennessee on Saturday, May 9, at 1 p.m. with Pastor Todd Teller of Christ Presbyterian Church officiating. A graveside service and interment with Doug Griffith of Carriage Lane Presbyterian Church officiating will take place in Westminster Memorial Gardens, Peachtree City, GA. on Monday, May 11, at 11 a.m. The family of Sara Wilson wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the nurses and caregivers at The Hearth of Franklin for loving and caring for our Mom so well over the three-and-a-half years that she lived there. We’d also like to thank the ladies from Christ Community Church who faithfully visited Mom each week to be present with her and encourage her. The family asks for any donations to go to the National Christian Foundation, which will then be distributed to Sara’s favorite ministries.

Carl W. Wilson, 97, of Peachtree City, Georgia Evangelical Christian pastor, educator, and author Carl W. Wilson died Tuesday, January 4, 2022, in Peachtree City, Georgia. He was 97.

Wilson was born Carl William Wilson, Jr., in 1924, in Montgomery, Alabama. His parents were Carl William Wilson, Sr., a prominent and wealthy Alabama developer and insurance executive, and Marie Russell Williams Wilson, a homemaker.

He grew up in Montgomery with his older sister, Marie Claire, and his younger sister, Dorothy Moncrief. (His sisters, whose married names were Marie Claire May and Dorothy Moncrief Hayes Strange, preceded him in death.)

Tragically, Wilson’s father died prematurely in 1935, at which point his mother began working as a school teacher and Wilson took on a variety of jobs to help the family.

The most important influence in his life during this period was Robert Earl Tidwell, his mother’s uncle and an important father figure to Wilson. Tidwell had raised Wilson’s mother after her own mother died and young Marie’s own father was unable to care for her.

Tidwell was one of Alabama’s preeminent educators, serving as Alabama Superintendent of Education before becoming the Dean of Extension at the University of Alabama, who was instrumental in founding what are now campuses. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Huntsville and Mobile. “Uncle Robert” helped instill in Wilson a passion for people and for making a difference in the world through education.

After graduating from Montgomery’s Sidney Lanier High School in 1942, Wilson enlisted in the Naval Air Force. His aspirations to become a pilot were thwarted by an eye injury, for which he was trained as a gunner and rose to the rank of chief petty officer. With the help of GI Bill, he later attended Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee. Wilson majored in pre-med at Maryville and graduated second in his class.

The first to graduate from the same class was Sara Josephine Kiger, a brilliant beauty whom he married in 1948. They hoped to travel to China as medical missionaries, but when the borders of China were closed, they decided to dedicate themselves to Christian ministry in the United States.

They were living at the time in Pasadena, California, where Wilson earned two advanced degrees from the newly established Fuller Theological Seminary, while Sara Jo earned her nursing degree from Loma Linda University and gave birth to her first two children. Fuller, with his star scholars such as Carl FH Henry, Gleason Archer, George Eldon Ladd, EJ Carnell, Daniel Fuller and William Sanford La Sister, reinforced his lifelong commitment to providing intellectually respectable foundations for an evangelical Christian world view.

Wilson completed his Th.M. at Fuller in 1954 and returned south, where he and Sara Jo had three more children and pastored Presbyterian churches in Shawmut, Alabama; Piney Flats, Tennessee; Athens, Georgia; and Perry, Georgia. He became increasingly focused on youth ministry.

In Tennessee, he moved from the Piney Flats pastorate to a ministry position on the campus of East Tennessee State University; his pastorate in Athens excelled in its appeal to the students of the University of Georgia; and his church in Perry became the launching pad for teen evangelistic crusades in many southern cities.

This led to an offer from Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) to launch an international division of secondary schools; Wilson led this division, known as Student Venture, for nearly a decade.

Having determined in the mid-1970s that it was important to help churches not only convert but also cultivate believers, Wilson founded the World Discipleship Association, based in Fayetteville, Georgia.

During this phase, he changed his target audience back to the college campus. Nonetheless, he maintained a commitment to the local church and played a key role in the establishment of Carriage Lane Presbyterian Church in Peachtree City, Georgia in the 1980s.

After some 25 years at the helm of the World Discipleship Association, Wilson resigned to focus on writing and speaking under the auspices of Andragathia Ministries, and also held a teaching position on the campus of Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida.

For several years at this time in his life, he and Sara Jo lived on a small farm in Oviedo, Florida, where their interest in farming extended to animals and crops.

Wilson was the author of more than a dozen books. The first, and most influential, was “With Christ in the Disciple-Building School: A Study of Christ’s Disciple-Building Method,” published by Zondervan in 1976 and since republished as “a contemporary Christian classic.”

Several other books of his have further developed the subject of the application of Jesus’ methods to Christian ministry and the Christian life. A second main theme of his writings has been to provide a conservative Christian analysis of contemporary culture, science, and ideas. These books created opportunities to speak and teach at conferences, workshops, and churches around the world.

Wilson was preceded in death in May 2020 by his wife of more than 70 years, Sara Josephine Kiger Wilson.

Survivors include: their children, Mary (Steve) Farrar, David (Carrie Houk) Wilson, Stephen Wilson, Sharon (Bryan) Owens, and Joy (Gary) Alms; her grandchildren, Rachel (Courtney) Treadaway, John (Cristina) Farrar, Josh (Laura) Farrar, Jennifer Wilson, Carissa Garcia, Justin Wilson, Sarah (Steve) Grice, Katie (David Slack) Bond, Maggie Wilson, Benjamin Owens, Matthew (Rebecca) Owens, Micah Owens, Andrew (Grace) Alms, Philip (Courtney) Alms, Bethany Alms, Anna Alms, and Rachel Alms; his great-grandchildren, Maddie, Caleb, Holden, Lucas, Jamie, Jude, Violet, Patsy, Clyde, and Joaquin.

Evelyn Wood passed into the arms of her Savior on July 6, 2021, with her daughter, Jamie, by her side. She was born in the Belgian Congo, Africa (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) to Presbyterian missionaries. She spent her early childhood hearing leopards call while hunting across the valley; seeing unbelievable sunsets (gold, silver, scarlet) brought, in part, by the explosion of Krakatoa; and riding bareback on the family bull, Mutomba. Service was literally in her blood: a great-great-grandfather was an early missionary to Hawaii, an uncle and grandfather were missionaries to Korea, a nephew was a missionary to Brazil, and a cousin gave 10 years to the Peace Corps in Taiwan. Evelyn was stranded in the United States during World War II while her parents returned to the Congo to complete several more terms of service. She attended Maryville College in Tennessee, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. For thirty years, she taught elementary physical education, arts, and crafts for the Dade County School System here in Florida. Additionally, she wrote instruction manuals for the school system as well. Upon retirement, Evelyn moved to Gilchrist County with her husband. She was one of the original members of the “Joyful Hearts” group of women meeting weekly for crafts, quilting, food and fun. Though Evelyn no longer belonged to a church denomination, she tried to instill in her children and others, the love of God and all His wondrous creation; and a conviction that His Son, Jesus, can ensure our spending eternity in God’s presence. She appreciated the friends, and neighbors who always made her feel loved and welcomed. Evelyn was preceded in death by a son, Kim B’Smith, and her husband, Mitchell F. Wood. She is survived by daughter Dorothy Lynn (Dunn) Williams and husband John Williams. Evelyn is survived by son Kit B’Smith and his wife Carolyn (Rose) B’Smith. She is also survived by daughter, Jamie (B’Smith) Mathis, who cared for her the last several years of her life. Evelyn leaves behind 2 great-great grandchildren; 4 great- grandchildren, and 11 grandchildren.