LeRoy VanVerth
July 25, 1927 — August 31, 2008
LeRoy Ellis VanVerth, 81 of Tucson, AZ passed away August 31, 2008. He was born July 25, 1927 northeast of Axtell, Kansas, the son of Ernest and Mary VanVerth. He grew up on the family farm, attending New Salem Country School and Axtell High School. He graduated in 1944 and helped for a year on the farm and then joined the Navy in 1945.
On September 18, 1946 Leroy married Nina Taylor of Axtell, KS.
After his discharge from the Navy he attended and graduated from Kansas State University and Perkins School of Theology at SMU. Then he served as pastor at Whiting KS.
He then once again went into the Navy and served in Lebanon as Chaplain for the Marine until 1955. Then he served as pastor at McClouth UMC until 1957. He again went in the Navy and served as Chaplain until 1959 when he transferred to the Army because of a need for chaplains there and served in places including Korea and Vietnam. He retired from the Army in 1974.
He spent his life in service to the Lord as a pastor to many people in churches, first in Nickerson and them in Laveta, Colorado. In 1986, he retired from the United Methodist Church and joined the Evangelical Methodist Church where he served in Cottonwood, Eloy and Tucson, AZ. After retiring from Noel EMC in Tucson, he continued to do volunteer work whenever needed until his death.
LeRoy is survived by his wife Nina, a daughter, Diana Myers of Corvallis, OR; 2 sons, David VanVerth of Nickerson, KS and Steve VanVerth of Arnold, MD; and a sister, Marjorie Perry of Axtell, KS. He was preceded in death by a brother, Stanley, in 1968.
LeRoy was loved and respected by hi family and all who knew him.
Funeral services will be Friday, September 12, 2008 at 10:30 AM at the Axtell United Methodist Church, Axtell, KS. The Rev. Chris White will conduct the services. Burial will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery, Axtell with military honors performed by the RR Hendricks American Legion Post #214.
Memorials are being left to the LeRoy VanVerth Memorial Fund proceeds will be going to help with offsetting the expenses associated with a stem cell operation for Pam Harriman who is doing mission work.