Rev. Thomas Edward Lentz, 07 Feb 1927 - 16 Feb 2008

LENTZ, HOOK, POTTS

Posted By: Netha M Meyer (email)
Date: 2/24/2008 at 14:08:28

Rev. Thomas Edward Lentz , age 81 of Marengo, died Saturday, February 16, 2008 at the Marengo Memorial Hospital following an extended illness. Funeral Service: 11:00 A.M. Tuesday, February 19, 2008 Hillside Wesleyan Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa with Rev. Richard Ernst officiating. Burial will be in the Marengo Cemetery with military honors. Friends may call from 4 to 7 P.M. Monday, February 18, 2008 at Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo where there will be a Service of Remembrance at 7 P.M. conducted by Rev. Katie Dawson. A memorial fund has been established.

He is survived by his wife Betty Hook Lentz; two daughters, Faith Rebecca King (Terry) of Ainsworth and Hope Deborah Lauthen of Iowa City; a son David Thomas Lentz (Kathleen) of Glenwood, IA; five grandchildren, Angela Sullivan of Bellevue, NE, Kristin Kirby (Brandon) of Peru, NE, Brian Lauthen of Atlanta, GA, Shane Lauthen (Sara) of St. Paul, MN, and Andrew Lentz a U.S. Marine presently deployed to Africa; two great-grandchildren Michael Schupp of Bellvue, NE and Mya Lauthen if St. Paul, MN; and a brother, John William Lentz (Betty Jean) of Keokuk. Also surviving are two sisters-in-law, Betty Jane Lentz of Rochester, MN and Rose Lentz of Omaha, NE as well as many nieces and nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Helen Ferden and husband Gerhard, and two brothers, Rev. Milton Lentz and Lester Lentz and a son-in-law John Lauthen.

Thomas Edward Lentz was born February 7, 1927 in Rochester, MN, the son of Chester Otis Lentz and Minnie Helen Potts Lentz. He graduated from Rochester High School in 1946 and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He served in the Asiatic Pacific Theatre with the military occupational specialty of Clarinet Bandsman. He received the WWII Victory medal and Army of Occupation medal for service in Japan. Thomas married Betty Hook on August 11, 1951 at the Wesleyan Methodist Tabernacle in Charles City, IA.

He attended Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, IN, graduating in 1952 with a BA in religion and in 1965 with a BS in Education. He received a Master of Divinity degree in 1974 from Dubuque University Theological Seminary. He also had post graduate education at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI and at University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA.

Rev. Lentz was ordained July 30, 1954 by the Ohio Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of American at the Victory Campground near Galena, OH.

He pastored churches in several states; Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Iowa. Most of these churches were Wesleyan churches but he also served as a supply pastor for some United Methodist Churches in Iowa. He taught in public schools in Michigan as he took his post graduate classes there.

He felt honored that many of the churches he served experienced growth in membership and attendance. He was also honored that he was the pastor of two churches during the planning and construction of new church buildings. One of these was the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Piqua, OH and the other was the Trinity United Methodist Church in Edgewood, IA. Most of his other churches had renovation and redecoration projects during his tenure.

While still a teenager, Thomas began a life-long practice of memorizing scripture and ultimately memorized most of the New Testament as well as large portions of the Old Testament. He approached the ministry with enthusiasm and was recognized as a man of prayer. Rev. Lentz spent 40 years in the pastoral ministry. After that he continued as an encourager and prayer warrior.

Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo
Cedar Rapids Gazette 18 Feb 08, 4b