Rev. Gordon Charles McMillan 1926 - 1997

MCMILLAN, JAGGARD, JONES, MACY

Posted By: Debbie (email)
Date: 12/2/2006 at 06:26:56

The Burlington Hawkeye, September 10, 1997

Gordon McMillan

Rev. Gordon Charles McMillan, 71, 3902 Bluff Road, Fort Madison, died at 753 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, 1997, at Fort Madison Community Hospital.

Born Jan. 18, 1926, in Toronto, Canada, he was the son of Edward P. and Alice Cecelia Jaggard McMillan. He married Helen "Naney" McMillan Aug. 12, 1951, in Dubuque.

He attended McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Kan. Prior to attending McMaster University, he played professional hockey for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. Later he traveled in Canada as a motivational speaker and lecturer.

He was ordained in 1951 while serving his first church at Malvern. In July 1955, he moved to Sioux Falls, S.D., and in 1957 became the minister of First Baptist Church at Viborg, S.D., and Turkey Valley Baptist Church. While living at Viborg, he was active in the local initiative to build a new hospital. He also was active in the Lions Club and became a 32nd degree Mason.

In September 1964, he became pastor in Ottumwa, where he was instrumental in completing a new sanctuary.

In September 1971, he became pastor of First Baptist Church in Fort Madison, where he served two terms as president of the Council of Churches and president of the Fort Madison Lions Club.

In 1975, he and his wife were chosen by American Baptist Homes Society to become directors of Crest Home in Des Moines, a facility for the mentally challenged. In 1979, the McMillans accepted an appointment to United Methodist Church in Danville and also its country counterpart, Long Creek United Methodist Church, where they served for 11 years until his retirement in 1990.

Since his retirement, Rev. McMillan has served as part of the Ministers At Large Program, serving churches at Farmington, Ill., Camanche, Washington, Ottumwa and Fort Madison. At the time of his death, he was serving as Lee County Hospice chaplain and in September 1996 assumed the position of pastor on staff for Barr Memorial Chapel in Fort Madison.

Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Lisa Jones of Fort Madison, Kathy Macy of Sterling, Va., and Donna McMillan of Silver Spring, Md.; and three grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and one sister.

Friends may call after noon today, with the family receiving friends from 7 to 8 p.m. at Barr Memorial Chapel in Fort Madison.

The funeral for Rev. McMillan will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Barr Memorial Chapel, with the Rev. Frank P. Fagerburg officiating. Burial will be in Long Creek Cemetery near Danville.