The Rev. Keith K. Harke
Brother Keith K. Harke died April 11, 2019, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania at the age of 52.
Born February 19, 1967 at Edmonton, Alberta, he was the son of Victor and Muriel (Prochnau) Harke. Brother Harke graduated from the University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia in 1993, and received a Master of Divinity degree from Moravian Theological Seminary in 1999. He was ordained a Deacon in the Moravian ministry June 27, 1999, and consecrated a Presbyter October 2, 2005.
He was united in marriage to Margaret Wellert on May 14, 2000, at Moravian Theological Seminary, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Br. Harke served pastorates in Minnesota (Our Savior’s, Berea), Wisconsin (East Side, Ephraim), Alberta (Bruderheim), New York (Tremont Terrace), Washington D.C. (Faith), and Pennsylvania (Emmaus, West Side). He also served under call to specialized ministry as chaplain for Door County Memorial Hospital, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; chaplain for Good Samaritan Society of Scandia Village, Sister Bay, Wisconsin; and released for other service to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as intentional interim pastor for St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Christ Lutheran Church, Staten Island, New York.
Brother Harke is survived by his wife, Margaret; step-children Matthew, Elizabeth and Kathryn; and five grandchildren.
A memorial service was held at West Side Moravian Church, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on May 10, 2019. Memorial gifts were welcomed for Moravian Theological Seminary or the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Mrs. David Henkelmann
Sister Mary Ellen (Thompson) Henkelmann died in Randolph, Massachusetts on March 31, 2019, at the age of 94. She was born March 7, 1925, at Shanghai, China, a daughter of Gordon and Hilda (Haughwout) Thompson.
Sister Henkelmann was united in marriage to Brother David M. Henkelmann on June 29, 1968, at United Moravian Church, New York, New York.
She served alongside her husband in pastorates in New York (United, First, Tremont Terrace) and Pennsylvania (Yardley, Philadelphia Third, Lebanon).
Sister Henkelmann is survived by her husband, David; sons Christopher and Bruce; one granddaughter and a great-grandson. She was predeceased by son, Douglas, in 2016.
Memorial services were held at First Congregational/UCC Church in Randolph, Massachusetts. Memorial gifts were gratefully received for the Board of World Mission Wupterthal Missions Station Disaster Relief fund or UNICEF Children’s Emergency Relief Fund.
Mrs. Joseph LaFortune
Sister Ann (Giesler) LaFortune died in Fargo, North Dakota on April 2, 2019, at the age of 83. She was born April 24, 1935, at Green Bay, Wisconsin, a daughter of Carol and Laura (Dickey) Giesler.
Sister LaFortune was united in marriage to Brother Joseph LaFortune on June 7, 1955, at East Side Moravian Church, Green Bay, Wisconsin.
She served alongside her husband in mission service in Alaska and pastorates in Alberta (Heimtal, New Sarepta, Central), Michigan (Daggett), Minnesota (Northfield), Wisconsin (Sister Bay), and North Dakota (Bethel, Goshen).
Sons, Richard and Carol; daughter, Amy; and two grandchildren survive Sister LaFortune. She was predeceased by her husband, Joseph, on October 29, 2016.
Memorial services were held April 11, 2019, at Shepherd of the Prairie Moravian Church, Fargo, North Dakota, with the Rev. Eric Renner presiding. Memorials are gratefully received for the Shepherd of the Prairie Women’s Fellowship.
The Rev. Roger W. Kimball
The Rev. Roger W. Kimball, age 84, joined the heavenly Church Triumphant December 29, 2018. He was born Sept. 28, 1934 ,in Winston-Salem, N.C., the first of four children of Thomas Alexander Kimball and Treva Rothrock Kimball. He was baptized as an infant at Friedland Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, and later confirmed his faith there.
At age 14, he responded to an invitation made by the pastor in worship to anyone who felt a call to pastoral ministry. Roger attended Griffith School, and graduated from Glenn High School (1952), from Moravian College (1956) and Moravian Theological Seminary (1960) He married Mary Ethel “Mitzi” Pennington May 31, 1958.
In the following years, they were blessed with four children. While in Seminary, he took a one year leave of absence to serve with the Board of World Mission on St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.
Roger was ordained a deacon June 26, 1960 by the Rt. Rev. Herbert Spaugh, at Friedland Church, and began mission service in Guyana, where he was consecrated a presbyter by the Rt. Rev. Edwin Kortz, October 27, 1968. Roger served as the Superintendent of the Moravian work in Guyana, and was secretary of the Guyana Council of Churches. In 1969, he accepted a call to serve in the Eastern West Indies Province on St. Thomas with the Friedensberg, Fridensthal and Friedensfeld congregations. From 1972 to 1975, he was the President of the Provincial Board for the E.W. I. Province.
During their ministry in Guyana and St. Thomas, Roger was active in a variety of social and community ministries. In 1981, the Kimballs returned to the Southern Province as pastor of the Mizpah and Advent congregations. While at Advent, Roger mentored and encouraged a number of persons as they discerned calls to pastoral service in the church.
He retired August 31, 2000, after 40 years of service, and entered another period of service as an interim pastor for the Holly Springs, West Palm Beach, Ardmore, Macedonia, Enterprise, Christ, Advent and Mizpah congregations. He retired from his retirement December 31, 2016.
Roger is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mitzi; a daughter Victoria; three sons, Thomas, Michael and Edward; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two sisters; and one brother. A memorial service was conducted at Friedland Moravian Church, Jan. 4, 2019, with the Rt. Rev. Graham Rights, Rev. James Demby, Rev. Wayne Byerly, and Br. David Berrier officiating. Burial followed in God’s Acre, Friedland.
