Clergy Family

Passages

Rev. Bennie Wesley Waller, 88, of Checotah died Feb. 10, 2014. A retired Local Pastor, he was serving Bokoshe UMC at the time of his death.

Bennie was born July 26, 1925, in Stroud. He was a Navy veteran.

He married Jacquelin Faye Waller on May 4, 1961, in Clinton. They owned an insurance agency and jewelry store before he entered the ministry.

He first filled the pulpit at Oktaha. He served Muskogee-Honor Heights, Vici, and Lenora churches and led sanctuary building projects at Vici and Lenora. In 1996, he officially retired. He became pastor at Bokoshe in 2006.

Among survivors are his wife, Jackie; children Brenda Pounches, Michael Grace, and Ronnie Grace; five grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Service was Feb. 13 at Checotah UMC.

Raymond S. Combs Jr., 96, of Fort Smith, Ark., died Jan. 28, 2014. He was the father of Rev. Sheila Combs Francis, pastor of Enid-New Hope UMC.

Rev. Roland Lee Luelf, 69, of Skiatook died Feb. 2, 2014.

Roland was born Oct. 22, 1944, in Washington, Mo. He was an Army veteran. He married Connie Jeter on Nov. 22, 1969, in St. Louis, Mo. He worked in the banking industry before his ministry career.

Beginning in 1981, he pastored at Catoosa, Muldrow, Comanche, Nardin, Talihina, Marietta, Copan, Redland, and Seiling. The couple served on the mission field in Mexico, Muldova, and China. He officially retired in 2008.

Survivors include his wife, Connie; sons Chad and John; and five grandchildren.

Service was Feb. 7 at Immanuel Baptist Church, Skiatook, where he had been active in retirement.

Memorials to: Missionary Fund of Immanuel Baptist Church.

Appointments

Charla Gwartney to Tulsa-Memorial Drive UMC (Tulsa District) from Edmond-Acts 2 associate (North OKC), effective Feb. 1.

Mary Gaudreau to director of spiritual and emotional care for Oklahoma Conference of Churches (North OKC) from national disaster consultant, UMCOR, (North OKC), effective Jan. 1.