Obituary notices of members and congregational friends

 Stanley Stiver, Jr.

 NEWTON The Rev. Stanley Louis Stiver, Jr., Lutheran minister, community leader and collector of crosses, died Monday, May 15, 2011, in Newton. He was 89 years old. He served as minister for over 62 years, with 31 years at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Claremont, from 1959 to 1990. 

On the 60th anniversary in the ministry in 2007, Larry Clark, then editor of the Hickory Daily Record wrote, "He has been called the ultimate volunteer. His congregation won't argue with that. He's never too retired to serve community, people and God." Along with his pastoral duties, he worked to improve the community in many different ways. "I believe we owe giving something back to the community and the area; to not always be taking-we have to give too. I want to give back because I really have been given much," he once said. Sidney Halma, executive director of the Catawba County Historical Association, observed, "Stanley Stiver came here at a time when there was a transition in our society. It was the era of the post-war boom, the baby boom. People were looking to the future, and he helped a small community develop a sense of itself. He made people feel good about their community, which until then had been a sleepy little town. He was saying, 'Look here, people, take note of what you have here.'" Glenn Morrison, then mayor of Claremont, in 2007 said, "Pastor Stanley Stiver's leadership and influence on the City of Claremont and Eastern Catawba County will live on forever. He took a sleepy little town and woke in us a vision of the future with excitement and enthusiasm. His positive and can-do attitude showed to us that nothing is impossible. Today we have more industries within the City of Claremont than any other city our size in the state of North Carolina. We have tremendous participation of citizens within our churches and the community in various types of activities, and we have a lot of leadership ability in the community. I attribute all of these things and more to Pastor Stiver." Rev. Stiver remembered the following as among his most memorable accomplishments: Claremont winning of first place in the Piedmont Area Development Association in the 16- county competition in 1963, 1967, 1968, 1969 and 1971; organizing the first parade in Claremont, 1966; securing Toll Free Extended Telephone Service in Eastern Catawba County, 1971-1977; writing a History of Claremont, 1887-1968; serving as Chairman of Claremont Red Cross, 80 Blood Visits with 13,000 pints collected; working as facilitator of Catawba County Pathway Bereavement Organization with Drum Funeral Home, 1991-2002; and displaying crosses on Charlotte, Durham and Winston-Salem television stations. 

He believed as Martin Luther said "The Cross Alone Is Our Gospel." He became an avid collector of crosses from across the world. He collected over a thousand unique crosses. One of his greatest joys was to share his crosses and talk about the history of them. He gave hundreds of talks on the cross at churches and Civic Clubs. For 15 years, 1976-1989, as an invited guest and special feature, he displayed his crosses at the Southern Christmas Show in Charlotte, which attracted thousands of people. In 1983, Augsburg Publishing House published his article "Born For a Cross" about his cross collection in their Christmas Annual. He was the recipient of many honors and awards: "Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities," 1943-1944; Newton-Conover Civitan Club "Man of the Year," 1964; Citizens Savings and Loan Newton Citizen Par Excellence, 2000; Men of Achievement, London 1972; Claremont Fire Department Life Time Membership, 1979; Claremont Jaycee Man of the Year, 1980; first recipient to receive the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce Glen Ray Boyd Award For Outstanding Citizenship, 1990. The presentation observed that "he is one of the most dedicated volunteers we have ever known." He was the first non-Rotarian of the Newton-Conover Rotary Club to receive their highest award, the Vocational Award, 1983. He was the first recipient to receive Lenoir-Rhyne College Board of Trustees Outstanding Service Award, 1999. Governor Jim Hunt honored him with the Governor's Community Service Award in 1999. The Catawba Valley American Red Cross awarded him a Red Cross LifeTime Membership Award, 1992; the Dedicated to Blood Services Award, 2001; and their highest honor "Lifetime Achievement Award, 2002. In the 34 years he planned, promoted and served on Blood Mobiles, one of the high points was on Dec. 15, 1982, when he was the chairman of a county-wide eight-hour blood visit at six sites with 1,442 pints of blood collected. 

He was born on June 29, 1921, in Youngstown, Ohio. He was the eldest son of Stanley L. Stiver, Sr., and Alta Baun Stiver. He was married to his wife, Mary Jane Anderson Stiver, on Feb. 20, 1949. She has been a loving and faithful wife of 62 years. Preceding him in death was his brother, David Scott Stiver. He leaves behind his loving and faithful wife, Mary Jane Anderson Stiver; two sons, John Mark Stiver and his wife, Rebecca, of Newton and David James Stiver and his wife, Lynn, of San Francisco; four grandchildren, Jennifer Marie Stiver of Cornelius, Mark Elliott Stiver and his wife, Magdalyn, of Greensboro, Daniel O'Connor, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Steven Arthur O'Connor of South Pasadena, Calif.; three great-grandchildren; a sister, Marian Helene Struble and her husband, Edward; a sister-in-law, Ethel Stiver; and five nieces and nephews. He graduated from East High School, Youngstown, Ohio, in 1939, a member of the National Honor Society and the National Forensic League. In 1944 he graduated from Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He was a member of the team winning the Ohio Intercollegiate Debate Championship in 1943, Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, and the Senior Class voted him as the "One Who Contributed the Most on Campus." He received a Master of Divinity Degree in 1947 from Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio. He did his internship at St. Mark Lutheran Mission, New Martinsville, West Va., in 1945. In his pastoral ministry he served three congregations, St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church, New Orleans, La., 1947-1951, St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Wheeling, West Va., 1951-1959, and St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Claremont, N.C., 1959-1990. Upon retirement, after 31 years in Claremont, the Claremont City Council declared the day of his retirement, Sept. 30, 1990, as "Stanley Stiver Day." Seven hundred attended his final worship service there. He also served two pastoral interims, St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Hickory, 1991-1996, and Ebenezer Evangelical Lutheran Church, Catawba, 1998-1999. He served as Visitation Pastor at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Hickory, 2000-2009. As part of the 120th anniversary of St. Mark's Lutheran Church, the congregation honored him as Pastor Emeritus on May 10, 2007. He served on many Lutheran Eastern District (ALC) and North Carolina Lutheran Synod Boards and Committees. He served on the Board of St. John's Lutheran Home for the Aged, Mars, Penn., 1954-1957; Eastern District (ALC) Youth Committee, 1958-1965; as a Lecturer for Eastern District (ALC) Leadership Training Schools in Pennsylvania, New Yorkand Florida, 1957-1965; Southern District (ALC) Evangelism Committee, 1982- 1985; and Joint Evangelism Committee of North Carolina Synod and ALC Southern District, 1984-1987. He was the Chaplain at the Catawba County Jail, 1978-1980; Chairman of the Chaplaincy Committee of Catawba Valley Medical Center, 1969-1970; Board Member of the Lutheran Services for the Aging, 1997-2003; and Chairman of the Catawba Valley Lutheran Fellowship

Lowell Ashman October 7th, 2009

Dr. H. Lowell Ashman died unexpectedly on October 7th. He was born May 17, 1937, in Midvale, Utah, the third of five children of Harold and Verda Ashman. He received his bachelor's and master's of arts degrees from Brigham Young University and his doctorate in political science from the University of Utah. He began teaching at Brigham Young University; spent several years with the CIA in Washington, D.C.; taught political science at Keuka College, New York; and for the past 35 years he had been a professor at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Lowell touched the lives of many and leaves an enduring legacy of great works and deeds. He is survived by his wife, Edrys; three sisters; one brother; eight children, Laurie Sardoni (Ken) of Alpine, Utah, Kristi Ford of Payson, Ariz., Elizabeth Dixon (Eric) of Lehi, Utah, Lisa Ashman (Craig Pater) of Salt Lake City, Utah, Briggs Ashman (Elena) of Mesa, Ariz., Derek Hennigar (Lisa) of Columbus, N.C., Lisa Huffman (Rick) of Hickory and Trent Hennigar (Tracey) of Clemmons; and 21 grandchildren.