Dad, a life well-lived

He’s home! For he said so many times, “Heaven is my home.” I’m honored to share with you here my dad’s obituary.

Glen C. Kollmeyer, age 100, seven months, and 21 days, most recently of Fayetteville, GA, died peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, of natural causes.

His life-long passion was preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and witnessing to anyone and everyone about the love God has for them in Jesus. He was a generous giver to church, charities and family and loved to recite Scripture passages and long portions of Luther’s Small Catechism. He steadfastly looked forward to leaving this world to be with his Savior in heaven. “Heaven is my home!” he so often said.

He was born December 22, 1920, in Diggins, Missouri, to Gus H. and Rosie Kollmeyer. He grew up on a farm in Diggins, attended Zion Lutheran Church with his family, and attended Zion Lutheran School, a one-room school taught by the pastor of the church, for grades 1-8. He was confirmed in the Faith at the end of the 8th grade.

He attended nearby Seymour High School and graduated in 1939 as an outstanding student, athlete, and debate and chorus member. After undergraduate studies at St. John’s College, Winfield, Kansas and Concordia College, Seward, Nebraska, as well as vicaring (“Intern Pastor”) at Alva/Zion and Tulsa/Good Shepherd in Oklahoma, he graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, in June, 1947.

Glen married the true love of his life, Doris Lee Meier, in Enid, Oklahoma, on June 22, 1947. She shared in his ministry and served alongside him for 49 years.

Pastor Kollmeyer was ordained into the Holy Ministry and installed as Pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Odessa, Texas, on August 3, 1947, and served there until 1951. He faithfully served four more congregations in his full-time ministry: Trinity Lutheran, San Angelo, TX, 1951-1961; Redeemer Lutheran, Baytown, TX, 1961-1969; Redeemer Lutheran, Enid, OK, 1969-1978; Charity Lutheran, Burleson, TX, 1978-1983.

His service after retirement included being Assisting Pastor at Redeemer, Enid and Vacancy Pastor at Oklahoma Lutheran churches in Garber, Pond Creek, Alva, Guthrie, Lahoma, Covington, Breckenridge and Watonga. He was First Vice President of the Texas District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Vice President of the Oklahoma District, LC-MS.

He was a long-standing member of the Kiwanis Club since 1952, and particularly enjoyed driving the Kiwanis Train at Meadowlake Park in Enid, OK.

After his beloved wife Doris Lee died in 1996, he re-married two more times to two wonderful women, Eleanor Rose and Wanda Durham, each time being pre-deceased by these wives as well. In later years, he moved near to where he grew up and was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Springfield, Mo.

In 2014, he moved to Fayetteville, GA, to be under the close care of his son, Justin, a Lutheran pastor. He enjoyed exceptionally good health until the last few months of his life, and was known for his ability and faithfulness in walking a mile nearly every day.

He was an avid fisherman and hunter, a great backyard gardener for vegetables and flowers, and he loved family reunions when the whole family would gather. He would play Pinochle and pitch horseshoes when he could get anyone to join in.

He was preceded in death by three brothers and two sisters. He is survived by daughter Glenda Ferguson and her husband Larry of Waxahachie, TX; son Justin and his wife Elaine of Fayetteville, GA; and son Marty and his wife Watha of Fletcher, NC; seven grandchildren: Patrick and Michael Ferguson; Jessica Rudy, Andrew Kollmeyer, Rebecca Boyer; and Josiah and Kodiak Kollmeyer. These grandchildren, spouses, and great-grandchildren total 24. He is also survived by one sister, Leona Clayton of Houston, TX.

A Memorial Service will be held at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Fayetteville, GA, at a future date to be determined. A Graveside Service will be held in Enid, OK, on October 2.

Memorial gifts may be made to The Lutheran Hour Radio Ministry, www.lutheranhour.org

I will add here that I thank all of you who befriended dad and received and respected his ministry. I thank all of you who treated him medically. I thank all of you who loved and cared for dad in any way.

For those of you who read my letter to him about moving him to memory care, I’m so pleased to report that he made that t

ransition quite smoothly and was happy and content there.

I love you, Dad. Yours was truly a life well-lived. Thanks be to God.

[Kollmeyer, a Fayette County resident for 35 years, is Pastor Emeritus at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Fayetteville. Follow Pastor Scott Ness and this great church at www.princeofpeacefayette.org. Kollmeyer is also Interim Pastor at Word of God Lutheran Church in Sharpsburg. Find his weekly video recorded sermons at www.woglutheran.org.]