Rev. Virgil Jay Lamm, 84, of Sugar City, Colo.,
died Thursday, Nov. 25, 2004 at A. V. R . M. C., La Junta. Funeral
services for Rev. Virgil J. Lamm were held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 30
at Ordway United Methodist Church. Pastor Wm. D. "Mac" McGrew
officiated. Selected music was provided by Corky Pickerill, Vocalist,
and Karol Carter, accompanist. Concluding services and interment were
at 3 p.m., Tuesday afternoon at Ramah, Colo. Grandsons and
grandsons-in-law served as casket bearers.
Virgil Jay Lamm, youngest
son of Jay Lamm and Louisa Hofer Lamm, was born on a farm at Ramah,
Colo., on March 8, 1920. He grew up there and attended school at Ramah
for 11 years and graduated from Simla Union High School in Simla, Colo.
During his middle school years, he attended church camp at Pinecrest,
where he received a call to full time Christian ministry, which he
followed for the rest of his life.
After High School he graduated from
North Central College and Evangelical Theological Seminary, both in
Naperville, Ill. On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, 1945 he was married to
Gladys Kupler of Waterloo. Iowa. Two sons, John and Joel, and two
daughters, Linda and Marilyn, arrived to join the family.
His wife
departed this life on Dec. 2, 1959. On April 16, 1961, he was united in
marriage to Kathryn Best Stockbridge from Seattle, Wash., who had four
children. After there marriage, they adopted all eight children,
including Margaret, Vicki, Frank and Thomas Stockbridge.
Upon
graduation from seminary Virgil began his pastoral ministry as follows:
Daily-Rockland Evangelical Churches in Dailey and Rockland, Colo.,
1945-52: Bethune-Stratton Evangelical Churches in Bethune and Stratton,
Colo., 1952-64; Peetz Community Evangelical United Bethune Church,
Peetz, Colo., 1964-70; The United Methodist Church, Wheatland, Wyom.,
1978-87; Walsh United Methodist Church, Walsh, Colo., 1987-88 and
Walsh-Two Buttes, Colo., 1988-90. After 45 years of ministry he retired
to his home in Sugar City in 1990.
In 1982 Virgil was awarded the
first Roadrunner award as outstanding minister of rural churches in the
Rocky Mountain Conference. He was deeply committed to the concept of
stewardship and his seminars on that subject were attended by many
throughout the conference. He is survived by his wife, Kathryn sons,
John (Kathy) and Joel (Keiko) daughters, Linda (Brad) Clark, Margaret
Mahlman, Donna Carkeek, Vicki (Bob) Smith, and Marilyn Lamm; 18
grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren; brother Milton Lamm,
sister-in-law, Margaret Carner; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and
cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife; four
half-brothers, Grover Lamm, John, Gideon and Walter Carner, and two
sons, Frank and Thomas Lamm. Memorial may be made to United Methodist
Church of Ordway. Visitation for family and friends was held Monday.
Nov 29 from 5-7 p.m. at Griffy Family Funeral Chapel in Ordway.
Arrangements by Griffy Family Funeral Home, Ordway.