Willard L. Burce


February 9, 1924 ~ October 4, 2024

The Rev. Dr. Willard Lewis Burce, born on February 9, 1924 in Marshall, Michigan, died peacefully in the early hours of October 4, 2024 at Heatherwood Assisted Living in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He was 100 years and almost eight months old.

Willard—Bill, as he was  known to his family and friends —was raised in Eau Claire, the fifth of six children born to Charles S. and Alma O. (Knudtson) Burce of Washington Township. He was baptized at Drammen Lutheran Church (ELC) in southern Eau Claire County and confirmed thirteen years later at Epiphany Lutheran Church (LCMS) near downtown Eau Claire. He received his education at Sunnyview School, Eau Claire Senior High School, Concordia College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, where he earned the Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Sacred Theology degrees.

In 1948, Bill and one of his seminary classmates, Otto Hintze, were recruited by the  Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to pioneer mission outreach in a corner of the Papua New Guinea highlands known today as the Enga Province.  Bill, who had imagined serving as an overseas missionary, quickly accepted the call.  On August 1 he married Elinor Dicke of Long Prairie, Minnesota, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor and former missionary to Brazil.  Three weeks later, on August 22, Bill was ordained as a pastor and commissioned as a missionary at his home congregation, Epiphany, Eau Claire.  In mid-September he and Elinor headed west for New Guinea.  They would spend the next forty years there with periodic furloughs along the way.

Bill’s work in Papua New Guinea unfolded in three stages, all of them undertaken in close cooperation with missionary colleagues whom he would come to respect and treasure. In the first stage he and his colleagues focused on the essential task of sharing the Christian faith with their new Enga hosts and neighbors. This entailed learning who these neighbors were and how they thought about the world. It meant learning their Enga language and putting it into writing for the first time ever. It involved translating Bibles stories and prayers and worship resources into Enga and teaching people what they meant and how to use them. It called for recruiting and training local co-workers who could expand this Christian outreach into other communities. Bill excelled at this work and quickly emerged as a leader among his colleagues. In 1957 he presided at the first Lutheran baptism service in the Enga Province. Many more would follow over the next few years.

Stage Two of Bill’s career began in 1960 when his colleagues appointed him to establish a formal school for church workers. The language of instruction was Enga. The task involved setting up a campus, devising a curriculum, writing materials to support the curriculum, and teaching the classes. An indigenous Lutheran church organization had recently been established in the Enga Province. Almost all of its emerging leaders passed through this school.

During this period Bill also completed requirements for a Th.D. (Doctor of Theology degree) from Concordia Seminary; he translated two books of the New Testament into Enga and had them published; he chaired the editorial committee for the first-ever translation of the entire New Testament into New Guinea Pidgin English, the country’s emerging lingua franca; and he was the chief draftsman of a Statement of Faith that all Lutheran groups in Papua New Guinea would come to adopt. By now his gifts were being recognized and put to use in the country’s wider Lutheran and Christian circles.

This continued to be the case in the final stage of his career in Papua New Guinea. In 1967 Bill and Elinor moved their family from the highlands of the Enga Province to the coastal port of Lae. A new school, Martin Luther Seminary (MLS for short), had opened there a year earlier to provide pastoral training in English for young high school graduates. Bill had been highly instrumental in working with other Lutheran leaders in the country to develop this school. Now he was asked to teach at it. A few years later he was appointed its principal. Bill and Elinor would spend twenty-one years at MLS. They got to know and appreciate a new of set of colleagues and neighbors. Bill was now training pastors for Lutherans throughout the country. By working with other seminaries to establish an accrediting agency, the Melanesian Association of Theological Schools, he helped to strengthen theological education for Papua New Guinea as a whole.

While in Lae, Bill and Elinor helped to found the Papua New Guinea Handicapped Children’s Association and a new school, the Lae Special Education Center. Among its many beneficiaries was their youngest son Charles, born with Down Syndrome. He was very dear to his parents, family and many friends.

When Bill retired at the end of 1988, he and Elinor returned to Eau Claire. The next thirty years were busy and fruitful. Bill was invited to teach at Lutheran seminaries in St. Louis, St. Petersburg in Russia, and Edmonton, Alberta. He returned to Lae for a guest lectureship at Martin Luther Seminary and to the Enga Province for six months of volunteer service. Elinor kept him company on all these trips. Meanwhile they bought and developed a five-acre property on the northwest outskirts of Eau Claire where they lived in peace and contentment until Elinor turned ninety and her health began to fail. She fell asleep in the Lord in 2019. Their dear son Charles followed in 2022. And now it’s Bill’s turn. He spent his final weeks trusting the promise he had shared with so many in Papua New Guinea and elsewhere. “Christ is risen indeed! We have nothing to fear. Alleluia!”

Bill was preceded in death by his parents; by his brothers Sheridan, Charles E., and John; and by his sisters Doris Olsen and Phyllis Sherman. He is survived by six of his and Elinor’s seven children, all born in Papua New Guinea: Gregory (Jan); Amy; Jerome (Nancy); Mary Burce (James) Warlick; Juliana (Brian) Tanning and Carrie (Myron) Koehn. He is also survived by fourteen grandchildren—Simon, Martin, Elizabeth, Kathryn, Robin, Jamie, Jason, Jordan, Aaron, Rachel, Micah, Hannah, Rebekah, and Grace; and by ten great-grandchildren. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews from both the Burce and the Dicke sides of the family.

The family suggests that memorials, if any, be directed toward theological education in Papua New Guinea. The Cleveland congregation that son Jerome served for twenty-eight years will gather and channel the funds, some through the Papua New Guinea Mission Society to benefit Timothy Lutheran Seminary in the Enga Province and some through the ELCA to benefit Martin Luther Seminary, Lae. Checks can be written to “Messiah Lutheran Church” with “Burce Memorial” on the Memo line. Mail them to—

Willard Burce Memorial

Messiah Lutheran Church

21485 Lorain Rd.

Fairview Park, OH 44126

For an online giving option go to messiahchurchfairview.org and follow the logical path to the church’s giving portal. Once there, use the “Memorials” option and be sure to enter “Willard Burce” on the appropriate line.

“Rest eternal grant him, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon him.”

John D. Curtis

May 5, 1937 ~ October 21, 2024

John Douglas Curtis was called home to Jesus on October 21 st , 2024, while surrounded by family at Mayo Clinic Health System-Eau Claire. John was born at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin to Douglas and Gwendolyn Curtis on May 5th, 1937. He was a 1955 graduate from Eau Claire High School and went on to attend UW-Eau Claire and UW-Madison.  After graduating from UW-Madison with a History degree, he enlisted in the United States Army in 1962.  He was deployed to Harrogate, England early in 1963. He was a part of the US Army Security Agency and worked as an interceptor of Soviet telegraph signals. Much of the information about his unit and their mission during that time is still heavily redacted. While stationed in England he met the love of his life, Diane Atkinson, at a dance and they were married on February 5th, 1964. After his tour of duty, he and his bride returned to the States and had two daughters, Jane and Sarah. Upon his return he worked with his father, Doug, at Curtis Realty. When his father retired, John and Diane rebranded the business into “Apartments By Curtis” (ABC Rentals). They spent the next 50 plus years providing housing to students. In the late 1980’s they became grandparents when Warren and Elizabeth were born.
 
John's mantra was, "I volunteer." Over the years, John was involved with and helped to create many groups, including: the Bassmasters, the Randall Park Neighborhood Committee, he played the role of Santa Claus for over a decade for Downtown Eau Claire Inc., West Grand Avenue Business Association, the Historic Preservation Society, the Landmarks Committee, the Apartment Association, the EC County Republicans, the EC County Board, Christ Church Cathedral (Vestry, choir, and acolyte) the Jaycees, Kiwanis, and sports teams at Eau Claire High School (lettered in football and track & field) and UWEC (cross country). He was involved with different municipal committees which helped save the Livery, helped create a design for Phoenix Park/ Farmer's Market, which included a space for bands to play outdoors, and helped start Eau Claire's first Community Garden and Skatepark. John always wanted to write a book. Though he never did, he did contribute to many publications: books by the Leader Telegram and Landmarks Committee; Images for VolumeONE, Hidden Treasures, and the Leader Telegram, the House Hunt. He also provided props for the CVTG and Dennis Miller for his movie on Uniroyal. He is credited with playing RB Gillette in Miller's "Voices from the Past." John's love for his hometown Eau Claire, was unparalleled. John would often say “Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the best place in the world” and he truly believed it. John wore his passions on his sleeve, and it was hard not to get caught up in them. One of them was entrepreneurship. Both his daughters created businesses in Eau Claire.  Jane opened Wireless Outlet, and his daughter Sarah shared his love for history and opened a store on West Grand Avenue called Eclectica on Grand.  John’s passion for Eau Claire eventually led him to open a specialty store next door, the River Trader. John seemingly took pleasure in sharing his vast knowledge of obscure Eau Claire history with anyone who walked through the door.  Carrying on with the entrepreneurial tradition his grandson Warren also started a storage and U-Haul business in Iron River, Michigan. John and Diane were very proud of their children and grandchildren and supported
them in all their endeavors. 

John was a huge fan of Wisconsin sports teams, but his favorites were Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Wisconsin Badgers. But John's favorite pastime was going dancing with his wife, Diane, and would see their favorite band, the Thundermen, as often as possible. He was an avid Sportsman and according to him there were three seasons: fishing, hunting, and road construction. John had an affinity towards dogs, but his springer spaniels were his favorite. The ability to hunt and retrieve was a very important quality that he looked for in a dog. He would confidently claim there were no greater dogs than springer spaniels. He also participated in a coffee group multiple times a week. He and his friends would discuss all sorts of topics, but
it was primarily focused on politics and what makes the world go around.   

John was a devoted son, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. John and Diane were heavily involved in the lives of their grandchildren and in many ways parents to them as well. He told the best stories, most of them contained a little bit of a fisherman's exaggeration, making them hard to beat. The advice he would give was always playful and often contained a grain of mischief. His granddaughter Elizabeth gave John and Diane the blessing of great grandchildren, whom he adored. He thoroughly enjoyed having the sound of children playing, once again in his home. John was a fighter, much of the last decade was spent going in and out of hospitals. Even with the health issues he remained jolly and optimistic throughout everything.  His upbeat, positive, can-do attitude served as an inspiration for what can be overcome.  John will be deeply missed by his family and friends.  John is survived by his two daughters, Jane Elizabeth Stevens (Curtis) and Sarah Ann Curtis (Christopher Fraser); two grandchildren, Warren Stevens (Kerri Weecks) and Elizabeth (Dustin) Ruxton; five great grandchildren, Declan, Joslyn, Lucille, Aidan, Lorence and a cousin, Ted (Kathleen) Balcom. 

John is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Diane Curtis, his parents, Douglas and Gwendolyn Curtis and great grandson, Desmond Ruxton. 

Funeral Services will be held at 12:30 AM, Friday, November 15, 2024 at Christ Church Cathedral, 510 S. Farwell Street, Eau Claire, with Father Aaron Zook and Reverend Russell Tate officiating.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will be in Christ Church Cathedral Columbarium with military honors performed by American Legion Post 53 and VFW Post 7232. Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral; Cremation Services, Eau Claire is assisting the family. Online condolences may be shared at www.lenmarkfh.com.

Mark F. Nelson


December 21, 1952 ~ November 5, 2024

Mark Francis Nelson, age 71, of Eau Claire, WI, passed away due to complications from surgery at May Clinic Health system, Eau Claire, WI, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

Mark was born December 21, 1952, the second child of Francis and Kathryn (Schumacher) Nelson, Eau Claire, WI.  Mark had a kind heart, and was an animal and nature lover.  In his younger years, Mark worked in farming, trucking, and residential construction.

Mark is survived by siblings:  Nicholas (Lana) Nelson of Huntsville, AL; Carl Nelson of Arden Hills, MN; Kathryn (Roy) Howard of Shoreview, MN; Paul Nelson of Eau Claire, WI; Mary (Mark) Boysel of Columbus, OH; and Tonia (Dennis) Johnson of Eau Claire; and also by many cousins, nephews, nieces, and extended family and friends.

Mark is preceded in death by parents, Francis and Kathryn Nelson, who now welcome him into the eternal kingdom of our Lord.  Rest in peace, Mark.

Mark’s family would like to extend a special thank you to the extraordinary caring staff at Mayo Clinic Health System’s Critical Care Unit.

A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 AM, Monday, November 11, 2024 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Eau Claire.  Visitation will be held at the Church on Monday from 9:30 AM until the time of services.  Burial will take place at Lakeview Cemetery in Eau Claire, WI.

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