Paul was born July 1, 1937 in Shelbyville, Missouri to Reverend Roland and Clara Frerking, and was the third child of six brothers and sisters. He is survived by his wife Carolyn who resides in The Woodlands, Texas, his son Paul Jr. & wife Joy Frerking of Houston, Texas; his son David & wife Hayley Frerking of Appleton, Wisconsin; his son Stephen & wife Christi Frerking of Spring, Texas; his stepson Glen & wife Reagan Lochte of Liberty Hill, Texas; his stepson Jeremy & wife Rainey Lochte of Magnolia, Texas. Also surviving are five grandchildren: Ryan, Blake, Jonathan, Mary and Sarah; eight step-grandchildren: Katizu, Loyce, Brittan, Morgan, Mitchell, Brady, Charis, and Kendal; his brother Roland & wife Eileen Frerking; his sister Mary & husband Rufus Clapp; his sister Joanne Bunton; his sister Martha & husband Dennis Kitzmann; his former spouse and mother of his children, Barbara Frerking of Houston, Texas; and numerous nieces, nephews, step-great grandchildren. Paul was preceded in death by his parents, his older brother Robert, and his grandson Jacob.
Paul’s lifelong ministry ambitions began in Knoxville, Tennessee, where as a ten-year-old, he thriftly saved paper route money for schooling later in life. His professional studies began at St. Paul’s College High School in Concordia, Missouri, where he completed his High School degree in 1955, and graduated from Junior College in 1957. He continued his schooling at Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1959.
In the summer of 1959, Paul entered Concordia Theological Seminary as an accelerated student, completing four years of seminary in only three. While interning at Christ Lutheran Church of Peoria, Illinois between 1960 and 1961, he met and later married Barbara Traenkenschuh in June 1962. He earned his Master of Divinity degree the same year.
Paul was ordained July 8, 1962 in Tupelo, Mississippi. He then served two new parishes in Mississippi, first as a mission Pastor Developer in Southaven, Mississippi, and later as a Pastor of Zion Lutheran of Holly Springs, Mississippi until 1964. During this time, Paul served as counselor of the Lutheran Churches in the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa areas. Paul’s next calling came as Pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama until 1969.
While at Holy Cross Lutheran, Paul accepted a special calling with the Army Reserves that would forever carry a profound impact on him and his family. In August 1969, he was sworn-in as a Chaplain. Believing his calling served an even higher purpose to spread God’s Word to our overseas troops, he volunteered to serve a tour-of-duty in Vietnam from June 1970 to June 1971. It was there he experienced many tragic events, along with his fellow troops and local citizens. These included 5 a.m. enemy rocket attacks, close scrapes from enemy shells exploding his envoy’s jeeps or helicopters while en route to conduct weekly services, violent deaths, misery of men, and loneliness being away from loved ones. This remained painful for him to discuss throughout his life, if ever spoken at all. Through these events, his Faith never wavered as he preached God’s Glory in multiple weekly scheduled and unscheduled services across the battlefield and orphanages alike. He attained the rank of Captain in the “Americal” 23rd Infantry Division under then Colonel Colin Powell’s leadership until his discharge in October 1973. His sustained acts of meritorious service and other noteworthy actions earned Paul the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device.
Paul’s next calling served as Pastor of Saint Stephen’s Lutheran Church in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1973 until 1982. He next accepted a call to serve as Pastor of St. James Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas. During this time, Paul experienced a significant personal struggle with the direction and practices of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, leading him to resign his LCMS ministry in October 1981, and join the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America in May 1982.
After 27 years, Paul and Barbara ended their marriage in October 1989. Several years later, Paul was introduced to Carolyn Lochte during a “blind date.” They later fell in love and married in March 1995. Paul then accepted a call to join Faith Lutheran Church of Meridian, Texas in February 1996, where he would serve the remainder of his ministry.
Paul officially retired as a Pastor in June 2001, although he would continue serving another fifteen years across Lutheran and Episcopalian ministries, and for close friends and family members.
Pastor Paul extended us many gifts. He gave us God’s word, provided pastoral services to thousands of parishioners over 50 years, to fellow troops, to those struggling with mental health issues, to those lacking Faith access in hospitals, elderly homes, prisons, or even a person in need showing up in his office unannounced. He humbly administered his fellow students of Christ, drawing from a deep studious knowledge of language, laced with his own brand of God-given humor. He traveled the world with Christ in him. This carried into his family, where he served the title as husband, brother, pops, dad, grandpa and pee-paw.
Services for Paul will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at Forest Park of The Woodlands, Texas. The chapel service will begin at 10am, with a graveside service immediately following. A light meal will be served in his honor on site, after the graveside service.
In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation or the Ronald McDonald House in honor of his Grandson Jacob Frerking, who died of cancer in 2018.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.6