Wayne H. Pew

Wayne Hilbert Pew was born at Haley, North Dakota in a blizzard on February 17, 1922 to Frank and Esther Pew. His mother died in childbirth and he was taken by his grandmother Evie Pew to Rochester, Minnesota where he was cared for by relatives until his father remarried when Wayne was 7 years old. They lived in Western South Dakota until he was a young man. He married Ruby Ostby, and they made their home in Portland, Oregon where their three children were born: Lyla, Loreen, and Timothy.

In 1947 Wayne and Ruby became Christians and they began attending Bible school. Wayne continued after graduating from Powellhurst Bible School. He then attended and graduated from Western Baptist Seminary in 1973 with a M. Div Degree. He was pastor at Lake Grove Baptist Church for 5 years (1961-1966).

Wayne felt called to work in the inner city with African Americans. He went there to assist at Berean Baptist Church in 1967. He continued to serve there for 25 years in many supporting roles: teaching, Director of the daycare center, and assisting the three pastors.

In 1983 he was commisioned as a Nursing Home Chaplain and he and Ruby continued in that ministry until this last year. During his later years they spent winters in Apache Juction, Arizona for health reasons. They taught there at Grace Community Church and the trailer court where they lived, as well as the health center.

The last ten years, since 2004, they have made The Village Retirement their home and continued to serve with Nursing Home Ministries and the Village Community Church.

"Papa Pew" is survived by his wife Ruby, daughter Lyla Peterson, son Timothy Wayne Pew, daughter and son in law Loreen and Bill Ferres, Grandaughter and her family, LIsa and Peter Labon, Emi, Chloe, Arcadia, and Alexander and Grandson and his family, Eric and Aaryn Peterson, Grace and Liberty. He will be greatly missed. His family is proud of him for the life he has lived and the example he has been. Life won't be the same without him but he is safely in the arms of Jesus.