Rev. Paul Luther KETTNER

KETTNER Rev. Paul Luther Kettner, 70, passed away peacefully in his home July 21, 2005 ofcancer. He was born December 3, 1934 in Quincy, MA. He was the son of Rev. Elmer Kettner and Adeline Kettner who predeceased him. He attended Concordia Prep School in Bronxville, NY and graduated from Concordia College, Bronxville in 1954. He graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO in 1959 after also serving a year of Vicarage in Chicago, IL serving St. John the Divine Lutheran Church. While there he was assistant editor of the English District supplement of the Lutheran Witness. His first Divine Call was to serve as Mission Developer in Greenhills, OH, a suburb of Cincinnati. Meeting in the Greenhills Community Building, he was Ordained and Installed as Pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church by his father on July 12, 1959. There were ten families to start this congragation. On September 26, 1959 he married Nancy Ellen Putz. They were blessed with three daughters, Julie, Ellyn, and Abby. A permanent structure was built on a hill in Winton Woods, Greenhills, in 1963. While in Cincinnati he served as President of the Pastoral Conference for the Ohio District, Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. For the Council of Churches he also hosted and programmed a devotional radio show that aired on Sunday mornings for shut ins. In 1976 Paul accepted a Divine Call to become Mission Developer in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach, VA. He was installed as Pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in February 1976 There were seven families to start this congregation. After worshipping in Fairfield Elementary School for three years, a permanent church was built at 5350 Providence Rd. While serving in Virginia Beach he was Editor of the Southeastern District Supplement for the Lutheran Witness. He served as secretary of the Southeastern District Board of Directors for the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. He received his Masters Degree in Pastoral Counseling from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO in 1989. As a Synodical Pastoral Evangelist, he traveled throughout the District conducting evangelism workshops. After retiring from the parish ministry in 1996, he began to serve St. Paul on the Shore Lutheran Church in Hallwood, VA on the Eastern Sbore. In his "spare time' he volunteered as an Ambassador for the Norfolk International Airport, and, after completing a Citizen's Police Academy, volunteered in the Crime Solvers Unit with the Virginia Beach Police Department. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, daughters, Julie Kettner Huffman and her husband, Chris of Hickory, NC, Ellyn Jayne Kettner of Virginia Beach, VA, Abby Kettner Kennerty and her husband, John, of Cary, NC, three grandchildren, Mary Katherine Huffman, Emily Joy Cason and Samuel Paul Cason, a sister, Anna Mae Reinheimer of Hackensack, NJ, three brothers, Dr. Peter Kettner and wife, Judy of Payson, AZ, Rev. Joel Kettner and wife, Judy of Wallace, NC, Steve Kettner and wife, Mary Ann of St. Louis, MO, father in-law, Dillman Putz of Cape Girardeau, MO, sister-in-law, Barbara Loyd of Cadiz, KY and 13 nieces and nephews. A Service of Celebration and Victory of Life will be held at Hope Lutheran Church, 5350 Providence Rd., Virginia Beach on Saturday, July 30, 2005 at 1 P.M. Pastor Timothy Utton presiding. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a church, charity, or hospice of one's choice. Virginia Cremation Society of Virginia Beach is assisting with arrangements.