The Rev. Dr. Jacob Larry Yoder

1943 - 2022

The Rev. Dr. Jacob Larry Yoder

May 26, 1943 - December 7, 2022

The Rev. Dr. Jacob Larry Yoder, 79, of Lincolnton, died Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022, at his family home, Shepherd's Hill, after a long illness.

Larry was a dutiful son, a loving husband and father, a devoted pastor, an inspiring professor, a respected theologian of the Church, a born leader, a boisterous singer and an ardent lover of both farming and classical music.

Born May 26, 1943, Larry was the eldest son of Jacob Ralph and Mary Katheryn Miller Yoder. He was the brother of Wayne Miller Yoder (Jenice) and Mary Yoder Kaeser (Paul, recently deceased). Larry was a loving husband for 56 years to his "Anna," Marianne Howard Yoder. He was the father of Nathan (Rebecca) of Lincolnton, Joshua (Elisabeth) of Vilas and David (Kristin) of Pinehurst. He was "Grandpa Jake" to Marianne, Caroline, John David, Luke, Mary, Samuel and Jacob. An eighth grandchild is expected in February.

A diligent student and lifelong learner, Larry earned degrees from Lenoir-Rhyne College (AB), Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (MDiv), and Duke University (PhD). He was ordained into the ministry of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church through the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) in 1969. Larry served as pastor at Christ Lutheran - Pacific Beach, San Diego, Calif., St. Paul's in Durham, and Grace Lutheran in Newton. In 1977, the church called him to Special Service as chaplain of his alma mater, Lenoir-Rhyne. The call was amended and extended when he joined the faculty as a full-time professor.

During his 36-year call to Lenoir-Rhyne, Larry served in many roles: chaplain, professor of Religion, chair for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and faculty senate chair, among others. He directed the Center for Theology, the Honors Program, and the Lineberger Center for Cultural and Educational Renewal. No matter the course, students in Dr. Yoder's classes knew to expect humor, vivacity and a ridiculously vast vocabulary - during one early homily, two fun-loving students famously sat in the front row with dictionaries in their laps, furiously and gleefully flipping the pages to keep up with their chaplain.

During many of his years at Lenoir-Rhyne, Larry served Lutheran parishes as supply or interim pastor. For 20 years, he served as pastor of Grace Lutheran in Newton.

While juggling the demands of these two full-time jobs (and raising three boys), his hobby was working on the family farm. A family tradition held that anyone could choose the family activities on his or her birthday. Every May 26, Marianne and the boys could count on spending the day planting pumpkins. Some more of Larry's favorite things included tilling the earth on his tractor, Dodgers baseball, Duke basketball, Anna's beef stroganoff, Anna's gingerbread, growing (and eating) silver queen corn, listening to WDAV Classical Radio, listening to Simon and Garfunkel, singing hymns as loudly as possible in his booming baritone and play-wrestling with his sons.

Larry's family will fondly remember his special talent for creating elaborately silly nicknames. Some greatest hits include "Narcus de Barfesoi" (Nathan), "Oshi-Nozzer Fah-Noozer Pooh" (Josh), "Dave-ah-Schrave-ah-Oct-oh-Rave-ah" (David) and "Wolfhart Katzenburg the Second" (Woofus the cat). He was an exceptionally playful father who would greet his three young "wookies" at the end of the workday by opening the front door and growling like a tiger, which would send the boys into squeals of joy.

Larry was an experienced though reluctant traveler. In his and Anna's life together, they spent a few years in San Diego, a semester in the British Isles, and took trips to Europe, The Holy Land, and Rome, but he was always happiest when he was back home on the Carolina soil. Larry's favorite places were the family home at Shepherd's Hill Farm, Wild Acres Retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and anywhere his Anna wanted to go.

Throughout his life, Larry stood up for those he thought were being treated unjustly; in the places he worked, in his community and in the world at large. He was a good man who fought for what he believed in and kept the faith. Well done, good and faithful servant. Rest in peace.

A funeral service for Pastor Yoder will be held at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 11, at St. Martin's Lutheran Church in Maiden, with the Rev. Dr. Nathan Yoder and the Rev. Dr. Andrew Weisner officiating. Interment will follow in Daniels Lutheran Church Cemetery in Lincolnton. The family will hold a service of evening prayer at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10, at St. Martin's Lutheran Church in Maiden. Following evening prayer, the family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m., at the church, with compline to follow.

Memorials may be made to St. Martin's Lutheran Church: NALC, P.O. Box 546, Maiden, NC 28650; or to The McDaniel-Yoder Center for Theology of the Carolinas Mission Region of the North American Lutheran Church: Carolinas Mission Region, P.O. Box 6381, Hickory, NC 28603.

Warlick Funeral Home

www.warlickfuneralhome.net