Orbin Nolan Crouch

Orbin Crouch, beloved husband, father, uncle, grandfather, great-grandfather, and pastor is
rejoicing today in the presence of his Savior. Many considered 6'5" Orbin a gentle giant, but
more importantly all who knew him realized he was a giant in his faith. He quietly, faithfully,
persistently served the Lord, looking toward the day his faith would become sight. Orbin is
proceeded in death by parents Orbin E and Juanita Crouch, brother Donald Crouch, and sister
Marilyn Browning. He is survived by wife Marsha Goode Crouch; three children and their
spouses: Jeffery (Cheryl), Jason (Sharon), and Jennifer (Dean Spruell); nine grandchildren and
three great-grandchildren.
Orbin Nolan Crouch was born April 3, 1946 in McAlester, Oklahoma to Orbin and Juanita
Crouch. When Orbin was 14, his father passed away and Juanita, a scrub tech, began to support
the family. Orbin pitched in with a part-time job. He also played offensive lineman for his high
school football team and earned a full ride football scholarship to Oklahoma State University. In
the spring of his freshman year at OSU, Orbin felt God prompting him to transfer to Southern
Nazarene University. He gave up his full ride and began at SNU as a business major. During a
revival at the school, God called Orbin to preach. This call came as quite a shock to the people
back home, who knew Orbin as the boy who was too shy to stay on the platform for a church
program!
Around this same time, a young lady named Marsha Goode needed a ride back to her dorm
after church choir practice. Orbin gave Marsha a ride and he learned that it was Marsha's
birthday. He bought her a Coke and invited her to come hear him preach the following night at
the Reno mission. (Orbin practiced preaching for the men at the mission who earned "tickets"
to sleep at the mission by listening to the sermons.) Marsha went with Orbin to the mission –
and she went out with him every night for the next two weeks. At that point, Orbin asked
Marsha to go steady. Marsha was terribly disappointed; she was ready for him to propose! He
did propose two weeks later, and Marsha happily accepted. Thus began a lifetime of serving
together.
While still in school, Orbin began to pastor the Nazarene church in Blanchard. Marsha went
with him each week, accompanied by a chaperone. They were married that May. A year later,
Orbin graduated from SNU and the following day their first child, Jeffery Daniel, was born. Two
weeks after Orbin's graduation, the little family moved to Kansas City where Orbin attended the
Nazarene Seminary. From there, Orbin took his first church in Mystic, Iowa so they could be
near Marsha's family and help with her younger siblings after the unexpected passing of
Marsha's mother. While in Iowa, Jason Eugene was born. Next, the family of four returned to
Oklahoma where Orbin pastored in Antlers, Tahlequah, and finally Custer City for 12 years.
While in Custer City, Jennifer Lynn joined the family as the youngest child and only girl.
Orbin undertook a massive remodeling of the Custer City church. He also worked with the
pastors of other churches in Custer City to form a ministerial alliance which hosted city-wide
revivals every year. From there, they moved to Higgins, Texas. Just before moving away from
Higgins, Orbin suffered a massive heart attack. Miraculously, the volunteer firefighters had
trained the day before on their brand-new defibrillator. They rushed in and saved Orbin's life.
Orbin said he "went to sleep in Higgins and woke up in Ropesville." Orbin served the Ropesville,
Texas Church of the Nazarene for 17 years as a dearly loved pastor. Orbin and Marsha became
heavily involved in the Llano Estacado Emmaus community, with Orbin for two years leading as
Community Spiritual Director the group of over 900. Orbin also worked for Dignity Funeral
Home in Lubbock, coordinating music and creating videos which provided comfort and help to
families in their times of greatest need. Orbin loved for serving others expanded his worldview
as he and Marsha participated in a life-changing Work and Witness trip to Romania.
When Orbin and Marsha retired, they returned to their Oklahoma roots and settled in Choctaw,
with Orbin putting his video skills to use in the churches pastored by his son Jason. He enjoyed
serving alongside Jason and Sharon and their kids, and he cherished visits from his other kids,
grandkids, and great-grandkids, whom he prayed for by name each day.
When Orbin was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, his primary response was a readiness
to see Jesus, his Lord and Master, face to face. We will miss Orbin's gentle spirit and rock-solid
faith, but we rejoice with this faithful servant who has fought the good fight, finished the race,
and kept the faith.