e-Review Florida United Methodist News Service
        

In Memoriam — Sept. 5, 2008

Sept. 5, 2008     News media contact: Tita Parham* 
800-282-8011   tparham@flumc.org    Orlando {0905}

An e-Review News Item
By Caryl Kelley**

William F. Kopelke Jr.
James S. Jones
Burnell S. Jordan
Charles Louis Herron
Ovidio Amaro
Edwin Snowden Davis
Ernest Wilbur Newman

William F. Kopelke Jr.

The Rev. William Kopelke Jr., a retired Florida Conference elder, died April 7, 2007. Kopelke became a deacon in 1953 and an elder in full connection in 1955. Before retiring in 1974, he served Trinity Methodist Church, Miami, and was a chaplain in the United States Air Force in 1956.

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James S. Jones

The Rev. James S. “Jimmy” Jones, a retired Florida Conference elder, died March 2. Jones was a part-time local pastor in the Alabama-West Florida Conference in 1946 and a student local pastor in the North Georgia Conference in 1948. He became a deacon in 1950 and an elder in full connection in 1951, transferring into the Florida Conference from the North Georgia Conference in 1951. Jones served as superintendent of the Lakeland District in 1979 and Gainesville District in 1989. He also served Bushnell Methodist Church; First Methodist Church, Orlando; Mount Dora Methodist Church; Eau Gallie Methodist Church; Lakewood United Methodist Church, St. Petersburg; First United Methodist Church, Fort Myers; First United Methodist Church, Clearwater; and First United Methodist Church, Orlando. He retired in 1994.

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Burnell S. Jordan

The Rev. Burnell S. Jordan, a retired Florida Conference associate member, died March 14. Burnell was a full-time local pastor in 1982 and became an associate member in 1986. Before retiring in 1991, he served Dinsmore United Methodist Church, Jacksonville, and the Altoona/Paisley United Methodist Church circuit.

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Charles Louis Herron

The Rev. Charles L. Herron, a retired Florida Conference elder, died May 3. Herron became a deacon in 1955 and an elder in full connection in 1956. He served Livingston Methodist Church, Orlando, and Silver Palm Methodist Church, Homestead, before transferring into the Western North Carolina Conference in 1968. He retired from that conference in 1977 and was readmitted to the Florida Conference in 1991. Herron then served First United Methodist Church, Citra; Lochloosa United Methodist Church; and Woodstock Park United Methodist Church, Jacksonville. He retired in 1997.

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Ovidio Amaro

The Rev. Ovidio Amaro, a retired Florida Conference elder, died June 4. Amaro became a deacon in Cuba in 1955 and an elder in full connection in 1957. He transferred to the Florida Conference in 1971. In addition to serving churches in Cuba and the Rio Grande Conference, in Florida Amaro served Polk County Spanish Ministry; Coral City Hispanic United Methodist Church; First United Methodist Church, Hialeah; and Tamiami United Methodist Church, Miami. He retired in 2000.

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Edwin Snowden Davis

The Rev. Edwin S. Davis, a retired Florida Conference elder, died Aug. 7. Davis became a deacon in 1952 and an elder in full connection in 1956. Before retiring in 1991, he served in Tampa at Palma Ceia Methodist Church and Temple Terrace United Methodist Church and as a chaplain in the United States Air Force.

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Ernest Wilbur Newman

Bishop Ernest W. Newman, a retired elder in The United Methodist Church, died Aug. 28. Newman became a deacon in the South Carolina Conference in 1949 and an elder in full connection in 1950, transferring into the Florida Conference in 1955. He was elected bishop in 1984 and served the Nashville Area until his retirement in 1992. While in Florida, Newman served in Jacksonville at St. Joseph Methodist Church, Ebenezer Methodist Church and Mt. Moriah United Methodist Church. He also served Fairfield Methodist Church, Ocala, and Plantation United Methodist Church. Additionally, he was superintendent of the Melbourne and DeLand districts and Florida Conference associate council director.

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*Parham is managing editor of e-Review Florida United Methodist News Service.
**Kelley is subscription manager, photographer and contributing writer for e-Review Florida United Methodist News Service.