Croyle, Ellis B. (1930-2006)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2006 May 1 p. 11

Birth date: 1930 Aug 1

text of obituary:

ELLIS B. CROYLE

Ellis B. Croyle, 75, of Goshen, Ind., died unexpectedly March 31, 2006, in Wichita, Kan. He was born Aug. 1, 1930, to Lloyd S. and Enma (Stahl) Croyle in Thomas Mills, Pa.

On Sept. 12, 1953, he married R. Charlotte Hertzler.

A graduate of Goshen College and Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, he was ordained to the Christian ministry Oct. 17, 1954. He pastored Maple Grove Mennonite Church in Topeka, Ind., for eight years, followed by 34 years at Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold, Ohio. Post-retirement positions included interim pastorates at College Mennonite Church, Emma Mennonite Church and Olive Mennonite Church, all in the Goshen area. He also served as a fifth-grade teacher at Topeka Elementary School. He was currently employed as an assistant to the Church Relations Department at Goshen College.

An active member of each community he lived in, his voluntary activities included 30 years as a member of the board of Sunshine Children’s Home, Maumee, Ohio; a pastor of a television program called Worship for Shut-ins; leading the Pastor Peer Program in Archbold; chaplain at Goshen General Hospital and host for the Performing Arts Series at Goshen College.

He was instrumental in starting a long-term relationship between Pastor H.B. Savage and the Martin Luther King Jr. Kitchen for the Poor of Toledo, Ohio, and Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold. For many years he directed children’s camps at Little Eden Camp in Onekema, Mich., as well as participated in directing adult camps there. He was a member of College Mennonite Church, Goshen.

Survivors include his wife, Charlotte; two sons, Timothy Croyle of Goshen and Thomas Croyle and his wife, Ellen, of Milford Center, Ohio; two daughters, Nancy Entz and her husband, Loren, of Newton, Kan., and Amy Deel and her husband, Mark, of Granger; a brother, Denton Croyle of Wadsworth, Ohio; a sister, E. Louise Wigle of Austin, Texas; five grandchildren and two step-granddaughters.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Dwayne Croyle.

Services were held at College Mennonite Church of Goshen.