Dr. Wilbur Albert Rumsch

Reverend Doctor Wilbur Albert (Bill) Rumsch, 84, of Beaverton, Oregon, passed away on July 7, 2013. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at 2:30 P.M., at Trinity Lutheran Church, 2194 SE Minter Bridge Rd, Hillsboro. Interment will follow the service in Trinity's Memorial Garden. Pastor Bill was born in Sioux City, Iowa on the third of October, 1928. He attended schools of the Lutheran Church: Concordia Academy and Concordia College in St. Paul, Minnesota, Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois. Post-graduate Studies at Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis, Missouri, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Concordia University, Irvine, California, led to a Master of Arts in Religion degree, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Doctorate of Ministry. Bill was wed to Dorothy Bertha Lambrecht on June 18, 1949; they were married 62 years. She was his high school sweetheart, and on their life long journey together she patiently and lovingly supported him in his life and ministry. Reverend Rumsch's call to the ministry began at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Edmonton, Alberta. He went on to work as Executive Secretary of Missions in the Alberta - British Columbia district of the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod. Later he served as pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon, and then as an Evangelistic Missionary in Caracas, Venezuela. His ministry took him to Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Rathdrum, Idaho and First Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake, Idaho. Bill returned to Canada to Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Vancouver, British Columbia. After retirement, he continued to be active in Hispanic and English language ministries in Oregon. He was also lecturer for the Hispanic Institute, Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois, and served as Pastor Emeritus of Zion Lutheran Church, Portland. Bill and Dorothy enjoyed traveling. They journeyed together to visit family and friends in the United States, Venezuela, and Germany, and they even led a tour to the Holy Land. Recent trips took Bill to Sioux City, Iowa, Vancouver, Canada, and Okinawa, Japan. Pastor Rumsch is survived by his sister Lilamae Tronvold of St. Paul, Minnesota; sons Bruce, and his wife Carol, of Hillsboro, Oregon; Tim, and his wife Jackie, of Comox, British Columbia, Canada; Allan and his wife Suzanne, of Coos Bay, Oregon/Okinawa, Japan; and daughter Linda of Portland, Oregon. He is also survived by grand-children Becky Rumsch of Kirkland, Washington, Charlotte and her husband, Daniel Weber, Thomas Rumsch and his wife Nicola, Michael Rumsch, Joel Rumsch, Christina Perez-Rumsch, and Jesse Williamson. Bill had two great-grandchildren Alexis and Micah. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Dorothy.