Joyce D. (Kidney) Carpenter’95, age 78, passed away April 20, 2025. She was the beloved wife of the late Eugene Carpenter and dedicated eight years to working as an art instructor at Bethel. She was a long-time member of St. Mark Missionary Church. Linda Cary ’71, age 76, passed away Oct. 18, 2025. She earned her undergraduate degree in English from Bethel and went on to earn a Master’s in Library Science from Western Michigan University, dedicating 52 years as a librarian at Elkhart Public Library. Loren Clark ’66, age 82, passed away Aug. 18, 2025. He married his wife Brenda (Knappins) in 1966 and they were married for 59 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Bethel University, joined the U.S. Army and later served in the Vietnam War, where he was awarded two bronze stars. He owned Clark and Associates for 40 years prior to retirement. James Coffman, age 82, passed away July 25, 2024. He served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged, attended Bethel and eventually earned his B.S. in Agriculture from Andrews University. While at Bethel he met his wife Lois (Geiger) and they were married for 56 years. Nancy (Clapper) Dake (attended in the 60s), age 79, passed away Feb. 24, 2026. She earned an associate degree from Bethel and married David Dake in 1978, who preceded her in death in 2022. She served as a nurse’s assistant for many years. Dale Fish ’89, age 63, beloved husband of Carrie (Bennett) ’84, passed away Oct. 20, 2025. He proudly enlisted in the U.S. Army and trained as a medic, stationed in West Berlin, then served in the reserves for over a decade. He earned degrees in ministry and nursing from Bethel University, and first served as a youth pastor in the Missionary Church. Jerry Freed, age 94, passed away Jan. 2, 2026. He attended Bethel in the 1950s, where he met his beloved wife, Esther, who preceded him in death. He was the manager of Bethel Bookstore and Publishing Co. He was a member of Beulah Missionary Church before moving to Oregon. Stan George ’79, age 69, passed away Feb. 23, 2026. He received his degree in Biblical Literature at Bethel, where he met his wife of 47 years, Annette. He worked at UPS and then Entered the U.S. Air Force. He retired as a Lt. Col. after more than 34 years of service in 2016. He also held a civilian position at the 911th as an Air Reserve Technician (ART). Joanne Hill ’97, age 91, passed away May 1, 2025. She married Kenneth Hill Sr., in 1952, and together they had six children. In the late 1960s she founded one of South Bend’s first crisis intervention hotlines, and later chartered S-O-S (Sex Offense Services) for victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence. A lifelong learner, Joanne was among the first women to attend classes at the University of Notre Dame after it opened to female students in the 1970s. At age 60, she earned her degree in writing from Bethel. Verle Hochstetler, age 68, passed away May 28, 2025. He worked for his dad’s company, Equipment Service (known at the time as The Welding Shop) and eventually purchased the shop from him. He built and co-owned Mint City Villas, as well as multiple business enterprises. Verle was a member of Nappanee Missionary Church and was active in the Acts 29 small church. Later in life, he and his wife Marcia (Cramer) ’77 shared many adventures together. Linda (Miller) Lange ’05, age 77, passed away May 27, 2025. She graduated from Bethel with a degree in management and worked at Prudential-Bache Financial and Bendix Aviation. She also worked at University of Notre Dame as the Copy Center manager until retirement. Kaitlinne LeGault, age 22, passed away Oct. 16, 2025 after a battle with cancer. She loved God, her church, her family and friends, and working at Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. She was a current Bethel student. Marilyn (Wells) Lerche (attended in the 50s), age 88, passed away June 18, 2023. She married the Rev. Gerald Lerche in 1965 and he preceded her IN MEMORY 22 BETHELUNIVERSITY.EDU/MAGAZINE
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