Rev. Loren A. Windhorst

The Rev. Loren A. Windhorst, age 88, passed away just as he lived, peacefully and gently, on Monday, July 11, 2022, at home in Jackson, Tennessee.

A celebration of life service will be held at Zion Evangelical Church, 1132 Country Club Road, Metropolis, IL 62960, on Friday, August 5, 2022. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., service at 11:00 a.m., followed by a luncheon in the church fellowship hall. Family friend, the Rev. Dr. Charles Mize, and Zion Evangelical Church Pastor, Jim Duncan, will officiate. Final resting place will be Jamestown Cemetery in Jamestown, IL, at a later date.

Loren was born June 13, 1934, at home on the family farm in Massac County, IL, to Noah and Amanda (Meinders) Windhorst. His childhood was spent there with his parents, one sister, and four brothers.

He was a graduate of Shady Grove, a one-room elementary school near the farm, and of Metropolis Community High School where he played trombone in the band and was active in Future Farmers of America, Key Club, and National Honor Society.

He earned a B.S. degree in Sociology from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in 1957. He self-funded his college education by working in a railroad office, at a glove factory, at a canning factory, as camp counselor in charge of horseback riding, and as a university custodian. While at SIU, he was director of the boys’ dormitory of the Student Christian Foundation.

He met his future wife, Grace Siever, at a Student Christian Foundation supper. Loren and Grace were married on August 24, 1957, at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Jamestown, IL. They first resided in Webster Groves, MO, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree from Eden Theological Seminary.

He was ordained into Christian ministry at Zion United Church of Christ in Metropolis in 1960. He served Illinois United Church of Christ congregations at Darmstadt-Biddleborn (1960-1965), Gilman (1965-1972), Pana (1972-1989), Hoyleton (1989-1995) and Metropolis (1995-1998). He retired in December 1998, after serving as pastor for his home congregation in Metropolis, where he had been baptized as a baby and confirmed as a teenager. During his years of ministry, he served on various committees in IL Conference and IL South Conference of the United Church of Christ, Pana Library Board of Directors, and Hoyleton Children’s Home Board of Directors. He was a member of several ministerial associations, Lions Club and Kiwanis.

He enjoyed competition, especially in ping-pong, pool, bowling, golf and tennis. He loved people, talking with them and listening to them. He liked to ride his bike and to play the piano and sing. He was a loving husband and an attentive, devoted father and grandfather.

He is survived by Grace, his wife of almost 65 years, daughter, Kathy (Bill) Woods of Toone, TN; son, Jeffrey of Pana, IL; daughter, Lori (Michael) Eason of Lamoni, IA; grandchildren, Emily (Jesse) Kalinowski; Hannah, James and Rachel Woods; Elizabeth, Jennifer, David and Paul Eason; great-grandchildren, Jazer and Brinley Kalinowski; brother, Jerry (Linda) Windhorst of Metropolis, IL; brothers-in-law, Robert Siever and John Himmelspach; and many beloved nephews, nieces and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; infant son, Brian; sister Alberta (Lester) Riepe; infant sister, Pauline; and brothers, Elmer (Pauline), Roy (Wanda), and Harry (Genevie); sisters-in-law, Pearl (Milton) Weiss, Katheryn Himmelspach and Mary Lin Siever; and brothers-in-law, Clarence Siever and Edgar Siever.

Memorials may be sent to Zion Evangelical Church, 1132 Country Club Road, Metropolis, IL 62960, or Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (https://curealz.org/outreach/in-memory/loren-windhorst/) 34 Washington St., Suite 310, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481.

Henderson County Cremation Services was in charge of Tennessee arrangements. Aikins-Farmer-Loftus-McManus Funeral Home in Metropolis (618-524-2156) is in charge of Illinois arrangements. Condolences for the family may be left at www.aikinsfarmer-millerfh.com.

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