Funeral notes
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Am going to attempt to tell you what happened at the memorial
service and
who attended. I took some brief notes only - phrases that jumped
out at me.
I was sitting outside as the main building was filled. They had
chairs set
up outside as well as in another building with the service piped
in. The
main building had seating for 135 but there were many people
standing also.
I would estimate about 300 people in all. The service was held at
10:30 AM
in the church where the Hoehs regularly attend. There were many
beautiful
flower arrangements at the front of the hall. The weather was cloudy
and
rather chilly. It did not begin to rain until about 2:00 in the
afternoon.
I'm also asking Eileen McKinley, who took more extensive notes, to
add her
input so that the comments made by the speakers will be more
complete.
The program we were given has a beautiful picture of a valley with
a river
running through it. There is autumn colored foliage in the
foreground and
high mountains in the background. The sky is cloudy but there is a
patch of
sunlight coming through one spot and a partial rainbow. There is a
scripture printed also - I Kings 8:56 - "Blessed be the Lord...there
hath
not failed one word of all his good promise." On the inside cover
is a
picture of Dr. Herman L. Hoeh - December 3, 1928 - November 21,
2004.
The program reads as follows: (minus my parenthetical explanations)
Prelude - William Kessler, pianist (Son of Jack Kessler)
Welcome and Invocation - Pastor Rand Holm
Hymn - Onward Christian Soldiers
Gilda Hoeh Brockmeier, Rand Holm (Gilda played, Rand directed)
Remembrances of Dr. Herman Hoeh
Christina Kuo Graham (Wife of one of Billy Graham's sons)
Curtis May
John Hopkinson
Gene Hogberg
Ron Kelly
Palu Lemoto, Jenette Lemoto, Marsha Lemoto singing the traditional
Tongan
funeral farewell for a loved one, followed by "The Lord is My
Shepherd" in
their native Tongan language
Wat Thai Temple Representative (Head monk in the United States)
Dr. Giorgio Buccellati
Valley Interfaith Council Representative (Denise Coultas Parker)
Manfred Hoeh
Pastor Carlton Green
Hymn - Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken
Gilda Hoeh Brockmeir, Rand Holm
Pastoral Remembrance - Rand Holm
Blessing - Pastor Jack Kessler
The Thai representative spoke first, out of order, because they
needed to
leave early. His comments were then given in English by a
translator.
They were there to celebrate a wonderful friend. Dr. Hoeh
attended many
of the Thai celebrations at the Temple and he was just like a Thai,
not an
American. They were all made so sad, they had lost
their best friend!
They then had a brief Buddhist ceremony with chanting.
Christina - Dr. Hoeh was a spiritual paradigm! The world is a
better place
because of Dr. Hoeh. His life had a consistent message. She read
Romans
12:9-18. Few people touch people's hearts. She was glad to have met
him at
an early age. He was never in a hurry - his decisions were made with
eternity in mind. A gentle and stable man.
Story - new computers were delivered to Editorial and some one asked
Dr.
Hoeh - "When are you going to join the 21st century?" Dr. Hoeh
replied,
"When all else fails!"
Curtis May - Dr. Hoeh profoundly affected his life and family. Dr.
Hoeh was
a real reconciler. He related to everyone regardless of culture or
status.
Model of what a minister should be! Humorous and intellectual.
Stories - At a conference a man said, "My notes say ....". Dr. Hoeh
came
back, "Don't assume that what is in your notes is what I said". A
man
asked, "When the serpent spoke to Eve was his mouth moving?" Answer
- "I
wasn't there."
John Hopkinson - John sent Eileen his quote regarding the scope of
Dr.
Hoeh's work. "Upon graduation in 1967, Dr. Hoeh invited me to work
for him.
It was my privilege to serve him with respect, amazement, and awe,
as he
opened a new world to me,
Managing 60 college departments,
editing the PT, working with the press,
dealing with Professors of Archeology at UCLA, the Bronze Boy at the
Getty,
bringing Israeli Generals as guest speakers,
Doctor Edward Tell, the father of the H-bomb,
His Majesty, Leopold, King of the Belgians,
getting Crimond for the new blue hymnal for HWA himself, at his
request,
lunching with a rabbi's son, and having him suddenly recogize we
were
eating kosher, when he had ordered lobster,
dealing with rare book dealers, Blackwell's of Oxford, Zeitlin,
Vanya
Volkoff and Adelheid von Hohenlohe,
actually touching and translating treasures already 400 years old
when I was
born, many exciting and wonderful things..."
John then read a Rudyard Kipling poem entitled "A School Song". (It
was
printed in it's entirety in a separate enclosure.) The essence of
what he
wanted to get across is expressed in the first and last stanzas of
the poem.
Bless and praise we famous men
Men of little showing
For their work continueth,
And their work continueth,
Broad and deep continueth,
Great beyond their knowing!
Gene Hogberg - There was a series of articles in the Reader's Digest
years
ago entitled "The Most Unforgettable Character I Have Ever
Met". Dr. Hoeh
was the person Mr. Hogberg would have chosen to write about for this
series.
Dr. Hoeh was his mentor beginning at age 19 at AC. He gave patient
and
personalized tutelage. He had breadth and depth of knowledge in so
many
different fields. No subject he couldn't discuss intelligently. He
and Mr.
Hogberg have worked with exchange students from Russia and China for
many
years. Dr. Hoeh gave a talk on the goals of the founding fathers of
the
United States and took the students on a tour of Huntington
Gardens. He was
equally at home explaining art to students as he was in explaining
plants
and flowers. He loved God's creation and preserving the natural
environment
was very important to him. His reach was international in scope.
Ronald Kelly - Many people were the recipients of Dr. Hoeh's
wisdom. One
area that most people would not connect with Dr. Hoeh was marriage
counseling. Mr. Kelly, as a student, talked to Dr. Hoeh about
things
romantic. Dr. Hoeh asked him questions. "Who is your best
friend?" "Who
do you turn to when you down?" "Who do you like to be with more
than any
other?" Mr. Kelly's answer every time was Norva, the woman he
eventually
married. Dr. Hoeh guided people to make their own decisions without
offering his own opinions. Dr. Hoeh always had wise input at board
meetings.
Marsha Lemoto - She was delivering a promise - singing in Tongan for
a
church service. Dr. Hoeh's words were few and concise. She thanked
him for
being a gift of God to the Tongans.
Dr. Giorgio Buccelati - Fellow scholar from the UCLA Mesopotamian
Studies
department. He was the recipient of Dr. Hoeh's self-effacing
generosity,
warmth and advice. Dr. Hoeh was responsible for his being able to
conduct a
dig in Syria. He contributed generously with both time and
money. He flew
to Syria, hired a taxi to drive him to the dig, which took 10 hours,
and
even brought his own cot because he thought they might not have
enough room
for him. Although Dr. Hoeh was brilliant, he was very humble and
concerned
about other people at the human needs level. "He proves that there
is a
place in heaven for scholars."
Denise Parker - The Valley Interfaith Council is attempting to get
all
faiths involved in service programs - meals on wheels, help for
seniors,
etc. Dr. Hoeh got the Thai people to join. He proves that one
person CAN
make a difference. His silence could speak volumes. Someone
recently gave
her an article Dr. Hoeh had written in the April 1951 Good News
entitled
"Are Good Manners Good?" The article said that the greatest courtesy
is to
gladden people's hearts. You sell people on God by example!
Manfred Hoeh - Gave thanks in the family's name for everyone's
attendance
and kind words concerning his father. There are 3 daughters, their
husbands, Manfred and his wife and a total of 9 grandchildren.
Pastor Carlton Green - First met Dr. Hoeh in 1969. Mr. Green had
just
gotten out of the military after 15 years and came to AC in Big
Sandy to
work as a baker. He was the first person of color to be hired
there. Church
and housing were still segregated in those days. His first meeting
with Dr.
Hoeh was in the kitchen at 6:30 AM. He came to work and found Dr.
Hoeh
sitting on a flour barrel eating left over and burnt pizza crust
from a
pizza party the students had the night before. Mr. Green speaks
before many
groups around the world. One of his example stories is about the
purpose of
the banana, the soil and the sun. Each one could ask, "What do I
get out of
all that I do for the earth and the people on it"? Their sole
purpose is to
nourish the earth. What is the purpose of human beings? To make
money, to
get pleasure? Is their purpose the same as a dog? The sole purpose
for a
human being is to love. He read Isa. 32:8 this way - A noble man
makes
noble plans, and by noble plans shall he stand. This is what Jesus
wants me
to do.
Pastor Rand Holm - Talked about the last time he saw Dr. Hoeh. It
was after
church the previous week and he was sitting at a table, with his
wife,
feeding a lady that they bring each week from a nursing home. They
cared
for this lady in many ways - providing extra food and taking care of
her
business matters. Mr. Holm asked Mrs. Hoeh if he could have a hat
that Dr.
Hoeh had been wearing out in the garden just before he died. It was
a
Washington Redskins baseball hat.
Pastor Jack Kessler - Read the scripture that Dr. Hoeh had read at
Doc
Kessler's funeral many years ago - Phil. 4:8-9. The blessing he
chose is
found in Numbers 6:24-26. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; The
Lord make
his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord
lift up his
countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
The back of the program had a message from Joseph Tkach. It reads:
I want to take this opportunity to express the sincere sympathy
and concern
of all our church staff members, many of whom worked with and knew
Dr. Hoeh
for years and decades.
Those who knew him personally have spoken of his concern for them
that he
showed through his words, encouragement and help, often in the
simple things
of life. One church employee described how he as a poor, young
Ambassador
student was driven by Dr. Hoeh to a local men's shop where he
purchased two
suits for him out of his own pocket. That was a typical example of
his
generous and caring way.
I would be remiss if I didn't recall Dr. Hoeh's decades of
faithful service
to the church in such diverse ways. For years he was a teacher at
Ambassador, a church pastor and an emissary of the church to
accomplished
people in politics, religion and science. Even in his retirement Dr.
Hoeh
continued to actively serve on the church board of directors. We
will
always remember his gentlemanly presence and love for each of us.
In Jesus' love,
Joseph Tkach
Here are the names of the people who attended that we can remember.
There
may have been others who we did not see, or did not recognize.
The Hoeh family Ruth Davitt
Ralph & Ingrid Helge Susan Davison and her mother
Larry & Carolyn Darden Paul Lyons
Jeanette Wendt Eda Pinkston
Jacki Cain Patty Robbins
Eileen McKinley Jane Hickok
Phil Robison Ed & Nancy Kleier
Roger Hoffman Earl Roemer
Matt & Pam Morgan David Register
David & Deborah Hulme Gerald Chapman
Herb & Ann Vierra Gerda Bludau
Frank Fish Mrs. Werner Jebens
Milan & Andrea Zima Leon Sexton
Russ & Diane Edwards Yolette Merritt
Larry & Henriette Faast Bob Sarratt
Stephen Rule Bob King
Bill Pixley Susan Thompson
Glen Ford Jennie Thompson
Margie Gordon Robin & Arline Connelly
Corky & Wendy Gordon Sarah Connelly
Rob Gordon Russell Duke
Crystal Gordon Mabel Gordon
Charlene Diem Shirley Faulkner
Jim Hritzay Ed & Nancy Stonick
Tian (last name unknown) Christina Kuo Graham
Olivia Flores John & Pat Hopkinson
The Kessler family Curtis & Janice May
Edit Ancona and son Gene & Barbara Hogberg
Greg Albrecht Ron & Norva Kelly
Kathleen McAlister Marcia Barriga & brother
Ron Guizado Rand & Beth Holm and daughter
Dr. & Mrs. Giorgio Buccellati Denise Coultas Parker
Mr. Mrs. Carlton Green Franklin & Cora Guice
Donnie Pinkston John Jones
Michelle Beech Patrick Murphy
Bernell Michel Lavonne Knedel
Mr. Mrs. Victor Zager Darwin & Julia Ruggless
David Lewis Steve & Judith Marosvolgi
Bill Kubon Rita Bricker
Bill & Barbara Edwards Amy Pieper
Joe Wright Graham Weakley
Jackie Spurgeon & daughter Tim & Rachel Spurgeon
Dan & Renee Apartian & son Neil, Denise & Chloe Hogberg
Rolfe Jones Al Baroody
Randal & Susie Dick Boyd & Joan Leeson
Vance Gilless Mitch Vasseur
Barry & Wendy Gridley Reginald Nicholas
Don Schroeder Dr. & Mrs. Stig Erlander
Monte Wolverton Oleh Zajic
Hal Finch Manfred Fraund
Tom Hanson Ronald Barksdale
Marcia del Castillo Palu Lemoto
Jenette Lemoto Marsha Lemoto
In addition there were many people who regularly attend services at
West
Valley whose names I do not know.
It is our understanding that Mrs. Hoeh will be going to live with
her oldest
daughter, Karlina, in Alabama.
Thanks to Eileen, Vera Peterson and Jacki Cain for helping me to put
this
all together. We hope you enjoy reading it since you could not be
here with
us.
Warm regards - Cledice Decker
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