M. Strosahl

Rev. M. Stanford Strosahl

A memorial celebration for the Rev. M. Stanford Strosahl, retired pastor and longtime leader in the United Methodist Church in Wisconsin, will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, at Sun Prairie United Methodist Church, 702 North St. Visitation will be at 2 p.m. and continue after the celebration.

Rev. Strosahl, 93, died Friday, Oct. 25, in Madison, Wis. He was born Aug. 31, 1920, in Tryon, N.C., to John and Vera Black Strosahl. He is part of the 11th generation descended from John and Priscilla Alden of Mayflower fame. He also is part of the sixth generation descended from Bishop William Black, who was appointed by founder John Wesley to begin Methodism in the Maritime Provinces of Canada.

The Strosahl family soon moved to Grundy County, Iowa. During Stanford's grade school years, the family moved to Stanley, Wis., where his parents were farmers. After his junior year of high school, they moved to Monticello, Iowa, where he graduated in 1938.

He received an academic scholarship to Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, where he was a third generation student. He received his bachelor's degree in 1942. He proceeded on scholarship to Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill., from which he graduated in 1946 and was ordained an elder in the Methodist Church. In retirement he would serve the seminary for 10 years as an adjunct faculty member, mentoring young ministerial students.

Stanford had met Phyllis Hinke during their junior high school years in Stanley, Wis., joining her in many church activities. They sustained their friendship despite Stanford's move to Iowa, and they were married in the Stanley Methodist Church on June 25, 1944. At the time of her death, they had been married 67 years.

In his last 1-1/2 years at Cornell, Stanford had served a student church in Elwood, Iowa. While in seminary he served student charges at Salem/Wilmot and Union Grove-Paris Corners, all in Wisconsin.

He served the Simpson Methodist Church in Milwaukee, was associate minister at Wauwatosa Avenue Methodist Church, senior minister of the Fort Atkinson Methodist Church and senior minister at the Kenwood Methodist Church.

He served as district superintendent twice, first for the Appleton/Fond du Lac District, then for the South East District. He also served as director of the Conference Council.

He administered two pension trusts involving 475 retired clergy and surviving spouses. He served on the Annual Conference Board of Pensions, Insurance and Equitable Compensation. He helped many Methodist conferences in setting up charitable foundations.

He played a leadership role in the merger of three conferences into a single statewide conference in 1969. For 12 years, he was on the commission charged with planning the Worldwide General Conference of the United Methodist Church.

He conducted hundreds of seminars for ministers and church executives on such topics as leadership, time management, fund-raising and planning for retirement. Many of the materials he developed are still used among churches throughout the United States.

Stanford was an avid photographer, and used his many color slides to illustrate various poems, such as "This Is My Father's World" and "Rainbow Born Is Beauty." He presented those programs hundreds of times.

He played golf regularly for more than 50 years, on courses as far north as Fairbanks, Alaska, and as far south as Rotorua, New Zealand.

Stanford and Phyllis traveled to all 50 states (and many national parks) and 26 foreign countries. They were part of a 30-day study tour of Israel sponsored by the American/Israel Culture Foundation for campus pastors and professors.

They moved to Sun Prairie in 1974, and became active in the XYZ Group at Sun Prairie United Methodist Church and volunteered at the used book store of the Sun Prairie Public Library. Stan worked on the fund-raising committee for the new library building.

In their later years, Stan and Phyllis lived at Oakwood East in Madison, Wis. Phyllis was afflicted with Alzheimer's disease for a number of years before her death in 2011. The family is grateful for the excellent care given by the Oakwood staff, and Agrace Hospice, during Stan and Phyllis' later years.

They maintained a cottage on Half Moon Lake near Crivitz, Wis., for more than 40 years before giving it to their children and future generations. Family members have many fond memories of crackling fires, gorgeous sunsets, playing on the beach and singing around the long porch table after meals.

They were the parents of five children, Mark (Barbara) of Hazelhurst, Wis.; Sally (Tom Johnson) of Aurora, Ill.; Polly (the Rev. Jim Kellermann) of Green Bay, Wis.; Phillip of Menomonee Falls, Wis.; and Amanda (John Udell) of LaCrosse, Wis. They had 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Stanford is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

He also was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Jeanopal and her husband, the Rev. Walter Tyson.

Memorials may be made to the Sun Prairie United Methodist Church, 720 North St., Sun Prairie, WI 53590; to the Ministerial Insurance Memorial Fund of the Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation, 750 Windsor, Suite 305, Sun Prairie, WI 53590; or to the M. Stanford Strosahl Scholarship, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, Development Office, Evanston, IL 60201.