Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Now Resting Peacefully in the Arms of His Saviour, an Intrepid Lutheran goes Home

If one were to peruse the list of those who have publicly subscribed their names, and who stand with us as Intrepid Lutherans as we attempt to address pressing matters of doctrine and practice in our Synod, one name emerges as the topic of this brief post: Reverend Carlton H. Palenske. A WELS pastor, he had been living in Winona, MN, since his retirement in 1991 from 34 years of active ministry. In addition to signing on with us as an Intrepid Lutheran this Summer, Rev. Palenske had displayed an active concern for matters of doctrine and practice in our Synod, having been a cosigner of the 2007 Memorial to Synod, "Definition of the expression 'Framework of Fellowship'". According to his daughter's blog, he was diagnosed this Summer with an aggressive form of lung cancer. He passed away this Sunday, October 24, 2010. His obituary follows:
    Rev. Carlton H. Palenske

    PALENSKE, Rev. Carlton H. December 5, 1931 - October 24, 2010. It has pleased our Almighty God to call home his faithful servant Pastor Carlton Harry Palenske, age 78, retired WELS Lutheran pastor, passed away at his home Sunday October 24th, in Winona, Minnesota. He was born December 5, 1931 in Toledo, Ohio to Louis Palenske and Florence (nee) Hagen. He attended Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw, Michigan (1950), Concordia College, Fort Wayne, Indiana (1952), Northwestern College, Watertown, Wisconsin (1954), and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin (1957). Following Seminary graduation, he was assigned to Our Savior Lutheran Apache Mission in Bylas, Arizona. He was then called to the following congregations: Trinity Lutheran Church, Johnson, Minnesota; Immanuel Lutheran Church, Findlay, Ohio; St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Monroe, Michigan; Christ Lutheran Church, Saginaw (Shields), Michigan; Peace Lutheran Church, Cape Girardeau, Missouri; and First Lutheran Church, Minnesota City, Minnesota. He retired from the Lutheran ministry January 1, 1991. In retirement, he was employed part-time by the Developmental Achievement Center and The Winona Transit Service, as a bus driver. In retirement he continued to live in Winona County. On September 16, 1989, he was joined in holy matrimony with Geraldine Hilgert-Broring in Pickwick, Minnesota. They were blessed with 21 years of marriage. He is survived by his wife Geraldine, son Stephen (Francis) of Las Vegas, NV; daughters Sandra (Enrique) Arevalos of Brentwood, TN; Rhonda (Jorge) Martinez of Las Vegas, NV; Linda (Jorge) Sasieta of Seminole, FL. Stepsons William Broring of Rochester, MN; Robert (Karen) Broring of Rochester, MN; step daughters Natalie (Albert) Siok of Winona; Nancy (Micheal) Aldinger of Winona; and Julie (Kevin) Finnestad of Winona, 21 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. He is also survived by one sister, JoAnn McBride, Toledo, Ohio; two brothers, Milton Palenske, Toledo, Ohio; and Robert (Anna) Palenske, Toledo, Ohio. He was preceded in death by his parents, son David Karl, and a brother, Donald Palenske. Pastor Palenske found great pleasure in his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. His hobbies included stain-glass work and playing the piano. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, October 28th at the old St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Rupp Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Memorial donations may be made to Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw, Michigan or Goodview Trinity Lutheran Church in Goodview, Minnesota. Online condolences may be sent to ruppfuneralhomeinc.com

3 comments:

Benjamin Rusch said...

Macabre as it might sound to the world, Praise God! I almost always get strange faces from colleagues when I express happiness in a death. But what could possibly be better than to pass from this vale of tears into true Paradise? Praise God indeed!

Mr. Benjamin Rusch

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for posting this. My father, Pastor Carlton Palenske, spent alot of time on the computer reading blogs concerning church affairs and was staunchly opposed to the spread of Church Growth in the WELS. He was a strong defender of the faith and wouldn't give an inch on matters of doctrine. I'm eternally grateful that he instilled his Christan values in me and my siblings. We stood at his bedside this past Saturday as he told us he was ready to be with Jesus. He confessed his sin, asked for forgiveness, said his prayers, and recited hymns with his dying breath. There was joy in heaven Sunday morning when, as Pastor Fisher declared yesterday during the funeral service, Dad went from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Rhonda Martinez
Las Vegas, NV

Mr. Douglas Lindee said...

Rhonda,

Thanks for posting your comment. I never met your father, but Winona is just a hop-skip-and-a-jump south from me, so I always wondered who the blog visitor from Winona was, on this and other blogs I've frequented or been involved with. By the time I put two and two together, it was August, and I had just found your blog and the entry I linked to, above. The pictures you posted of him in that entry, particularly the picture of him as a young man, reminded me of all the young men who leave Seminary full of idealism, and blossom into faithful Lutheran pastors. I give thanks to God for men like your father. May He continue to bless us in such a way!

Douglas Lindee

(P.S.: I like reading your blog, too. Very interesting experiences you have!)

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