Obituary: Robert W. Paul

As received from Memorial Chapel Funeral and Cremation Service:

Reverend Robert W. Paul, age 90, a resident of Oskar Bay – Houghton Canal, passed away at PortagePointe in Hancock where he had been a patient the past two months.

A native of Detroit, he was born July 21, 1933, to Alfred and Florence (nee Dobbert) Paul. He attended Lutheran grade schools in the Motor City, including Gethsemane Lutheran where his paternal grandfather was his teacher. He moved to Marquette with his family in 1947 for his father’s work as IRS special agent for the UP, and graduated early from Marquette Graveraet High School in 1950.

He then attended Concordia College in Milwaukee and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis to prepare for pastoral ministry in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. After seminary graduation in 1958, he took graduate study and subsequently earned a Master of Arts degree in Religion.

On June 8, 1958, he married Dorothy M. Dieckhoff in Freistatt, MO, where her father was a Lutheran school teacher and principal. She was a graduate of Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis. After two years as a surgical nurse, she became a full-time homemaker and volunteer church worker at the side of her husband. The Lord blessed them with three sons and a daughter.

Robert’s first call to ministry was to Lutheran Church of Our Saviour in Monticello, IN, where he was ordained in August of 1959. Three years later he was called to Saints Peter and Paul Lutheran Church in Hancock to succeed the late Rev. E.W. Feldscher, who had served the parish for 40 years and had established an active ministry to students at Michigan Tech, which Robert continued and is still active to this day. In 1967 he was called to parish and student ministry at Luther Memorial Church, adjacent to the campus of UW–River Falls. From there he was called to 6 years of rural life and ministry at Sion Lutheran Church in Chatham, MI, a mostly Finnish congregation that thrived under his guidance. He was called back to Sts. Peter and Paul in Hancock in 1975 and the parsonage next to the church again became their fond home over the next 20 years.

During his early years in Hancock, he served as a commissioned chaplain at its Naval Reserve Training Center. During his later years, he also served St. Paul’s of Laurium and St. John’s of Hubbell during two year-long vacancies. Retiring from full-time ministry in 1995, he and Dorothy left the parsonage to live in their cottage in Oskar Bay. From there he served for two and a half years as vacancy pastor at Trinity Lutheran in Bergland and then in part-time ministry at Sts. Peter and Paul in Hancock, and also at their new church location in Houghton, until full retirement in 2010 after 42 years of service to the Lord.

At their lakeside cottage, he and Dorothy enjoyed many opportunities to observe the wonders of God’s creative work in nature and wildlife. While Dorothy carried on with church activities and her sewing and gardening skills, he pursued his love of reading, writing, church history, and hymnody. He was thankful with St. Paul for grace to preach “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). This often led him to ponder Luther’s last written words: “Let no one who has not guided the congregations with the prophets for one hundred years believe that he has tasted Holy Writ thoroughly. Do not try to fathom this divine Aeneid [epic], but humbly worship in its footprints. We are beggars, this is true.”

He is survived by his wife of 65 years Dorothy and sons Marcus (Laurie) of Beaver Dam, WI, Nels (Cathy) of Hancock, David of Hancock, and daughter Krista (Ron) Stimac, of Hancock. Also eight grandchildren: Nathan (Briana) Paul, Ryan (Carissa) Paul, Luke (Taylor) Paul, Madeline Anderson, and Hannah, Hans, Isabelle, and Ava Stimac; And nine great-grandchildren: Easton and Lyla Anderson, and Jace, Miira, Jonah, Eliza, Lana, Lucia and Gus Paul. He is also survived by his niece Cathy Pearce and nephew Chris Paul. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Donald.

The funeral will take place at Sts. Peter and Paul on Madeleine St. in Houghton on Wednesday, December 27 at 12:00, with Pastor Aaron Gehrke officiating. A fellowship luncheon will follow at 1:00pm. Visitation will be at the church from 10:30am-12:00pm before the service. Burial, awaiting the Day of Resurrection, will be in the Oskar Cemetery in the Spring. It is suggested that any memorials be directed to Sts. Peter and Paul Lutheran Church in Houghton. Special thanks is given to the compassionate care he received from the staff at PortagePointe during his final weeks.

To family and friends he commends the words of a favorite hymn:

Redeemed, restored, forgiven

Through Jesus’ precious blood,

Heirs of His home in heaven,

Oh, praise our pard’ning God!

Praise Him in tuneful measures

Who gave His Son to die;

Praise Him whose sev’nfold treasures

Enrich and sanctify. (TLH 32:1)

To view Rev. Paul’s obituary or to send condolences to the family please visit www.memorialchapel.net.

The Memorial Chapel Funeral & Cremation Service – Hancock Chapel is assisting the family with the arrangements.