Haug, Edward Richard
12/21/1977
March 2, 1907 - December 21, 1977 |
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| Edward Haug was born near Marlin, Texas March 2, 1907. He received his B.A. from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas in 1932 and that year married Hallie E. Retzlaff of Lexington, Texas. Together they went to Denver where in 1935 he received the Master of Theology degree from Iliff. He was ordained an Elder by Bishop Charles L. Mead in Port Arthur, Texas where the last meeting of the Southern Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church was held before unification. That June they came to Louisiana and he was appointed to Iowa-Sweetlake. He had served student pastorates in Texas, Kansas and Colorado and went on to appointments at Simpson (L.C.), Leesville, Franklin, Henning Memorial (Sulphur) and was Monroe District Superintendent from 1962 until 1967 when he was appointed to First Church Lafayette. Ed served on our Conference Boards of Education and Ministry, was several times dean of Pastor’s school and was district and conference director of camping as well as director of many camps. He retired in Sulphur in 1972. One young camper wrote: “Rev. Haug has a twinkle in his eyes . . . He was a wondering influence for good in me . . . I wish that I were like him.” That’s not just poetic description. I never knew an eye really twinkled until I knew Ed with his gentle humor and vibrant spirit. If I had to pick only one word to describe Ed it would be “Naturalness.” Rather than holiness, there was wholeness . . . Rather than righteousness, there was genuine goodness . . . Rather than aggressiveness, there was a deep conviction and inner strength. Ed wrote his own benediction: Wednesday morning, December 21, 1977 he worked on a Christmas devotional for his Henning’s Men’s Club. He laid his writing pad by his chair and had lunch with Hallie who had been baking bread. He lay down for a nap, a wood fire burned nearby . . . his wife sat by his side reading. He was surrounded by the blessings of home, a home he had built. He went to sleep and was received into the arms of God. I picked up the pad upon which his last words were written. He wrote of giving and receiving gifts . . . he described Holy Communion as symbolic of God’s great gift of love, the Lord Jesus Christ. He wrote that the invitation to Holy Communion said it best: “Ye that are in love and charity with your neighbors and intend to live a new life, following the commandments of God and walking henceforth in his holy ways . . .” Everything about Ed accepted this invitation to Communion with God. Rev. Warren Blakeman, Rev. Byrl Moreland and Rev. Walter Klingle were in charge of his service at Henning Memorial in Sulphur. He is survived by his wife; a daughter, Mrs. Lynette Monk, Jr.; two grandchildren, Mrs. Kathryn Zink and Steven Mark; another daughter, Cynthia Ann, preceded him in 1973. He is also survived by three sisters, Mrs. E. J. Holze, Mrs. Paul Jund and Mrs. Ed Passant. We shall all miss him, but his ministry and friendship; will be a part of us always. |
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| Source: Journal of the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church, 1978; p. 171 By H. Warren Blakeman | |
