A L0VING " JESUS CHILDREN of AMERICA " FAREWELL

Child of God, Husband, Father, Pastor, Friend
Vernon Gail Hunt was born to Earl and Emily Laura Hunt on November 28th, 1923 in Browns Valley, Minnesota. He passed peacefully on September 19th, 2018.
The stories he shared of his years on the family farm were always filled with the fun times he had with his 4 brothers, numerous cousins and many close friends.
He attended grammar school in Minnesota and completed high school in Albany, Oregon in 1941. In 1942 he entered the US Maritime Service Radio Training Station at Gallups Island in Boston, Massachusetts and served shipboard for three years.
In October of 1950 he married Anita Gail Olsen of Bellingham, Washington. A marriage of nearly 68 years that was blessed with six children, 16 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
He attended college in San Jose, CA and Eugene, Oregon where he graduated in 1952 with a degree in Medical Technology. He returned to school in 1955 and graduated from Western Washington University with a Masters degree in Education. In 1961 he left the medical field and entered Luther Theological Seminary, graduating in May of 1964.
As Pastor, he served congregations in Newell, South Dakota, Waseca, Minnesota, Circle, Montana, Portland, Oregon as well as Williams and Roosevelt, Minnesota, and Seattle, Washington. For years he eagerly served the Maritime ministry in Seattle, Washington, finally retiring at the age of 87. A man of conviction who loved his family, his work and the people he served.
Throughout his life he enjoyed his passion for hunting, gardening and sports. He welcomed conversation, humor, liked games and never stopped learning. His curiosity about God’s creation was boundless.
Vernon is survived by his wife, Gail and children Marta, Randy, Paula, Eric, Lois, Melissa and their families as well as those he thought of as his own Danielle Pederson and Ruth Ann numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers.

Memorials may be made to the ELCA NW Washington Synod Maritime Ministries. See https://lutheransnw.org/maritime-ministry for contact information

Josie was born on April 30, 1948 in Denver Colorado. She lived with her family; father Jack Pechman, mother Joan Phipps Pechman and older sister Judy in Denver. Josie and Judy were very close growing up, enjoying the same activities and playing together constantly. Having aunts, uncles and a grandfather who were cattle ranchers, Josie and Judy learned to ride horseback at an early age and were helping herd cattle by age 6 as well as playing various games on horseback including hide and seek, cowboys and Indians, and barrel racing. Their dad Jack taught Josie and Judy to ski, which became another sport the girls enjoyed together alongside other outdoor activities with family, with picnicking in the mountains being a favorite. Josie and Judy rode bikes all around the neighborhood and especially liked to ride bikes to a local swimming pool, an activity that took up a good part of their summer vacation. Although learning and being accustomed to Western horseback riding; as the girls got older, they were taught to ride English saddle by their grandfather Lawrence Phipps. They participated in Pony Club gymkhanas and eventually joined a fox hunt on horseback.
After graduating from high school, Josie attended the Lewis and Clark College for one year and then transferred to Boston University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History in 1969. Josie developed an interest in Finnish art and design, and in January of 1971 she visited Finland to learn more about the country; eventually deciding to stay for most of her life. Josie became interested in the Bahá'í faith shortly before moving to Finland and became a member soon after moving there. She was an active and greatly appreciated member in the Bahá'í community throughout the rest of her life.
During her first years in Finland, Josie lived in several parts of the country. Initially, she came to Hämeenlinna where she attended Viittakiven Opisto and, among other things, developed a love for gardening. Her next destination was Mikkeli, where Josie attended lectures at school, taught English to students, and bought her first apartment. After that, Josie lived in Savonlinna where she studied weaving for a year and earned a certificate as a weaver. Josie also lived in Tampere, before starting to work at a Bio-Dynamic Garden in Jorvas. There she worked in the garden for a few years and sold vegetables at the Helsinki Market Square (Kauppatori) by the harbor.
It was during her time selling vegetables at the Market Square that she became acquainted with one of her customers, Esko Kurkinen. They became good friends and eventually married in 1978. Josie and Esko built a house in the Kirkkonummi countryside and enjoyed the peaceful and luscious nature of that land that offered Josie the opportunity to garden, growing much of their food.
Josie and Esko were blessed with two children, Mariann and Lars. Josie was the heart of the home and her main priority at this time was devotedly taking care of her family as a home-maker. She was careful to raise her children to speak three languages; Finnish, Swedish and English. While raising her children, Josie became active in puppetry - a hobby that she and Judy had enjoyed together when they were growing up. She also joined and was active in a multicultural organization called the Familia Club (Agora). As her children grew older, Josie began teaching English to business students and also found time for studying neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).
After her children were grown and on their own, Josie began another phase of her life, she became a full time student. Interested in psychology, Josie approached Saybrook University in California where she had the opportunity to study psychology online with a few visits to the US each year. She was especially interested in expressive arts and their impact on mental health and personal insight. She traveled many places to attend classes in expressive arts during her studies. Josie obtained a master’s degree from Saybrook University and continued her studies, including living in California in 2012-2014 to complete the clinical requirements needed to obtain a doctorate degree in psychology. Her doctorate thesis is focused on the transformative and healing effects of expressive arts therapy.
Shortly after completing her doctorate degree and returning to Finland in 2014, Josie was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. She lived in her own house for more than a year before moving to an assisted living facility. There, she spent the last 2 years and 7 months of her life, with daily visits from Esko, who saw to her every wish and need with tender loving care.
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*Many members of Josie’s family contributed to this website: Josie’s daughter, Mariann Lindroos, her son, Lars Kurkinen, her daughter in law, Anna Kurkinen, her husband Esko Kurkinen and her sister Judy Hendricks

Josie was born on April 30, 1948 in Denver Colorado. She lived with her family; father Jack Pechman, mother Joan Phipps Pechman and older sister Judy in Denver. Josie and Judy were very close growing up, enjoying the same activities and playing together constantly. Having aunts, uncles and a grandfather who were cattle ranchers, Josie and Judy learned to ride horseback at an early age and were helping herd cattle by age 6 as well as playing various games on horseback including hide and seek, cowboys and Indians, and barrel racing. Their dad Jack taught Josie and Judy to ski, which became another sport the girls enjoyed together alongside other outdoor activities with family, with picnicking in the mountains being a favorite. Josie and Judy rode bikes all around the neighborhood and especially liked to ride bikes to a local swimming pool, an activity that took up a good part of their summer vacation. Although learning and being accustomed to Western horseback riding; as the girls got older, they were taught to ride English saddle by their grandfather Lawrence Phipps. They participated in Pony Club gymkhanas and eventually joined a fox hunt on horseback.
After graduating from high school, Josie attended the Lewis and Clark College for one year and then transferred to Boston University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History in 1969. Josie developed an interest in Finnish art and design, and in 1970 visited Finland to learn more about the country; eventually deciding to stay for most of her life. Josie became interested in the Bahá'í faith shortly before moving to Finland and became a member soon after moving there. She was an active and greatly appreciated member in the Bahá'í community throughout the rest of her life.
During her first years in Finland, Josie lived in several parts of the country. Initially, she came to Hämeenlinna where she attended Viittakiven Opisto and, among other things, developed a love for gardening. Her next destination was Mikkeli, where Josie attended lectures at school, taught English to students, and bought her first apartment. After that, Josie lived in Savonlinna where she studied weaving for a year and earned a certificate as a weaver. Josie also lived in Tampere, before starting to work at a Bio-Dynamic Garden in Jorvas. There she worked in the garden for a few years and sold vegetables at the Helsinki Market Square (Kauppatori) by the harbor.
It was during her time selling vegetables at the Market Square that she became acquainted with one of her customers, Esko Kurkinen. They became good friends and eventually married in 1978. Josie and Esko built a house in the Kirkkonummi countryside and enjoyed the peaceful and luscious nature of that land that offered Josie the opportunity to garden, growing much of their food.
Josie and Esko were blessed with two children, Mariann and Lars. Josie was the heart of the home and her main priority at this time was devotedly taking care of her family as a home-maker. She was careful to raise her children to speak three languages; Finnish, Swedish and English. While raising her children, Josie became active in puppetry - a hobby that she and Judy had enjoyed together when they were growing up. She also joined and was active in a multicultural organization called the Familia Club (Agora). As her children grew older, Josie began teaching English to business students and also found time for studying neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).
After her children were grown and on their own, Josie began another phase of her life, she became a full time student. Interested in psychology, Josie approached Saybrook University in California where she had the opportunity to study psychology online with a few visits to the US each year. She was especially interested in expressive arts and their impact on mental health and personal insight. She traveled many places to attend classes in expressive arts during her studies. Josie obtained a master’s degree from Saybrook University and continued her studies, including living in California in 2012-2014 to complete the clinical requirements needed to obtain a doctorate degree in psychology. Her doctorate thesis is focused on the transformative and healing effects of expressive arts therapy.
Shortly after completing her doctorate degree and returning to Finland in 2014, Josie was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. She lived in her own house for more than a year before moving to an assisted living facility. There, she spent the last 2 years and 7 months of her life, with daily visits from Esko, who saw to her every wish and need with tender loving care.

My dad was a very loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Whenever he could he would pick up his rod and reel and head for the beach to do pier fishing and a two time deep sea fishing expedition.

He served proudly in the US Navy aboard the USS Salisbury Sound AV-13, did his training in California and later stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

My dad loved his lord and became a youth minister and later an associate pastor. He studied at Beth Haven in Louisville, KY and had many adventures with churches in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and New York.

Now in New York, well needless to say they had a hard time understanding that Southern Accent and some of the Southern words that New Yorker's had never heard, He would say "do you want a whippin" meaning spanking and that all favorite "ya'll".

Dad was married to my mom Syble, for 50 wonderful and loving years they had been through alot together, he stood right by mom as she was diagnosed with breast cancer, went into remission for 5 years and had it reoccur in July 2012, she fault as hard as she could but on November 26, 2012 lost her battle. Dad was devastated to say the least and almost had a breakdown, we as a family rallied around him and pulled him back to us. He later met and married Mary Cupp of Topeka.

My dad was full of life and energy and would do anything to help whomever he could. He started having trouble with his left leg and ended up having one surgery after another totaling 15 and the last one, he had his leg amputated.

This man was a man of God and we know that on August 20, 2018 at 220 pm when he left this earth that he was knocking at the pearly gates meeting his God.

Carrie was my best friend. She was always there for me. She listened to me. She understood me and she cared about me. She always cared about others. She opened her home and she always fed those that were hungry. She loved the love of her life Rudy Magera. They were meant for each other. She loved her family so much. Her sons Chad, Mark and Chris and her daughter Adreia. She was proud of them. She always said she had the very best mom and sisters. Diane and Laurie. She loved her step-father Phil with all of her heart also her father Fareld and stepmother Wanda. She was preceded in death by son Mark Magera. She loved her pets, her pool, her garden and slot machines. Miss her so much!

August 31, 1939 – August 5, 2018
A beloved father, husband, brother, uncle and friend, Robert “Bob” Lubbert, passed on Sunday, August 5, 2018 in the presence of his wife of 57 years and best friend, Charlotte (Creamer). We were so blessed for his time on this earth. His warm, kind heart and easy sense of humor touched everyone who met him.
Bob was born in Baltimore, Maryland and spent his early years in Ferndale and Arden on the Severn. He graduated from Arundel High School in 1957. This is also where he met Charlotte, the love of his life. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and received a master’s degree in Business Management from Frostburg State University. He was a registered Professional Engineer in Maryland and West Virginia.
A natural leader, Bob worked for various branches of the federal government and retired in 2007, after 47 years of service. His last federal assignment, prior to retirement, was as Supervisory Environmental Engineer, Chief of the Environmental Support Team and National Program Manager for the Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) Program at Headquarters for the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for nine years. As “Chief FUDDER”, he was responsible for the programming planning, budgeting and execution of this program. Under his leadership, many management innovations were implemented and FUDS was transformed to adapt to future challenges.
He was also Chief of the Installation Support Branch at Headquarters for USACE for six years. In addition, he was Chief of the Army Environmental Office in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Engineers; Deputy Director of Engineering and Housing at Fort Ritchie, Maryland; Chief Buildings and Grounds/Environmental Branch at U.S. Army Facilities Engineering Support Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and 10 years for the U.S. Forest Service at various locations throughout the country.
During his more than 47 years of Federal Service, Bob received numerous awards including the Hammer Award for leading the innovation Defense and State Memorandum of Agreement business process devised in collaboration with all participating States and Department of Defense Components.
Bob is a Lifetime Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and past Commander of the U.S. Sail and Power Squadron, a boating safety organization. He taught public boating safety classes for more than 25 years. In his youth, he was an Eagle Scout. As an adult, he was a Boy Scout leader of Troop 10 in Hagerstown, Maryland.
Bob was forever working on projects. In his lifetime he built four homes in Crownsville, Maryland including three in Herald Harbor with Charlotte and one on Sunrise Beach with his father.
He is survived by Charlotte Lubbert, his wife, his two children, Trevor and Cheryl Lubbert, and their spouses, Jeni Lubbert and Jim Gerlach. He will be greatly missed by his granddaughter, Rebecca Woods-Lubbert, his sisters and their spouses, Susan and Mike DePaul and Beverly and Tad MacGowan and many other nieces and nephews, in-laws, cousins, friends and loved ones.
Bob will be forever remembered as a gentle person with a big heart and spirit. We are all so grateful for the imprint he’s had on our lives.