Mary Louise Lapp

Mary Louise Lapp, age 105, of Richmond, MN, died on December 28, 2014 at the Centra-Care Health Center in Paynesville, MN. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, December 31, 2014, at the Eden Valley Church of God. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, January 3, 2015 at the Brush Creek Church of God in West Milton, Ohio A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the Brush Creek Church. Interment will be held in Curtis Cemetery in West Milton, OH. Mary Louise was born on November 6, 1909 to Rollie S. Brewer and Edna (Lehman) Brewer. She was the second of four children who were all born in Miami County, OH. She grew up on a small farm on Wheelock Road near the Brush Creek Church of God and attended there as a child. She was baptized by Pastor James Patrick in June 1923 at the Brush Creek Church of God. She graduated from West Milton High School in 1926 and worked at Frigidaire Company in Dayton, OH for several years. While still a young woman, she authored a biblical tract which is still in print today entitled: ""TRUTHS the Child of GOD Should Know"". She met Clarence Lapp while attending classes at the 1932 General Conference held in Oregon, IL. They were married June 7, 1933 while Clarence was a pastor in Ripley, IL. After marriage they both attended Central Bible Institute in Springfield, MO. They re-entered the ministry and moved to St Cloud, MN where their first child Dorothy Elaine was born in 1937. Their second child Jon was born in 1946 while Louise and Clarence were pastoring in Tempe, AZ. Their next pastorate was at Pennelwood in Grand Rapids, MI. In 1950, they moved to Oregon, IL where they both taught at Oregon Bible College for 11 years. Louise taught music appreciation, music fundamentals, conducting, piano and organ. She also conducted the choir and planned choir trips to various churches in the springtime performing an Easter cantata. While at the Bible College, Louise composed many hymns, some of which are in the denomination's hymnbook used today. She was editor for that songbook and also edited the junior quarterlies starting in 1955. Louise and Clarence left Oregon in 1963 and pastored in Eden Valley, MN and then Oregon, IL until they retired in Troy, Ohio in 1976. From 1976 when they retired to Troy until 2008 when she moved to MN, they were very active in the Troy View Church of God. Louise was a well loved and accomplished Bible teacher of both children and adults. She served as organist, pianist, adult and children's choir director. She was widowed in 1994 and remained in Ohio until she went blind in 2008 when she went back to Eden Valley, MN to live with her son Jon. She celebrated her 99th through 105th birthdays here in Minnesota. Mary Louise was a steady constant in the lives of all who got a chance to know her over the past century. She filled church chapels from Minnesota to Ohio with the sound of her music every Sunday and never missed her daily exercises. Even on her 105th birthday, Mary Louise made the time to walk in place for 2, 400 steps twice a day — as she did every day. Mary Louise was the model of healthy living, both physically and spiritually. She was preceded in death by her husband Clarence, siblings Dorothy Mae Demmitt, Byron Hugh Brewer and Daniel Kenneth Brewer. She is survived by her children Dorothy Elaine Poole and Jon Edward (Susan) Lapp and one grandson, Jonathan Poole; and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers memorials to the MN State Conference Church of God and the Atlanta Bible College are preferred. Please sign our on-line guestbook at www.johnsonhagglund.com Previous Events Visitation Wednesday, December 31, 2014 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Eden Valley Church of God 553 Maple Street North Eden Valley, MN 55329 Visitation Wednesday, December 31, 2014 11:00 AM Eden Valley Church of God 553 Maple Street North Eden Valley, MN 55329