David Gustafson

Funeral Services were held 10:00 A.M., Monday, December 4, 1989 at the Aurora United Methodist Church and at 3:00 P.M., Monday, December 4 at the Oakland United Methodist Church. Interment was held in the Oakland Cemetery.

OBITUARY: David Gustafson

The Reverend David Theodore Gustafson, son of J. Alfred and Edla Marie Backius Falk Gustafson, was born at Oakland, Nebraska, on August 29, 1905, and passed away at Aurora, Nebraska, on November 30, 1989, at the age of 84 years, 3 months, and 1 day.

He grew up and graduated from Oakland High School. He studied theology at Dana College and Theological Seminary, Blair; Biola College, Los Angeles; and is a graduate of North Park College and Seminary, Chicago. He had a diploma in music from the Marcus Lacius Quinn Conservatory of Music, Boston. He began his ministry in October of 1932.

Reverend Gustafson served several Methodist Churches in the Nebraska Conference before taking up their work in the Congregational (United Church of Christ) Church.

Among the churches served through the years are: Creghton-Verdeigre Parish and Oshkosh-Kowanda Parish, of the Nebraska Methodist Conference. Also the Albion-Akron Parish, a Yoke-Ministry of the Congregational and the Presbyterian Church. The following are Covenant Churches served: Oakland-Salem, Ceresco, Pender, Mead (Interim Pastorates), and the Portage Park Covenant Church of Chicago, Illinois.

Pastor Gustafson served the Bethesda Covenant Church of Malmo, Nebraska, for 15 years during which time he commuted from Oakland, a distance of 60 miles from his home in Oakland, where he assisted his father, in his business, before going back into the full-time ministry. Pastor Gustafson is an Ordained Minister of the Congregational, United Church of Christ, Church.

Before his retirement in November 1974 he was pastor of the New York Avenue Congregational Church at Hastings, and he conducted a Gospel program over KHAS-Radio on Sunday mornings.

On November 24, 1960, he was united in marriage to Elmarie Sandall at Minneapolis, Minnesota, and she assisted him in his ministry.

After serving in the Ministry for 42 years, he retired to Aurora in 1974, where he has been active in the United Methodist Church. He has taught a Bible Class and filled several pulpits in the area. He was also treasured of the Hamilton County Ministerial Association for 6 years.

He is survived by his wife Elmarie of Aurora and nieces and nephews.

The was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Rudy, Arnold, Glenn, Carl, Klemens, and 2 infant brothers, and one sister Linnea.