Bethlen Almanac 1998 (Ligonier)

Halottaink - In memoriam

death.) Rev. Bela and his bride began their life-journey together serving the Magyar Reformed Church of Elyria, Ohio, where daughters Magdalene and Rosalie were bom.

After 4 years, they moved to Gary, Indiana, to serve the Magyar Reformed Church, where daughter Elizabeth was bom. Four years later, they returned to Ohio to the Hungarian Reformed Church of Fairport Harbor, where their youngest daughter, Ida Ruth, was bom.

In 1957, Rev. Bacsó answered the call to return to the Elyria Magyar Church. There, he continued as pastor until his retirement in 1976. In the next 6 years, he served as interim pastor at five churches in Ohio, including the Lorain Hungarian Reformed Church and the Columbus Hungarian Reformed Church. In July of 1996, Rev. and Mrs. Bacsó sold their home in Elyria and moved to Dearborn, Michigan, to live with their daughter Elizabeth.

Rev. Bacsó was extremely involved in community service throughout his career. The Kiwanis Club was an important part of his life for 40 years. In 1965, while president of the Elyria Kiwanis Club, he served as general chairman to raise funds to build a new library. He was a 50-year Mason and was Chaplain of the Elyria Men’s Senior Fellowship Club for 14 years.

At the age of 85, Rev. Bacsó became inspired to write his autobiography as a legacy to his children and grandchildren. Three years later, he completed this major undertaking of 20 pages strictly from memory and complete with photographs. In his retirement, he memorialized his love of music by recording his favorite Hungarian and English hymns as he played them on his organ.

Although he was relatively healthy throughout his lifetime, his body began to slow down with his advanced age of 91 years. On November 8, 1998, after a brief illness, this “good and faithful servant” peacefully entered into the “joy of his beloved Lord.”

NT. D. BRACHNA GÁBOR, NY. EV. FŐESPERES (1909-1998)

Jóformán egy korszak zárult le az észak-amerikai magyar evangélikusságot érintően azzal, hogy január 10-én életének 90., felszentelésének 66., és boldog házasságának 62. évében az Úr magához hívta tartós betegeskedésben megfáradt szolgáját, Nt. D. Brachna Gábor ny. föesperes lelkészt. Életéért, szolgálatáért, az azokból származó áldásokért Istent dicsérjük, s Tőle kérünk vigasztalást a gyászolókra, biztatást és reménységet a Jézus Krisztusban megjelent kegyelemből való örökéletre.

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