Exactly 50 years ago today was my parents 25th Anniversary. Hard to forget since it was the also the day of the JFK assassination. The party went on but they were glued to the television. I was 13.
Bare with me and please allow me to post my dad's obituary. Mom passed nine months ago at 96 and dad two weeks ago at 97. Dad was an Elder in WCG for a number of years after most of my family followed my sister and myself into WCG in the '70's. Over the years our family grew to 3 full time pastors, 2 local elders , deacons and deaconesses and some pretty dedicated folk. 30+ in all counting the kids. None are now in any of the splinter groups, that's not the Diehl way evidently, and have found their way back to the churches or types of churches in the family before WCG. Mom and Dad returned to their roots with the Memorial Orthodox Church just down the street from their home of 75 years. They made a very large circle back to those pews that I sat in long before my feet could touch the floor. Same pews. The sanctuary, when at mom's memorial service, looked as it did when my parents first started there in the 1940's. Exactly the same. That's stability and something there would be precious little of in the WCG experience. I am glad they went back to their roots.
I wanted to honor dad somewhere for his life in WCG and this is the only place left to me. Dad was the kind of gentle man who could stand up to the Dave Pack's of the Church. He took Dave and other's ideas and "orders" under advisement" very often. "Under advisement" meant , "Hell, no!" LOL That was dad.
Emp T. Hall
Dad wrote Joe Tkach Sr. towards the end days for WCG to "thank" him for his reckless change and ridiculous "leadership." The Rochester Church was falling apart and he signed it "M.T.Hall" because the church hall was mostly empty then. Thus my occasional use of "M.T.Hall" here on Banned.
I am not sure I have been or could be the man I perceived my dad to be but we had much different stories in life. He lived two streets over as mom's paperboy from the house mom was born in. They bought a home, ONCE, across the street as kids in their 20's and stayed put. That was not my own story for sure. Dad worked one job at Kodak for 45 years and lived to see Kodak thrive and die. He worked 8-5 , five days a week with every weekend off and lots of vacation time for the Adirondacks. I believe mom and dad's longevity was due the stability of staying put and one job for life that just got better and better. Those days are gone. Moving all over creation for the WCG , much less the endless WCG drama as it affected both ministry and member, took its toll on the family, the finances and the friendships. The contrast growing up in a very stable and fun family with my own WCG experiences probably lead to the anxiety issues that came up later in life. While many learn coping skills early in the game. I learned them later as a minister and in the transition from that to whatever more normal was or is. Transitions can be messy and painful. The price has been high and regrets and feeling badly about outcomes aplenty at times. My former counselor told me "That was your story and this is yours. Don't compare them." That helped.
So here's to my dad. Mr. M.T.Hall.
I retire the moniker
Diehl, Frederick
William Jr.
Rochester: Our Dad, Frederick William Diehl, Jr., age 97, a dedicated servant of God, peacefully returned to his Heavenly Father on November 3, 2013, nine months after his loving wife of 75 years, left his arms. He exemplified Proverbs 27:17: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” You always walked away from time spent with him believing you were smarter, stronger, better, and more capable than before.
He was predeceased by his son-in-law, Jim Rosenthal and his precious great-grandson, Matthew J. Frederick Gnage; best friends Neil Muller and John Peters.
He is survived by his loving children, Diane Rosenthal of Saratoga, Nolee and Ron Feiock of Rochester, Frederick III of Rochester, Dennis of Greenville, SC, and daughter-in-law Karen Diehl of Columbia, SC; his adoring grandchildren, Robyn Francis, Aimee (Warren) Lucas, Sarah (Mark) White, Jennifer Butler, David Rosenthal, Eric (Kimberly) Rosenthal, Jeffrey (Jennifer) Diehl and Christopher (Katherine) Diehl; his pride and joy, great-grandchildren Nicholas and Jacob Schell, Lindsey Gnage, Riley and Hunter Lucas, Max White, Zeia Rosenthal, Sheridan, Nicholas and Vivian Diehl, Magan, Lilly and Ryan Diehl; sister-in-law Thelma Peters and very special niece, Alice Geldof and her husband, Jerry, who gave so much time and love to his care.
We would like to thank the staff on 6 South at St. John’s Home for their dedicated care and most especially Dad’s aides who brought him so much laughter for the last and hardest nine months of his life.
To accommodate the family, a memorial service will be held December 28th at Memorial Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 650 Merchants Road, Rochester at 11:00 a.m.
