Orlies Fletcher Shroyer

Orlies Fletcher Shroyer

Orlies Fletcher Shroyer, 83, a longtime resident of Gillette, Wyo., and minister of the Church of God of Prophecy, died June 25, 1992, at his home in Gillette, following a long illness.

Funeral services were held June 29, 1992 at 10 a.m. at the Noecker Funeral Chapel in Gillette, Wyo., with Bishop Paul Thompson from Coon Rapids, Minn., officiated. Burial followed June 29 at 4 p.m. in the Lusk Cemetery with Bishop Richard Morrow, Northwest Territory Overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy, officiating.

Shroyer was born June 15, 1909, in Shelby County, Ohio, to Owen Conner and Naomi Kay Shroyer. He moved with his family in March 1916 to Wyoming where the family homesteaded 40 miles southeast of Gillette, Wyo., in the community of Hilight where he attended school.

After working with his family on the homestead, he became a truck driver, worked as a mechanic and later became a carpenter. This skill as a carpenter aided him in his ministry in building and remodeling several church buildings to include Gillette, Lusk, Greybull, Sheridan, Thermopolis, Casper, Cheyenne and Cody, Wyo. He also helped complete a church facility in Nampa, Idaho.

He was ordained as deacon and his pastoral ministry began in 1937 at Gillette where he pastured for nine years. During this pastorate he was ordained bishop in 1941. In 1946 he began an eight year pastorate at Lusk; 1954 at Greybull for 15 years; 1969 at Sheridan for seven years. In 1976 he returned to Gillette for four more years, at which time an illness with cancer caused a forced retirement from pastoring.

As his health permitted, he continued to minister through a hospital ministry, along with monthly distribution of more than 100 copies of free "Happy Harvesters" to the home/hospital bound friends. He served as the church's state airplane pilot for a number of years and also served as a chaplain and pilot with Wyoming Civil Air Patrol.

On Aug. 12, 1935, he married Caroline Esther Knittle of Lusk, Wyo. To this union were added Eldora, Frank, Earle, Vonda, Dennis and Gary. All his children are musicians and singers. Eldora married Reed North who is an ordained bishop and is now manager of the church's biblical theme park at "Fields of the Wood" near Murphy, N.C. Frank married Glenda Sutherland and after retiring from the U. S. Air Force as a chief master sergeant with 28 years of service, is now attending the Church of God "School of Theology" and living in Cleveland, Tenn.

Earle married Pat Foster and is a real estate agent and resides in Phoenix, Ariz. Vonda married Sigurd Johnson and lives on a farm near Valleyview, Alberta, Canada. Dennis married Sherry Herring, resides and is a school teacher in Cleveland, Tenn. Gary married Diane Scott and lived in Henderson, Nev., where he serves as an assistant pastor. Frank, Earle and Dennis are all ordained deacons in their local churches. Two grandsons, Gwen and Anthony, are lay ministers of the church.

On Jan. 6, 1967, he married Pearlene Bell Williams. She had one daughter by a previous marriage, Jessie Vee, who is a school teacher and is married to Eugene Cordeau III of Gillette. He is also an ordained deacon.

Shroyer is survived by his wife, Pearlene of Gillette; his four sons, two daughters and one step-daughter; two brothers, Estone of Guernsey, Wyo. and Pleonard of Orange, Calif.; five sisters, Wyoma Freeman of Grand Junction, Colo., Verna Buckmaster of San Diego, Calif., Mary Gangner of Sparks, Nev., Lova Toth of Wheatland, Wyo. and Rose Baker of Arvada, Colo.; 16 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Harmon, Carl and Roger; three sisters, Hazel, Delice and Allura and one grandson, Terrance Reed North.

A memorial has been established to the Orlies Shroyer Memorial Fund and donations may be sent to the Noecker Funeral Home, P.O. Box 734, Gillette, Wyo. 82717-0734. Noecker Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

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