Dwight W. Hendricks

ROCHESTER, MINN:Dwight W. Hendricks, 81, died peacefully Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at University Hospitals in Madison, WI. Dwight Wesley Hendricks was born February 11, 1932, the third son of Rev. Ralph and Ellen (Rydberg) Hendricks in Hendricks, MN. In 1934, the family moved to St. James, MN, where Dwight graduated from St. James High School in 1950. Dwight married Beverly Jean Olseth in 1950. They were later divorced. Dwight received a Bachelor of Arts at Upper Iowa University in 1961, a Bachelor of Divinity from Dubuque Theological Seminary in 1967 and a Masters of Divinity in 1971. He served as pastor in the United Methodist Church from 1954-1980 in churches in Central City-Waubeck-Alburnett, Iowa, and MacGregor-Fleming-Cromwell, St. Charles, Duluth, New Ulm and Richfield, MN. He was the Director of Planned Giving at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities from 1980-1986 and Director of Endowment Development at the College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, MN from 1988-1997. In the United Methodist Church, Dwight served as Executive Secretary of Evangelism, Director of New Life Mission Programs, and was a National New Life Missioner. In 1969, he was sent by the General Board of Evangelism to Southern Chile as a Missioner and in 1974 he was a Minnesota Delegate to the World Conference on Evangelism. Dwight married Rev. Martha Gustuson, a United Church of Christ pastor, in 1991. In 2007, they came out of retirement to serve the St. James United Methodist Church for five years. Dwight had a strong sense of right and wrong. Believing that the use and abuse of alcohol has been destructive for individuals and families, he began the Minnesota Alcohol Action Council and was a board member of the American Council on Alcohol Problems and a lobbyist on alcohol issues at the Minnesota Legislature. Dwight is survived by his wife Martha Hendricks, Rochester, MN; five children: Scott (Barbara) Hendricks, Bruno, MN, Jennifer Pepple, Motley, MN, Mark (Jan) Hendricks, Eden Prairie, MN, John Hendricks, Edina, MN and Ann (Greg) Goetz, Portage, WI; ten grandchildren: Jill, Matthew, Jennifer, Erik, Leslie, Leah, Luke, Joshua, Jessica, and Jacob; and fifteen great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, son Timothy, two brothers, James and Ralph, and a sister, Muriel. A Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 7, 2013 at Christ United Methodist Church in Rochester. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, December 6, 2013 at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes and one hour before the service at the church. Burial will be at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 9, 2013 in Mt. Hope Cemetery, St. James, MN. Memorials are suggested to Christ United Methodist Church, Rochester, MN. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes, 5421 Royal Place N.W., Rochester, MN 55901, 507-289-3600, www.ranfranzandvinefh.com.