Elton E. Carlson

Elton E. Carlson, age 81, beloved husband, father, brother, and Minister, passed from this life to his heavenly reward at 5:30 P.M., Monday, December 7, 2009 at Deaconess Hospital, Evansville, Indiana.He was born August 5, 1928, in Lake View, Michigan, to the late Oscar Benjamin Carlson and Emma Ruth (Wilcox) Carlson. He graduated from high school in Manton, Michigan in 1946. On April 15, 1949, he married Edna M. (Buckner) Carlson in Muskegon, Michigan. They recently celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary and serving in the Christian Ministry together. Edna passed away on June 14, 2009.His life was dedicated to serving the Lord in Christian Ministry. This past March he began his 62nd year in the Ministry and at the time of his passing serving as the Minister of the Griffin Christian Church in Griffin, Indiana. He attended Johnson Bible College in Tennessee then Great Lakes Christian College in Michigan.He served in several congregations in Michigan, Illinois, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Indiana. He served in Sumner, Illinois as Minister for 14 years. He went to Russia on at least 3 short-term missions trips and kept in contact with the churches there providing them with encouragement in their mission work. He will always be remembered at the various Church Camps where he served on the faculty for being the one to wake them up in the mornings singing over the PA System: âOh What A Beautiful Morningâ. He never met a stranger and it seemed like no matter where he would travel throughout the country, he would come across someone he knew.Elton is survived by: Two Daughters: Naomi (Dewey) Nash, Albion, IL, and Rebecca (Donald) Dean, Olney, IL; Five sons: David (Carol) Carlson, Lansing, MI, Steven (Denise) Carlson, Holt, MI, Daniel (Carleen) Carlson, Olney, IL, Timothy (Patty) Carlson, Johnson City, TN, and Philip (Karla) Carlson, Olney, IL; Seven grandsons: Nicholas Dean, Michael, Adam (Ann), Kristopher, Logan, Brandon and Andrew Carlson; Six granddaughters: Audra (Jeff) Fleeharty, Emily Dean, Crystal, Cassandra, Courtney, and Kelly Carlson; Two great-grandchildren: Aaron Dean and Avery Fleeharty; Four step-grand-children: Melissa (Rex) Clements, Jeff (Joy) Durham, Dana French, and Arden Hamrick; Two step-great-grand-children: Jaden and Jacob Durham; One Brother: Raymond (Gladys) Carlson, Birch Run, MI., and One Sister: Leona (Martin) Wilson, Mason, MI. He is further survived by many nieces, nephews and other relatives and many friends. In addition to his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters: Marion Washe and Frances Morrow, and two children (twins): Martha and Mark Carlson.Funeral services will be held at The Christian Church of Sumner in Sumner, Illinois, at 11:00am on Friday, December 11, 2009. Visitation will be at the Church prior to the Funeral Service from 9:00 until 11:00am. Burial will be at Liberty Township Cemetary, Manton, Michigan.In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to: The Christian Church of Sumner in Sumner, Illinois; Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, Tennessee; and Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing, Michigan.