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David Lynn Semrad © Enid News and Eagle 05-29-2021 Submitted by: Glenn
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July 26, 1942 - January 6, 2021
David Lynn Semrad was born to Herman Melvin Semrad and Lorene Marie Bridgewater Semrad on July 26, 1942, in Enid.
David grew up on a wheat farm in Hunter, Oklahoma, and served in his youth as an active member and President of Oklahoma 4-H. From a young age, he developed a love of traveling, camping, fishing and woodworking. In later years, he was a distinguished member of the Boerne Chapter of Sons of the American Revolution.
He attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in English. While at OSU, he met and married the love of his life, Judy Ruth Rose. He then earned a Master's in Theology from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, before completing his Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) at St. Paul's School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri.
He served as the Associate Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Great Bend, Kansas, from 1967 to 1969; Director of United Methodist Campus Ministry at the Ecumenical Campus Center at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, from 1969 to 1978; and Director of United Methodist Campus Ministry in San Antonio from 1978 until he retired in 2008. He ministered to college students and people from all walks of life, and befriended international students from around the world by being a host family with his wife and daughters.
David was known as a gentle soul and person of peace.
He sympathized with the downtrodden and was passionate about civil rights and social justice. A cultivator of relationships and devoted community action leader, he participated in such community organizations as San Antonio Communities Organized for Public Service (COPS) and Metro Alliance.
He led and participated in many international mission projects in Mexico and Russia, and engaged in a three-month sabbatical in Sao Paulo, Brazil. His campus ministry included education, dialogue, and outreach to raise the consciousness of students in the areas of theology, bible study, social justice, cross-cultural ministry, and community service, and took such forms as his popular "Hot Potato" lecture series that included information, guest speakers, and dialogue about current issues, and "Urban Plunges" in which students experienced the city's transit system. He was a matchmaker at times and personally performed many marriages, baptisms, and funerals. He also was a guest pastor in many local United Methodist Churches.
David passed away peacefully at a local hospital on January 6, 2021. Judy too later died on May 23, 2021.
He is survived by daughters, Tavi Sellers and Staci Semrad; Tavi's children, Addison Drutz, Suzanne Drutz and Tiffany Sellers; their respective fathers, Adam Drutz and Mike Sellers; brother, Melvin Semrad and sister-in-law, Virginia Semrad; sister-in-law Donna Semrad; and aunt, Helen Semrad Provine.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 5, at Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home in Enid.
Judy Ruth Rose Semrad © Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home 05-2021 Submitted by: Glenn
© Enid News and Eagle
August 30, 1945 - May 23, 2021
A talented writer and vibrant intellect, Judy Ruth Rose Semrad died Sunday in Katy, Texas, at age 75, while surrounded by family.
Judy was recently preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Dr. David Lynn Semrad, and in previous years by her parents, Naomi Ruth Weiss Silvy and Raymond Edward Rose.
Judy grew up in Enid, Cushing, Tulsa, Skiatook, Ponca City and Stillwater, Oklahoma; Hopewell, Virginia; and Indianapolis and Greensburg, Indiana. She especially cherished her days at Ponca City High School, where she was a cheerleader, played the clarinet, and participated in student organizations, including the Safety Club. She competed in barrel racing and shared a special bond with her palomino horse, Pal, whom she rode without spurs, sometimes standing up. She was voted as Oklahoma’s “Miss Conclave” by the DeMolays of the state in her senior year and graduated from “Po High” in 1963.
She then attended Oklahoma State University, where she met David. In getting acquainted, they discovered they had been delivered by the same doctor in Enid a few years apart. They married in 1964 and moved to Dallas, Texas, where Judy worked as secretary to the director of the Dallas Public Library System to help David get through seminary at Southern Methodist University. They then moved to Kansas, where Judy graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Fort Hays State University. Along the way, they brought into the world two daughters before moving their young family in 1977 to San Antonio, Texas.
A poet, writer and artist, Judy enjoyed intellectual thought and discussion and was a well of creative ideas. She preferred literature and drama with conscience-raising messages, was politically active and closely followed current events. She always remembered her civics and social studies lessons at Ponca City Junior High School about the danger of mob behavior and the importance of speaking up before it is too late. She was a lifelong supporter of family planning, fair and equitable labor laws, self-determination for women and men, and education for children and adults. She believed that her faith should be grounded in both spiritual and intellectual realities and that the stewardship of the planet should be advanced as acts of both personal and community responsibility.
In addition to raising children and being a homemaker, Judy’s careers in San Antonio included: working as the activities director at Hillside Manor Nursing Home and Four Seasons Nursing Home; selling American Automobile Association memberships and serving as the organization’s safety committee chair; working at the Kuwait Liaison Office at Lackland Air Force Base; and training people with disabilities to live independently. A natural teacher, Judy taught a Red Cross safety and first aid course; taught Sunday School and vacation church school; and provided free English language tutoring to Middle Eastern students’ wives. She also chaired the safety committee for the City of San Antonio’s Target 90 Goals and served as the missions co-chair and chair at Colonial Hills United Methodist Church in the early funding years of Habitat for Humanity, Radles’ Pantry, Youth Alternatives, Christian Assistance Ministry and the Battered Women’s Shelter of Bexar County.
Judy liked to spend her free time composing poetry and songs, reading, painting, sewing, fishing, researching genealogy, exploring international foods, hosting international people, and working on home improvement projects.
Judy is survived by: her daughters, Tavi Sellers and Staci Semrad; Tavi’s children, Addison Drutz, Suzanne Drutz and Tiffany Sellers; their respective fathers, Adam Drutz and Mike Sellers; Judy’s siblings, Jeannie Rose Pawelczyk, Raymond Rose II and Sheryl Rose Headrick; and Judy’s stepmother, Doralene Rose.
A memorial service and burial will be held 10:00 AM Saturday, June 5 at Ladusau-Evans Chapel in Enid, OK. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Enid, OK. Condolences may be made, and services can be viewed at www.ladusauevans.com
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