Thomas Allen Whitcomb

Thomas (Tommy, Tom) Allen Whitcomb, son of Elmer and Adella Whitcomb, medical missionaries to India and Ghana, passed from this life Monday, July 13th 2009. He was born in St. Paul, MN in 1923. In 1924 his dad began practicing medicine in South Dakota. In four years, after all his medical debts were paid, he accepted an appointment to serve in India with the Evangelical Synod of North America (now a part of the United Church of Christ)

Education: He went to kindergarten in London, England; attended grade and high school at Woodstock School, Mussoorie, India, and left India in January of 1942 (it was a long trip to the US because of U boats.) In September of 1942 he enrolled at Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Ill.
He turned down a pre-theological deferment and was drafted in the U.S. Army as a non-combatant. He served as a surgical technician in the 17th Airborne Division in Europe, and was awarded the Bronze Star.

He returned to Elmhurst College in January of 1946 and married Ann Schler in September of that year (he first met her in November of 1942; Ann was a farm girl from Boonville, MO.) While at Elmhurst they worked at the River Forest Gulf Club, with Ann in the locker room and as a waitress, and he as a short-order cook, day time bartender and waiter. It was a great experience and good pay.

In September of 1948, he enrolled at Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, Mo. His son Mark was born in March of 1950. They lived in a black section of town, the only whites in four blocks. He was ordained in June of 1951.

The churches Mr. Whitcomb served from 1951-1991 were the following: St. Thomas in Chesterfield, Mo. (1951-55). This was a very difficult but learning situation for him. He almost quit the ministry. In answer to prayer they found and adopted Joyce, 8 days old; St. John in St. Clair, MO. (1955-62). He was the first resident pastor in 40 years. With evangelism and stewardship emphasized, they built a new sanctuary, educational building and parsonage and kept up a great mission program. Membership doubled. In 1962 the congregation awarded the National Rural Church Award. Hard work with lots of prayer made it a joyful, rewarding ministry; Immanuel UCC in Latimer, IA. (1962-65), was a well-established, traditional we never did it that way church. It was friendly, fun but frustrating; it did nothing new or innovative; Trinity UCC in Austin, TX, a mission church (1965-1978). The congregation was urban, visitation difficult, stewardship responsive. The building was remolded and enlarged. The membership and he were deeply involved with an ecumenical ministry among the hungry, homeless, jobless of the city. His son Mark was sent to Vietnam (army medic) and his daughter Joyce got married; St. Paul UCC in Cibolo, TX (1978-86), a delightful place to serve but not very responsive; his emphasis was on pastoral care; at Shannondale UCC in Salem, MO (1986-91), he did part-time preaching primarily, and helped establish The Wobus Craft Center to create a market for native crafts. He also harvested and planted trees (oak and pine) on his small tree farm. Wherever he lived, he had a good garden with lots of flowers and planted trees. In whatever association or conference he served in, he was involved in committees, boards and offices of one kind or another. He was also a Delegate to the General Synod in 1977 and 1979.

In the Fall of 1998, he moved to the Siesta Retirement Village in Weslaco, TX. He had spent five winters in South Texas where he worked with Habitat for Humanity for four seasons, with one season working with a group beginning to reforest the banks along the Rio Grande. He continued his ministry by serving five days a week as the president of Amigos Dell Valle (a senior citizen nutrition and fellowship program in Weslaco). He was also active on the mission committee of the Methodist Church he attended, specifically in raising tropical, fast-growing shade trees to be distributed to people in several colonias where work groups build and repair small homes near the Rio Grande.

His ministry, wherever, whenever, and however, has always been enlightening, exciting and most rewarding as he has always tried to live giving thanks to God who made him. He thanks God for a wife who has been a loving and wonderful helpmate for the 63 years theyve been together.

Thank you God, thank you Church, thank you people, thank you for a life that has been so very exciting, joyful and fulfilling. Thank you.
Mr. Whitcomb is survived by his wife, Ann Marie Whitcomb; daughter, Joyce Ann Whitcomb Kludt; son, Mark Allen Whitcomb and wife Stephanie Bundy Sharp; granddaughter, Anna Bridget Sharp-Whitcomb; brother, William Whitcomb; and sister, Anna Mae Lennington.
A memorial service will be held in his honor on Saturday, July 25, 2009 1:00 p.m. at Eden Home Chapel. In lieu for flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Eden Home care facility.