The Rev. Robert Lee Kessler, 88, of Winona Lake, was promoted to Heaven at 12:45 p.m. Dec. 10, 2012, in Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, where he was briefly hospitalized due to a fractured neck he suffered in a fall at his residence. He was born Dec. 5, 1924, in Springfield, Ill., to Arthur Lee and Elizabeth Dodds Kessler. On Aug. 24, 1943, he married Ada Florence Kessler, who died June 14, 2010. He graduated from high school in Rochester, Ill., in 1943 and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving with the Mediterranean fleet until the end of World War II. Following his honorable discharge, he enrolled in barber school, earning his license to barber in 1946. Accepting God’s call to full-time Christian ministry, he enrolled in Midwest Bible Institute, St. Louis, in 1949. He served with Rural Bible Crusades as a missionary Bible teacher and preacher among churches and schools in the Missouri Ozarks from 1953-60. He was the director of Sheltering Heights Bible Camp, Springfield, Mo., from 1960-63. His final call was to the pastorate of two churches, the Community Church of Houstonia, Mo., from 1963-87, and the Community Church of Sedalia, Mo., from 1968-2003. In 2004 he and his wife moved to Winona Lake to live near family. In his retirement he continued to minister to others as a chapel speaker at Grace Village Health Care and as an active attender of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church. He will be lovingly remembered by two sons, James (and spouse Susanne) Kessler, Winona Lake, and Timothy (and spouse Paula) Kessler, Kansas City, Mo.; six grandchildren: Kimberly (and spouse Chris) Dawson, Sarah (and spouse Christian) McCray, Jennifer (and spouse Jarrod) Lovette and Janelle (and spouse Doug) Meyer, all of Winona Lake; Travis (and spouse Jennifer) Kessler, Liberty, Mo.; and Heath (and spouse Carolyn) McCurdy, Aiken, S.C.; 14 great-grandchildren: Lynae, Kyle, Whitney and Wyatt Dawson, Claudia, Kendall and Cohen McCray, Jada and Josie Lovette, and Adalyn Meyer, all of Winona Lake; Isabella, Daniel and Sophia Kessler, all of Liberty; and Caiden McCurdy, Aiken. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Arthur and William Kessler. A memorial service will be at noon Thursday at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church with Pastor Bruce Barlow officiating. Burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday in Zion Cemetery, Pawnee, Ill. Calling is from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday at the church. Titus Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. ***** Memorials may be made to Grace College, 200 Seminary Drive, Winona Lake, IN 46590 designated “Men’s Basketball Summer Missions.”
