Births

Rice, Kaetlyn Mae, to Ben and Diana Rice, Dec. 14. Joins brother Grant and sister Nora. (College Hill [Beaver Falls, Pa.] RPC)

Schaefer, Faith Ayanna, adopted Nov. 19, by David and Joy Schaefer. Faith was born on May 3, 2008. Joins sisters Kristen and Janae and brothers Ryan and Jordan. (First RPC of Beaver Falls, Pa.)

Smerk, Peter Nicholas, Jan. 27, to Nicholas and Bonnie Smerk. (First RPC of Beaver Falls, Pa.)

Wood, Effie Joy, Jan. 27, to Joel and Emily Wood. (Sterling, Kan., RPC)

Baptisms

Caruso, Oliver Ethan, son of Chris and Rachael Caruso, Nov. 15, by Pastor Ronald B. Good. (Sharon [Morning Sun, Iowa] RPC)

Edgar, Abigail Alice, daughter of John and Evniki Edgar, Dec. 27, by Pastor Bill Edgar. Abigail’s other grandfather, Pastor Bill Sterrett, preached from Psalm 131. (Elkins Park, Pa., RPC)

Grooms, Hannah Elizabeth, daughter of Mike and Kelly Grooms, Oct. 4, by Pastor Bruce Backensto. (First RPC of Beaver Falls, Pa.)

Miller, Joshua Becker, son of Adam and Kristen Miller, Dec. 20, by Pastor Steve Miller. (Elkins Park, Pa., RPC)

Rager, Jessica, upon profession of faith, Jan. 10, by Pastor John Edgar. (Elkins Park, Pa., RPC)

Rager, Kayla, daughter of Jessica Rager, Jan. 10, by Pastor John Edgar. (Elkins Park, Pa., RPC)

Schaefer, Faith Ayanna, daughter of David and Joy Schaefer, Nov. 22, by Pastor Bruce Backensto. (First RPC of Beaver Falls, Pa.)

Welander, Joshua Braydon, son of Paul and Tara Welander Dec. 20 by Pastor Shane Sapp. (Westminster Colo., RPC)

Marriages

Miller, Karen and Eriksson, Christian, Jan. 2, at Proclamation Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr, Pa., by Pastor Titus Martin. Parents are Kevin and Jean Miller and Kjell and Karen Eriksson. (College Hill [Beaver Falls, Pa.] RPC)

Deaths

Aikin, Wilbur J., age 95, Dec. 19. Known to many as “Bill” or “Mr. Bill,” he passed away quietly, surrounded by family. A 1939 graduate of Sterling College (Sterling, Kan.), Bill was a WWII veteran. He served as first sergeant in the Army Air Corps in the India-Burma-China theater of the war. Bill lived in Burbank and Glendale, Calif., for over 50 years, teaching math for 28 years at John Muir Middle School in Burbank. He and his family were members of the Los Angeles RP Church. Bill served there as a deacon for over 40 years. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary E. Aikin. Bill will be missed by his three loving daughters: Patricia Watters of Pittsburgh, Pa., Virginia Bird of Warner Robins, Ga., and Carole Hutcheson of Olathe, Kan. Bill has 6 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. (Los Angeles, Calif., RPC)

McElhinney, Harriet Elizabeth, age 96, July 8. Pastor Ronald B. Good officiated at the funeral at Sharon RP Church. Harriet was a hairdresser, homemaker, farm wife, and mother, and was very active in the Sharon Women’s Missionary Society for many years. She is survived by a daughter, Mary King, of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and five sons; Joe, of Tipton, Iowa, and Richard, Keith, Kenneth, and Robert, all of Morning Sun, Iowa. (Sharon [Morning Sun, Iowa] RPC)

Tweed, Robert, age 83, Oct. 19. Bob was chair of the Bible department at Geneva College for a number of years. He also served as pastor for the Geneva RPC in Beaver Falls, Pa., the Anchorage, Alaska, RPC, and the Lawrence, Kan., RPC. A memorial service was held Oct. 24 at First RPC. Rev. Denny Prutow preached and Pastor Bruce Backensto gave the committal. Burial immediately followed at the Reformed Presbyterian Church cemetery in New Galilee, Pa. Bob is survived by his wife, Elaine; daughters, Jennifer (Joel) Martin and Andrea (Bill) Kilgore; sons James (Jill) Tweed and David (Melissa) Tweed; 13 grandchildren; a brother John (Alta) Tweed; and mother-in-law, Ann Bell. (First RPC of Beaver Falls, Pa.)

Ordinations

Pastor Ryan Hemphill was ordained and installed at Seattle RPC on Dec. 5. (Seattle, Wash., RPC)