Forrest E. Whitlatch
February 29, 1924 — October 21, 2014
Rev. Dr. Forrest E. Whitlatch was born February 29, 1924, near Chariton, Iowa, the son of Arthur and Esther Goff Whitlatch and departed this life Tuesday, October 21, 2014, at St. Luke’s Hospice, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Services: 2:30 p.m., Friday, October 24, 2014, at First Church of the Nazarene, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The family will greet friends from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, October 23, 2014, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Burial: Saturday, October 25 at 11:00 a.m. in Resthaven Cemetery, West Des Moines, Iowa.
His early life was spent with his parents on farms in Lucas and Warren Counties. Forrest graduated from the Liberty Center (now Southeast Warren) High School in 1941 and enrolled that fall at Olivet Nazarene College (now University) in Kankakee, Illinois. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior at twelve years of age, received the Holy Spirit in sanctifying power and joined the Church of the Nazarene at Lacona, Iowa. During his time in college he received a Divine call to the ministry and graduated with degrees in history and Theology. On the college campus he met a girl named Margaret Trosen of Burlington, Iowa. He soon decided this was his and God’s choice for his lifetime companion and they were married June 1, 1945, at First Church of the Nazarene in Burlington, Iowa. Their first pastorate was at Shenendoah, Iowa, where he established a home mission church. Following three years at this location, Rev. Whitlatch served as pastor of Nazarene churches at Creston, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids First and Council Bluffs First. Rev. Whitlatch was elected superintendent of the Iowa District Church of the Nazarene in 1990, a position he held for 20 years. Dr. Whitlatch was a member of the founding Board of Trustees of Mid America Nazarene College (now University) at Olathe, Kansas, and was chairman of this board for a period of 14 years. The college honored him with a Doctor of Divinity Degree in 1977. He served as a member of the General Board of the Nazarene denomination for a period of nine years. Upon retirement in 1990, the Whitlatches resided in Pella, Iowa. Forrest remained active in his many retirement years – employed as a Pella real estate sales associate and frequently held revival meetings and did interim preaching on Sunday mornings. For a period of two years he served as interim pastor of First Church of the Nazarene in Cedar Rapids where the Whitlatches spent the later years of their life.
Surviving are his wife of 69 years, Margaret, of Cedar Rapids; three grandchildren, Sara and Jonathon Whitlatch, of Cedar Rapids, and Darin (Alisha) Sturgill, of Colorado; two great-grandchildren, Madeline and Triston Sturgill, of New York; a great-granddaughter, Kaly Cornier, of New York; a daughter-in-law, Angie Lowry, of Cedar Rapids; a sister-in-law, Judy Whitlatch, of Des Moines; and his many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Craig; his daughter Shirley Sturgill; an infant grandchild; his sister and her husband, Delores (Andrew) Mitchell, of Des Moines; and his brother, James.
Memorials may be directed to the First Church of the Nazarene, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
His early life was spent with his parents on farms in Lucas and Warren Counties. Forrest graduated from the Liberty Center (now Southeast Warren) High School in 1941 and enrolled that fall at Olivet Nazarene College (now University) in Kankakee, Illinois. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior at twelve years of age, received the Holy Spirit in sanctifying power and joined the Church of the Nazarene at Lacona, Iowa. During his time in college he received a Divine call to the ministry and graduated with degrees in history and Theology. On the college campus he met a girl named Margaret Trosen of Burlington, Iowa. He soon decided this was his and God’s choice for his lifetime companion and they were married June 1, 1945, at First Church of the Nazarene in Burlington, Iowa. Their first pastorate was at Shenendoah, Iowa, where he established a home mission church. Following three years at this location, Rev. Whitlatch served as pastor of Nazarene churches at Creston, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids First and Council Bluffs First. Rev. Whitlatch was elected superintendent of the Iowa District Church of the Nazarene in 1990, a position he held for 20 years. Dr. Whitlatch was a member of the founding Board of Trustees of Mid America Nazarene College (now University) at Olathe, Kansas, and was chairman of this board for a period of 14 years. The college honored him with a Doctor of Divinity Degree in 1977. He served as a member of the General Board of the Nazarene denomination for a period of nine years. Upon retirement in 1990, the Whitlatches resided in Pella, Iowa. Forrest remained active in his many retirement years – employed as a Pella real estate sales associate and frequently held revival meetings and did interim preaching on Sunday mornings. For a period of two years he served as interim pastor of First Church of the Nazarene in Cedar Rapids where the Whitlatches spent the later years of their life.
Surviving are his wife of 69 years, Margaret, of Cedar Rapids; three grandchildren, Sara and Jonathon Whitlatch, of Cedar Rapids, and Darin (Alisha) Sturgill, of Colorado; two great-grandchildren, Madeline and Triston Sturgill, of New York; a great-granddaughter, Kaly Cornier, of New York; a daughter-in-law, Angie Lowry, of Cedar Rapids; a sister-in-law, Judy Whitlatch, of Des Moines; and his many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Craig; his daughter Shirley Sturgill; an infant grandchild; his sister and her husband, Delores (Andrew) Mitchell, of Des Moines; and his brother, James.
Memorials may be directed to the First Church of the Nazarene, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Forrest E. Whitlatch, please visit our flower store.