Reverend John M. Whitcraft, 96, of Winona Lake, Ind., passed away at 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, 2013, in Grace Village Retirement Community, Winona Lake.

John was born near Lititz, Penn., on March 19, 1917, to Elmer and Edna (Weaver) Whitcraft.  They preceded him in death. John married Mary Pauline Redcay on Jan. 1, 1940.

John was a veteran of World War II and a private in the Army. After the war, and while working at DeWalt Corp. in Lancaster, Penn., John experienced a call to ministry. They continued to live in Lancaster County, until 1952 when they moved to Chicago in order for John to attend Bethany Seminary.

In 1953, the family moved to North Manchester, Ind., where John continued his education at Manchester College, graduating with a B.A. degreee in 1956.  He then returned to Bethany Seminary for his Master of Divinity in 1959.  During John’s college and seminary years, he served a part-time pastorate at the Clear Creek Church of the Brethren, Huntington, Ind. Beginning in 1959, John began full-time pastoral ministry and continued in that work for many decades serving several Church of the Brethren congregations including, Liberty Mills, Ind.; Eversole at New Lebanon, Ohio; Union Grove at Muncie, Ind.; Eel River/West Eel River at Silver Lake, Ind.; New Paris, Ind.; and part-time at Roann, Ind.

John enjoyed fishing and bowling whenever it fit into his busy retired life. He and his wife particularly loved attending sporting and special events in the lives of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He is survived by five children: Brenda (Chuck) Petry, Fort Wayne, Ind.; Jim (Jane) Whitcraft, Hoagland, Ind.; Faye (Larry) Jagger, Winona Lake; Scott (Crystal) Whitcraft, Wausau, Wis.; and Pam (Duane) Metzger, Leesburg, Ind.;  17 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren; his sister: Margaret Whitcraft, Lititz, Pa.

He was preceded in death by three brothers and a sister.

Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Chapel in Grace Village, Winona Lake. Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the chapel. Private burial will be in Oaklawn Cemetery, North Manchester, Ind.  Arrangements are entrusted to McKee Mortuary, North Manchester.

For those who wish to honor the memory of Rev. John M. Whitcraft, memorial contributions may be made to Kosciusko Home Care and Hospice, 1515 Provident Dr., Warsaw, IN, 46580 or Grace Village Retirement Community, 337 Grace Village Dr., Winona Lake, IN 46590 or Kosciusko County Relay for Life, c/o McKee Mortuary, 1401 State Road 114 West, North Manchester, IN 46962.