CORNUCOPIA, WI (August 9, 2013) – Retired Covenant pastor Jerome (Jerry) Engseth, 82, died Sunday. A memorial service was held Thursday at the Luther Manor Chapel.
Engseth was born in 1931 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Martin and Dorothy (Johnson) Engseth.
Engseth graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Augsburg College in Minneapolis and later graduated with a master’s of divinity from North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago.
He married Helen Lois Swanson in 1955 in Minneapolis.
Engseth served as a teacher at Covenant Bible College in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He ministered as senior pastor at Floral Park Covenant Church in Floral Park, New York; Northwest Covenant Church in Mount Prospect, Illinois; and Milwaukee Covenant Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
He was the developer pastor for Church of the Redeemer in Bowie, Maryland; the Evangelical Covenant Church of St. Louis, Missouri, which included Church of the Master in St. Louis, Community Covenant Church in Kirkwood, Christ Covenant Church in Florissant; and Hope Evangelical Covenant Church in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He continued to work as pastor part-time through the mid-1990s. Engseth also was dedicated to promoting human and civil rights.
He took courses at Union Theological Seminary in New York City; Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia; Marquette University in Milwaukee, and Oxford University in Oxford, England. He wrote two self-published books, Just Mark, concerning biblical criticism and the gospel of Mark; and Swedish Men Arguing about God, regarding reflections on Pietism among Swedish-American immigrants.
He also enjoyed dramatic activities and wrote many plays.
In addition to his wife, survivors include a son, Martin; two daughters, Toren and Ellen; and two grandchildren.
Private interment was in Cornucopia, Wisconsin. Memorials may be sent to the Milwaukee Evangelical Covenant Church community outreach program, 7727 W. Center St., Milwaukee, WI 53222.
