Rev.
Rev. J Fred Parkyn
d. January 1, 2001
Reverend J. Fred Parkyn, 85, of Bethune died peacefully Thursday, October 3, 2013, at Kershaw Health in Camden, SC, following a brief illness.
Born August 15, 1928 in Shamokin, PA, he was the son of the late John and Mary Alice Schankweiler Parkyn.
A 1946 graduate of Mt. Carmel High School in Mt. Carmel, PA, Fred attended Eastern Nazerene College in MA and entered the ministry in 1950. He served as pastor for three Primitive Methodist churches in Wisconsin from 1951-1954, after which he spent a year studying Spanish in Costa Rica. From 1955-1966, he was a missionary in the municipalities of Nebaj and Uspantan in El Quiche, Guatemala. During that time, Fred established Colegio Utatlan, a K-12 school in Santa Cruz del Quiche, which now enrolls over 5000 students on nine campuses.
Fred returned to the United States in 1966 to become pastor of Dickson City Primitive Methodist Church in Dickson City, PA. In 1972, he established the Lionville Community Methodist Church in Lionville, PA, where he remained until 1983. During his tenure there, he also served as president of the Primitive Methodist Church Conference (1975-1979).
Fred joined the United Methodist Church in 1983, serving as pastor at Gradyville United Methodist Church in Gradyville, PA (1985-1987) and Alice Focht United Methodist Church in Birdsboro, PA (1988-1994). He retired from the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church in June 1994 and moved to Bethune in 1996, where he enjoyed country life with his dogs and farm animals.
Surviving Fred are his devoted wife of 29 years, Ruth Dollar Braden Parkyn; his sister, Alice Ruth Hickey; his three sons, Jay, David L. (wife Linda), and G. Timothy; his daughter, Grace (husband Eugene) Kulp; 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
A memorial service is planned for a later date. The family requests that donations in lieu of flowers may be made in Fred’s memory to Save the Strays Animal Rescue, 1670-9 Springdale Drive, #143, Camden, SC 29020.
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Born August 15, 1928 in Shamokin, PA, he was the son of the late John and Mary Alice Schankweiler Parkyn.
A 1946 graduate of Mt. Carmel High School in Mt. Carmel, PA, Fred attended Eastern Nazerene College in MA and entered the ministry in 1950. He served as pastor for three Primitive Methodist churches in Wisconsin from 1951-1954, after which he spent a year studying Spanish in Costa Rica. From 1955-1966, he was a missionary in the municipalities of Nebaj and Uspantan in El Quiche, Guatemala. During that time, Fred established Colegio Utatlan, a K-12 school in Santa Cruz del Quiche, which now enrolls over 5000 students on nine campuses.
Fred returned to the United States in 1966 to become pastor of Dickson City Primitive Methodist Church in Dickson City, PA. In 1972, he established the Lionville Community Methodist Church in Lionville, PA, where he remained until 1983. During his tenure there, he also served as president of the Primitive Methodist Church Conference (1975-1979).
Fred joined the United Methodist Church in 1983, serving as pastor at Gradyville United Methodist Church in Gradyville, PA (1985-1987) and Alice Focht United Methodist Church in Birdsboro, PA (1988-1994). He retired from the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church in June 1994 and moved to Bethune in 1996, where he enjoyed country life with his dogs and farm animals.
Surviving Fred are his devoted wife of 29 years, Ruth Dollar Braden Parkyn; his sister, Alice Ruth Hickey; his three sons, Jay, David L. (wife Linda), and G. Timothy; his daughter, Grace (husband Eugene) Kulp; 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
A memorial service is planned for a later date. The family requests that donations in lieu of flowers may be made in Fred’s memory to Save the Strays Animal Rescue, 1670-9 Springdale Drive, #143, Camden, SC 29020.
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