Rev. Dr. John D. Trefzger Obituary (1923 - 2022)

The Rev. Dr. John D. Trefzger, Minister Emeritus of First Christian Church in Bloomington, IL, died on February 15, 2022 at Luther Oaks Retirement Community in Bloomington, IL at the age of 98. John Dennis Trefzger was born in Peoria, IL on September 4, l923, the eldest child of C. J. "Joe" and Dorothy Trockur Trefzger. John married Marilyn Wilson of Peoria, IL in Glen Oak Christian Church on June 9, l946. She passed away August 30, 2010. Surviving are two sons: James E. (Dorothy) of Champaign, and Robert T. (Connie) of Bloomington; and daughter-in-law Nancy Trefzger also of Bloomington. Their eldest son, Dr. Richard C. Trefzger passed away November 17, 2012. Preceding John in death were his parents; his siblings and their spouses: Joseph Jr. (Gladys), Thomas (Betty), Mary (Mark) Hurd; and a grandson Paul Trefzger. John is also survived by five grandchildren: Emily (Juan) Mejia, Sarah Trefzger, and Michael Trefzger all of Bloomington; Amy (Michael) Curry of Portland, OR; and John R. (Jessica) Trefzger of Mahomet, IL. He is also survived by 17 great grandchildren: Sabrina, Charlie, Samantha, Octavio, Julian, Alan, Norah, Freya, Jenna, Noah, Hunter, Connor, Olivia, Ryder, Aurora, Pamela, and Jade; and two great-great grandchildren: Bella, and Melhani. Also surviving is his special friend and companion Donna Sands, as well as several beloved nieces and nephews. His funeral will be held at First Christian Church of Bloomington IL, starting at 11:00am Saturday February 26, 2022, with the Rev. Dr. Teresa Dulyea-Parker and the Rev. Hank Anderson presiding. Visitation will begin at 9:30am prior to the funeral at the church. Burial will follow the funeral at Park Hill Cemetery, Bloomington. Arrangements are being handled by Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home, Bloomington, IL.. The funeral will also be live-streamed at this address: https://www.blmfcc.org/keeping-you-in-the-loop/watch-fcc as well as on the First Christian Church of Bloomington IL Facebook page. Memorials may be made to First Christian Church, 401 W. Jefferson St., Bloomington IL 61701, or to Eureka College, Eureka, IL 61530. John attended public schools in Peoria, IL and worked in the family business, Trefzger's Bakery, during his high school and college days. In his youth, John was a noted scholar-athlete, participating in four varsity sports as a High School student at Peoria Woodruff. In 1941 he pitched a perfect (no-run, no-hit, no-baserunners) baseball game during the Peoria District HS Tournament in which he struck out more than half the batters he faced. He was the Salutatorian of the first class of Peoria Woodruff High School made up of students who had attended all four years at that school. At graduation, John received the top honor of his class, the Averyville-Kingman-Woodruff Award. In 2007, Trefzger was honored with Woodruff's Distinguished Alumni Award. Trefzger attended Bradley University, where he majored in Chemistry, and lettered in track for two years as a distance runner. There he was a member of the Federation of Bradley Scholars, the Sigma Phi Fraternity, and later served as Chaplain of the Varsity "B" Club for over 25 years. During World War II, Trefzger enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942, serving for four years as an airplane engine specialist attaining the rank of Sergeant in the 4th Combat Cargo Group in India and Burma. Following World War II, Trefzger enrolled at Eureka College as a pre-ministerial student, lettering in Baseball and graduating magna cum laude in l948. He received a Master of Divinity degree with honors in 1951 from Lexington (KY) Theological Seminary. Student pastorates served during this time were the Bryant Christian Church in Illinois and the Oxford Christian Church in Kentucky. In l965 Eureka College presented him with an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree, and in 1977 he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. The Rev. Dr. Trefzger served as senior pastor of the following churches: First Christian Church, Waukegan, IL (1951-1957); First Christian Church, Bloomington, IL (1957-1973); First Christian Church, South Bend, IN (1973-1980); and First Christian Church, Bloomington, IN (1980-1984). In l984 both John and Marilyn were called to be associate regional ministers of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Illinois and Wisconsin. They served in this capacity until both retired at the close of l988. After retirement, Dr. Trefzger served as interim pastor of seven congregations. In 2002 he was named Minister Emeritus of First Christian Church in Bloomington, IL. During retirement Trefzger also served for 13 years in Florida as an RV Camp Chaplain, where he was also named Pastor Emeritus of the Naples KOA. For a number of years the Rev. Dr. Trefzger directed summer conferences for high school youth of The Christian Church in Illinois. He served for ten years on the Commission on Ministry for the Illinois Disciples of Christ, and eleven years on the Commission on Evangelism. In l959 he was elected President of the Illinois Disciples Ministers Fellowship, and in l967 was named President of the Illinois Disciples of Christ Convention. From l978 to l982 he was chairman of the Ecumenical Concerns Commission of The Christian Church in Indiana, and Vice-Moderator of The Christian Church in Indiana, l982-84. Over a period of 27 years, l951-l978, Dr. Trefzger served four six-year terms as a Trustee of Eureka College, and was elected to seven one-year terms as President of the Board. While Trefzger was President of the Board of Trustees, future U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan, then Governor of California, served a 4 year term as a Trustee of Eureka College. On a national level of The Christian Church, John served for l4 years on The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Year Book Committee. He also served on the Home and State Missions Planning Council and participated in various capacities on a number of programs of the International Convention and General Assembly of The Christian Church. The Rev. Dr. Trefzger was a member of the Interfaith Relations Committee of the World Convention of the Churches of Christ in the l970's. Inter-denominationally, Trefzger served terms as President of the Council of Churches and Ministerial Associations in both Waukegan and Bloomington, IL. In Waukegan he had a weekly radio program for several years called "Religion in the News" which featured interdenominational cooperation among the various churches on a national as well as world level. He was a leader in numerous study programs relating to the Consultation on Church Union (COCU) in the 1970's. Both John and Marilyn were honored to serve as Protestant Clergy for the local Cursillo movement over a span of some 15 years. For ten years The Rev. Dr. Trefzger portrayed the role of the Apostle John in the American Passion Play in Bloomington, IL. Dr. Trefzger was also a Paul Harris Fellow and a 60 year member of Rotary International. Dr. Trefzger was a life member of Bloomington Lodge #43, and the Scottish Rite Masonic bodies. He was a past Most Wise Master of the Rose Croix of Scottish Rite in the Valley of Bloomington, IL. In l967 he was honored with the 33rd degree in Scottish Rite Masonry in Pittsburgh, PA. For many years he served on the McLean County Welfare Committee and the executive committee of the McLean County United Community Services. In l97l he was the United Way fund raising chairman for McLean County which set a record that year for pledges made and amount of money raised. Dr. Trefzger was widely traveled, forming and maintaining personal relationships all over the world, having visited over 80 countries on all continents except Antarctica. From l97l to l973 Trefzger was a member of the Bloomington-Normal Sister City Committee relating to Asahikawa, Japan. In June of l973 the Trefzgers led a group of 22 persons to the Far East. It was the first group from Bloomington-Normal to visit the Japanese Sister City since the program began in l962. John and Marilyn led numerous tours around the world during the l970's and l980's with an emphasis on understanding people and cultures while establishing bridges through personal friendships. Trefzger wrote numerous articles for various religious publications and journals. He developed a five-year program for reading the entire Bible that was adopted nationally by The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and in l977 wrote a book entitled, "READING THE BIBLE WITH UNDERSTANDING', which enjoyed great popularity. He was a life member of both the Disciples of Christ Historical Society and the Council on Christian Unity. Throughout his 65+ years as a Christian Church minister, the Rev. Dr. Trefzger sought to focus on persons of all ages, races, and station, ministering to their needs in times of both joy and sorrow. During his ministry he recorded over 55,000 pastoral calls. His preaching was always Biblically based, sharing the good news of God's love through Christ Jesus. The family wishes to express their deep appreciation to the staff and residents of Luther Oaks for all of their special care for John and their many acts of friendship and kindness over the years.