Rev. Gary Trowbridge

OSMOND — Services for the Rev. Gary Trowbridge, 69, of Osmond will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Osmond. The Rev. Russ Sommerfeld, Nebraska District president, and Rev. Glen Emery will officiate with burial in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery. Military rites will be by American Legion Post 326 and VFW Post 7838 of Osmond. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the church. Stonacek Memorial Chapel in Osmond is in charge of arrangements. Rev. Gary D. Trowbridge went to be with his Lord on Saturday, April 4, 2015, after a battle with cancer. He was born on Oct. 5, 1945, in Long Beach, Calif. He graduated from Central High School in Cheyenne, Wyo., in 1964. Pastor Trowbridge then joined the Marine Corps in November, and he served a tour of duty in Vietnam, working in reconnaissance in the jungles near DaNang, where he received a field promotion to the rank of sergeant. He was honorably discharged in November of 1967. On June 1, 1968, he married Sarah Jane Hart. They were happily married 46 years and had four children and five grandchildren. He earned his bachelor’s of science in education at Chadron State College in Chadron, and then he entered the seminary of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, earning his master’s of divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind. He was ordained at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Stevensville, Mont., on June 19, 1977. He also served three other congregations during his nearly 38 years of ministry: St. John’s Lutheran, Okarche, Okla.; Our Savior Lutheran, Fair Lawn, N.J.; and Immanuel Lutheran in Osmond. Pastor Trowbridge is survived by his wife, Sarah Trowbridge of Osmond; daughter Anne Garcia and her husband, Wilson of Saddle Brook, N.J.; daughter Marisa Trowbridge of Burnsville, Minn.; daughter Amy Smith and her husband, Robert of Edmond, Okla.; son Matthew Trowbridge of Edmond, Okla.; grandchildren Andrew, Megan and Natalie Smith of Edmond, Okla.; and Madelyn and Alexander Garcia of Saddle Brook, N.J. He is also survived by seven siblings, Fred Maves and his wife Donna of Cape Coral, Fla., Jean McAuliffe of Cheyenne, Wyo., Erma “Susie” Gutierrez of Yorba Linda, Calif., Ron Trowbridge and his wife, Mag of Cheyenne, Jackie Bassett and her husband, Tom of Cheyenne, Leo Salazar and his wife, Roxane of Loveland, Colo., and Gilbert Salazar and his wife, Donna of Kingston, Wash.; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Ellen (Shumway) Salazar; his stepfather, Leo Salazar; and his father, Arlie E. Trowbridge. The funeral luncheon will be held at the Osmond City Hall following the graveside service. Beginning in 2003, pastor Trowbridge started years of medical tests and treatments. After each one, he celebrated by going out for pancakes. It became a family joke that “pancakes can fix anything,” and the pancake run became an expected part of any medical procedure. In order to celebrate the end of his final test here on earth, the family has chosen to celebrate with a pancake lunch for the funeral meal. Music will be by organist Mr. Clint Dennis, choir director Mrs. Sharon Luhr and the Immanuel Lutheran Church Choir with “Here I Am Lord,” congregational hymns “I Know That My Redeemer Lives,” “The King Of Love My Shepherd Is” and “Lift High The Cross.” Casket bearers will be James Bessmer, Ed Brummels, Phil Gutz, Kent Gansebom, Dwight Kahny, Justin Koehler, Paul Koehler, Scott Kumm, Randy Pfanstiel and Mike Johnson. Honorary casket bearers will be Sons of the American Legion. Memorials can be sent to Bell Carillon Fund, Immanuel Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 10, Osmond, NE 68765.

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Rev. Gary Trowbridge

October 5, 1945 - April 4, 2015