Tipmore, Pastor Steven T. Pastor Steven T. Tipmore, age 55 of Holton, passed away unexpectedly following a heart attack on Tuesday, April 24, 2007, at the Gerber Memorial Health Services in Fremont. Pastor Tipmore was born on July 2, 1951, in Indianapolis, Indiana to Donald and Alberta (Giles) Tipmore Sr. Steven grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from Mooresville High School in Mooresville, Indiana and later met and married Pamela Perry on June 5, 1971, in Indianapolis. Steve spent 5 years as a barber before being called into the ministry and at which time attended and graduated from Bob Jones University with a Bachelors of Arts in Bible. He served as the assistant pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Muncie, Indiana for 5 years before being called to Fremont where he became the senior pastor of the Faith Baptist Church in 1986. For the past 21 years, Pastor Tipmore has been the senior pastor at the Faith Baptist Church in Fremont where he has led the church in 2 large expansion projects of the education wing and the fellowship hall at the church. He was also the founder and principal of the Faith Christian School in Fremont. Pastor Tipmore received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity Degree from Bob Jones University in 2006 and was the former president of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Association of Michigan and had served on the Michigan Association of Christian Schools Board for many years. Pastor Tipmore was an avid golfer and enjoyed downhill snow skiing in the winter months. He is survived by his loving wife of 35 years Pamela of Holton; his children Steven (Christine) Tipmore II of Greenville, South Carolina; Brendan (Benjamin) Dawley of Riverview, Florida; Dalen Tipmore of Indianapolis, Indiana; Karlyn Tipmore, a senior at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina; 3 grandchildren Haddon, Nadine, and Alayna; his mother and step father Alberta (John) Short of North Fort Myers, Florida; his brothers Donald (Sharon) Tipmore Jr. of Indianapolis, Indiana; Ricky (Sherry) Tipmore of Camby, Indiana; his sister Becky Tipmore of Bowling Green, Ohio; half brother David (Barb) Short of Cape Coral, Florida; mother and father-in-law Lloyd & Carolyn Perry of Mooresville, Indiana; sister-in-law Rhonda (Kurt) VanderDussen of Bloomington, Indiana; his aunt Carrie Smith of Pennsylvania; his aunt Mary Tipmore of Indianapolis, Indiana; several nieces, nephews, cousins and was well respected by many friends, pastors. and missionaries throughout the world. Celebration of life services were held on Monday, April 30, 2007, fro the Faith Baptist Church in Fremont with Dr. Collins Glenn and Pastor Mike Harding presiding. Graveside services were held on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at the Whitelick Cemetery in Mooresville, Indiana. Friends may consider memorial contributions to the Faith Baptist Church for the church and Faith Christian School in memory of Pastor Tipmore. Friends may also send a condolence or share a memory with the family online at www.crandellfh.com. Arrangements by Crandell Funeral Home Fremont Chapel Click here to post a condolence or memory of Pastor Tipmore on-line My heart grieves for each of you, and I have been praying that God would give you His grace for each day. Pam, it was so good to see you and Steve at Pastor Glenn's 40th anniversary. Thanks for all the effort it took to come. I have precious memories of THE TIPMORES: I'll always remember Steve coming out of the choir loft with the brown choir robe flowing, surrendering to preach. We always knew he loved Pastor Glenn and Grace Baptist Church in Muncie. I'm so glad Pastor Glenn will be with you this weekend and preach at the CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE. We liked to hear Steve preach. We always knew where he stood. God did a great work in his life. Steven and Brendan, Sandy Sigo and I kept you one day at our house on Riverside while your parents moved. You loved playing with the milk box on the front porch. (The insulated milk box was from the days of milk delivery.) My niece and nephews were there that day also, so you had someone to play with. I'll have to go back and look at those pictures. The rain kept you on the porch and in the house. We had the Tipmore family for a meal one time and Steven asked if we had an air conditioner. We were taken back, because no, we didn't. Your father explained that when the food was too hot they set it in front of the air conditioner to cool. I think he blew on your food that night. We were entertained at your "new home" in Muncie, and we visited you in Fremont, spending a few days with you. In Fremont, we played games, talked, laughed, ate, etc. It was a great time. I'm just sorry we didn't do it again. I also remember Pam had to do report cards while we where there, and also Karlyn forgot some school book/resource for her homework, and thus had to take the consequences in Mrs. Tipmore's classroom the next day. I felt so sorry for you. Steve was proud of his masculine boys and feminine girls, marveling that God made you that way. We watched Brendan and Karlyn play "dress-up." Steven and Brendan, I haven't seen you for a long time, but Karlyn and Dalen, it was always good when you visited Grace with your parents. You were always a delight to visit with. The most recent memory was when Steve and Pam were in Muncie in February. I asked to take their picture. Steve reached over and snapped a picture and asked if my camera took film. When I told him yes, he held up his digital camera and said I should have one of those. While he was laughing, he said he was sorry he wasted my film. He acted real sorry! He was just plain fun to be with! (The film is still in my camera; I must get it developed!) "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9 God's plan was to call your husband/father HOME TO HEAVEN, and we who are left behind may not understand God's timing. Be assured that God makes no mistakes. Be thankful for the godly man that he was, and treasure all those memories. Recall his fatherly advice. He probably had "pet sayings!" Rehearse them, write them down, treasure them until the time God lets you join your father. Steve left you a great heritage; may you continue to serve God the way He leads. Continue to make Steve proud! Also, wherever Steve was, there was laughter. Don't forget to laugh! Don't be afraid of their tears. I believe they are part of the healing. I too have cried, especially while writing this note. God is good, He loves you and will care for each of you. Love in Christ, Marlene Hunt Muncie, Indiana 47304 [email protected] PS Steve used to cut my hair at Man's Image! Posted 4/26/07 If I were to write a letter to Pastor it might go something like this... Dear Pastor, The words thank you are not enough to describe the thoughts in my heart and mind. /Indebted for a life time/ maybe a phrase that scratches the surface. You, along side my parents, taught me about Christ. You steered my wayward ship back to the Lord an uncountable amount of times. You taught me what was important in life...serving and living for Christ. I was thinking about what this morning must be like for you. The Bible says that you will get jewels in heaven for the good works that you did here on earth. I know pastor, that you have a jewel that says "the work, time, and love you invested in Kelly Hansen." I end my note with the words I started with...Thank you. Pastor was always so personable. He made you feel important and ALWAYS had time to listen. I emailed him a few weeks ago when my daughter Ellie asked Jesus to come into her heart. Here is his email reply... Kelly, What a happy time for you all and for us. We are so glad that the Lord has done His work in Ellie's heart. Of course, for us, when we hear these things we go back to the memories of our own children getting saved and how much that meant to us then and more now. We also think of your own history - how the Lord worked in your own heart and used you here and gave you a heart for souls on the busroutes and so on. What a blessing to me, personally. I am proud of you and Jason how that you are such good parents. I am thankful to the Lord for the small part that God allowed us to play in your lives. Keep up the good work. God bless you all - Pastor Tipmore In this email reply Pastor mentioned his part in my life...I want everyone who reads this to know...he literally helped shape who I am today. His forever impact on my life is huge....and I will miss him dearly. The Bible that I use, I got when I was in middle school. My dad had me memorize the whole chapter of Ephesians 4 in one week. He said that if I did it...he would buy me a King James Scofield Study Bible. I asked Pastor to sign the inside of my Bible the week I got it. Here is what he wrote: Kelly, My prayer for you is that you will love the Lord and trust Him for everything both now and in the future. You are special to me and it has been wonderful to see God work in your life. It won't be long and you'll be gone. That will be a sad and happy day. Know that I will always pray for you and will always be here to be your Pastor and friend. In Christ's Love Pastor Tipmore Pastor's love for each of us was unconditional. His letters to me proved that. As I end this little note...I want to say once again am thankful to have had Pastor be apart of my life. His prayers to the Lord on my behalf will be missed. I am so glad to know that I will one day see him again in heaven. Kelly Hansen Hammond Posted 4/26/07 We were so very sorry to hear about Pastor Tipmore's homegoing. While this is wonderful for him, it is a loss beyond comprehension for you. You are in our prayers. Pastor Bill Rudd, Calvary Church, Fruitport, MI Posted 4/26/07 Pastor Timpore was one of my favorite Pastors at Grace Baptist in Muncie, IN. I remember when they left for MI and it was sad to see him and his family leave. My thought and prayers go out to the family. May the Lord comfort you all during this time. Posted 4/27/07 I remember Pastor Tipmore as always standing for what he believed in. He was a gifted preacher and a wonderful human being. He was always available to listen and offer Godly advice to whomever needed help. The world will surly be a darker place without him. May God be with his family and church family during this sad time. Posted 4/28/07 Brother Steve was not only a faithful servant of God, he was also a friend and co-laborer in the Gospel around the world. During furloughs he encouraged us, loved us, and made us laugh. Thank you Steve for all that you have done for Him, us, and the precious souls of China. You have fought a good fight, you have finished your course, you have kept the faith. To the Tipmore and Faith Baptist Church families we want to tell you that brothers and sisters half a world away are praying for you during this difficult time. May the love and peace of our Lord fill and comfort your hearts and may all of us continue in the faithful footsteps of our dear brother Steve, redeeming the time, and looking forward to that day when we shall be together with our Lord forever. Paul & Becky G., China Posted 4/28/07 Pam and family: I was shocked and saddened to hear of Steve's passing. I am filled with warm remembrances of our time together in Muncie. He always had a wit about him that was incomparable. He was a true friend! I lost track of all of you, but Sandy McReynolds, our dear friend, called us today with the news. Our prayer is for you, Pam, as you and your family move on. Steve was a wonderful man. I don't know if you knew that I pastored in Angola for 4 years before coming to Pennsylvania. I was in Fremont on many occasions. If there is anything we can do for you, please let us know. Susan and I will be thinking of you and your family. I have a cousin in Moorsesville; consequently, I continue the kindred spirit in our connections. God bless and comfort you! Jerry and Susan Davis Erie, PA Posted 4/28/07 Pam As former members of Faith Baptist Church of Fremont, Michigan we want to give our condolences to the family of Pastor Steven T. Tipmore. We will miss him. Judy Banes Zachary Barnes Wendy (Barnes) Miller Posted 5/1/07 My family and I are forever thankful for the compassionate counseling and friendship Pastor Tipmore offered my brother when his marriage fell apart. He helped keep him grounded and properly focused. His consistency was a great example for my three nieces in their sometimes inconsistent world D.Barnes (Farmer) Posted 5/7/07