Bishop David F. Wertz

Bishop David Frederick Wertz, 97, of Carlisle, PA, died Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 at Cumberland Crossings Retirement Community, Carlisle, where he had resided for more than 13 years.

Born Oct, 5, 1916 in Lewistown, he was the youngest son of the late Jesse Price and Ada Barratt Wertz and the widower of Betty Jean Rowe Wertz (1999). He was preceded in death by four brothers and two sisters.

Bishop Wertz graduated from Dickinson College (A.B, 1937) and Boston University School of Theology (M.A. 1939; S.T.B., 1940). He was ordained a deacon of the Methodist Church in 1940 and an elder in 1942. He joined the Central Pennsylvania Conference and served churches in Doylesburg (1940-43), Stewartstown (1943-46), Camp Curtin Memorial, Harrisburg (1946-49), and Allison Memorial, Carlisle (1949-53). For two years he was District Superintendent of the Williamsport District and in 1955 he became President of Lycoming College in Williamsport. In 1968, D. Frederick Wertz was elected to the United Methodist episcopacy by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference. He was appointed bishop of the West Virginia Area (1968-1980) and the Washington Area (1980-1984), before retiring to Adams County in 1984. Throughout his career, he served on various university trustee committees, as well as President of the Commission on Religion and Race and President of the General Board of Global Ministries.

Surviving are three daughters, Joanne W. Monoski of Carlisle, Donna W. Ream of Lewisburg, WV, and Elizabeth W. Maisonpierre (and husband, Jonathan) of Laurinburg, NC; one son, Robert G. Wertz (and partner, Carlton R. Leedom) of Sudbury, VT; ten grandchildren, and twenty-two great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, Nov, 2, at Carlisle United Methodist Church, 45 South West Street, Carlisle, with the Rev. Mira Hewlett co-officiating with various bishops from the Northeastern Jurisdiction. A time of fellowship will follow the services. Hoffman-Roth Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 219 North Hanover Street, Carlisle is in charge of the arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief). Checks should be payable to "Advance GCFA" and mailed to Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068. The memo line should note "In memory of Bishop D.F. Wertz". Memorial donations can also be made through local United Methodist Churches in his name or online at http://www.umcmission.org/Give-to-Mission/Search-for-Projects/Projects/999895 (check box to indicate memorial gift).