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Rev. Orion Neely Lewis died at his home in Lenexa, KS, Sunday, April 11, 2010 with close family at his side. Born Feb 5, 1920 in Beeville, TX, Orion's 90 years were rich in friendship and love. The family will welcome visitors at St. Paul's United Methodist Church (UMC), 7740 Lackman, Lenexa, KS, on Wednesday, April 14, from 6-8 p.m. Services will be held at 10 a.m., on Thursday, April 15, also at St. Paul's UMC. Interment will follow immediately at the cemetery in Wellsville, Kansas.
Rev. Orion Neely Lewis died at his home in Lenexa, KS, Sunday, April 11, 2010 with close family at his side. Born Feb 5, 1920 in Beeville, TX, Orion's 90 years were rich in friendship and love. The family will welcome visitors at St. Paul's United Methodist Church (UMC), 7740 Lackman, Lenexa, KS, on Wednesday, April 14, from 6-8 p.m. Services will be held at 10 a.m., on Thursday, April 15, also at St. Paul's UMC. Interment will follow immediately at the cemetery in Wellsville, Kansas. Orion married Dorothy Lou Reynolds in 1943, and they shared 60 years blessed by four children. A rancher at heart, Orion answered the call to ministry in 1952 and served throughout southwest Texas in full-time ministry until 1985, when he retired to enjoy his grandchildren and pursue ranching in Franklin County, Kansas. In retirement, he served as Associate Pastor at the First UMC in Ottawa, KS, and then as pastor at Richmond UMC. After Dorothy died in 2001, he married Mary Knipstein Maughn in 2004 and moved to Lenexa. A truly renaissance man, his interests extended from writing poetry to training horses; from raising bees to learning jazz piano; from using Spanish to baking bread.
Preceded in death by his beloved Dorothy; and his daughter, Jo Ann, Rev. Lewis is survived by his spouse and best friend, Mary Maughn Lewis, of the home; three children, Judy Wollen of Little Rock, AR, Ernie Lewis of Conway, AR, and Glenda Pfeifer of Olathe, KS; his sister, Mary Bost of Georgetown, TX, his brother, Earle Lewis of Round Rock, TX; grandchildren Andy Wollen, Kristina Wollen, Beth Lewis Miller, Zach Feris, Coby Feris, and Anthony Pfeifer; and great grandchildren Sydney Gates, Nicholas Wollen, Gabriel Wollen, Michael Wollen, Lyla Miller, Owen Miller and River Orion Feris; and a host of loving in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to:
The Dorothy and Orion Lewis Endowment
Heifer International Foundation
PO Box 727
Little Rock, AR 72203
888-422-1161.
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Rev. Lewis asked that these poems be read at the service:
------------------------------------------------------------This video montage of music and photos was played during the wake and before the memorial service. It's broken up into four sections:
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