5 May 2012

J. W. Fiegenbaum

1924 — 2010

Obituary

J.W. Fiegenbaum, minister, Mount Holyoke College professor

AMHERST - J.W. Fiegenbaum died on Jan. 13, 2010, at his home in Amherst, after a period of failing health.

J. was born on Dec. 25, 1924, in Tulsa, Okla., the eldest child of John Henry and Katherine Margaret (Maun) Fiegenbaum.  He was raised on his family's farm in Lafayette County, Mo., and received his early education in the rural schools, graduating from Mayview High School, Mayview, Mo., in 1943.  He was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1944, received infantry basic training and instruction in military law enforcement at Camp Robinson, Ark., and served in the South East Asia Command at Kandi, Ceylon; Karachi and Calcutta, India; and Shanghai, China.  Following World War II, J. attended Mission House College, Wis., and earned a B.A. from Drury College, Mo., in 1950.  In 1953, he was awarded a B.D. from Eden Theological Seminary, Mo., and was ordained for the Christian ministry by the Evangelical and Reformed denomination at Zion Church, Mayview, Mo.  He continued his studies at Northwestern University in Illinois, the American University in Cairo, Egypt and earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in comparative religion with special emphasis on Islam at the Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University, Quebec.  In 1967, he was the recipient of a Fulbright grant.  As a minister of the Evangelical and Reformed and United Church of Christ denominations, J. served churches at Washington, Mo.; Biloxi, Miss.; as the first chaplain of Elmhurst College in Illinois; and at Genoa and Glenview, Ill.  He retired in 1984 as pastor emeritus of the United Church of Pelham [in Massachusetts].

In addition to his work as a pastoral minister, J. was a committed educator.  He was an associate editor of religion for Encyclopedia Britannica III in Chicago, Ill., and regularly contributed book reviews to Choice (ALA) magazine.  He was a tenured member of the faculty at Elmhurst College; taught at Concordia University, Quebec; retired in 1990 from Mount Holyoke College as professor emeritus of religion; and was a Scholar in Residence at Eden Theological Seminary.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Henry M. Fiegenbaum; his sister, Dorothy L. (Fiegenbaum) Riekhof; and his first wife, Dorothy M. (Gerber) Fiegenbaum.  He is survived by his wife, Patricia Keyes, of Amherst; his son, J. Mark Fiegenbaum, of South Hadley; his son, Eric N. Fiegenbaum and his wife, Linda S. Heath, of Madbury, N.H.; his daughter, Karen J. Mclean Fiegenbaum and her husband, Peter W. Fiegenbaum McLean, of Northampton; and his stepson, Daniel F. Correia, of Belchertown.  He is also survived by granddaughters, Katherine Heath Fiegenbaum, Hannah A. McLean Fiegenbaum and Charlotte J. McLean Fiegenbaum.

Burial will be a private affair for immediate family at Valley Cemetery in Pelham.  A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church, South Hadley, on Jan. 30, at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, gifts of remembrance may be made to Friends of Sabeel-North America (PO Box 9186, Portland, Oregon 97207; http://www.fosna.org/) or the First Congregational Church, One Church Street, South Hadley 01075.  Obituary and register are available at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Source: Daily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, Massachusetts). Friday, 15 January 2010. Obituary. Section B, page 2, columns 1-2.

Brief Genealogy

J. W. Fiegenbaum's family

Dorothy May Gerber's family

Fiegenbaum - Gerber family

J. W.'s 1st marriage

Patricia Hannigan's family

Francis L. Correia's family

Details of the birth family of Francis L. Correia (1940-2000) are not currently known.

Correia - Hannigan family

Patricia's 1st marriage

Fiegenbaum - Keyes family

J. W.'s & Patricia's 2nd marriages

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