Rev. Marilyn Ruth Rayle Kern died on March 15, 2018, at 6:30 a.m. She was born Dec. 27, 1933 in Celina, Ohio, to Rev. Fred D. Rayle and Elsie (Fleck) Rayle. After graduating from John Harris High School in Harrisburg, Penn., Marilyn attended Findlay College, from which she graduated in 1955. She then married G. Richard Kern and raised her family in Findlay, Ohio.
She attended Winebrenner Seminary in Findlay and Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. First serving as assistant pastor at the First Mennonite Church in Bluffton, she also taught at Winebrenner Seminary before accepting the same position her father had held as editor of Sunday School Materials for the Churches of God General Conference in Findlay. She finished her ministry at the Oak Park Mennonite Church in suburban Chicago.
For her commitment to religious education and promoting the work of the Churches of God, The University of Findlay honored her in 1993 with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Predeceased by a daughter, Ruthie, she is survived by four children-Christopher Garrett-Kern (TeCoa), Kathleen Kern (Michael Argaman), Kevin Kern (Kristie), and Carolyn Schlicher (Darryl) and six grandchildren: Abigail Delp (Jonathan), Elisabeth Schlicher, Micaiah Schlicher, Tabitha Schlicher, Simeon Schlicher, Jennifer-Carolyn Jones-Kern, and Kenton Kern.
Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Saturday, March 17, at Kirkpatrick-Behnke Funeral Home, 500 Lima Avenue, Findlay. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 18, at First Mennonite Church in Bluffton.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made either to the Deacon's Benevolent Fund at Bluffton First Mennonite, 101 S. Jackson St., Bluffton, OH 45817, or, Mennonite Home Communities of Ohio Capital Campaign to build future Green House homes, 410 W. Elm St., Bluffton, OH 45817.
