Today Kurt Schmitz conducted the funeral of Karl-Heinz Pasch, the husband of one of our members in the Dormagen congregation.

Ilse Pasch’s husband Karl-Heinz died at the age of 82 on September 11 after a three month period of suffering. He had had two operations during that period and seemed to be recovering when he suffered a stroke in mid-August. He never really recovered from the stroke, being at times unable to recognize those who visited him. On my last visit to see him, though, he recognized me. The first words out of his mouth were: "We all have to go into the box sometime," indicating that he knew the end was coming. Ilse accepted her husband’s death with faith and strength, knowing that it ended his suffering. Frau Pasch lives in a retirement home in Cologne, where the funeral service was held.