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REV. DONALD J KENSLER

The Rev. Donald J Kensler stepped into the presence of Jesus Sept. 17, 2015.

Donald was a loving husband, devoted father, grandfather and great-grandfather who will be greatly missed. He was born Aug. 4, 1916 in Van Wert, Ohio.

Mr. Kensler was an Engineer on the New York Central Railroad during the 1940s. He resigned in 1950, moving his family to Greensboro, N.C., to attend Bible School preparing for the ministry. In North Carolina, he pastored New Hope Friends, Summerfield Friends, and Rock Hill Friends Churches.

He was ordained as a minister in 1959 in the Evangelical Friends Conference, and moved to Mathews County, Va., to pastor Peniel Friends Church. In 1965, he moved back to Ohio to pastor Urbana Friends Church until his retirement in 1981. After retiring, he and his wife managed Camp Gideon in Mechanicsville, Ohio, for the Friends Conference from 1986 until 1991 when they moved back to Mathews where they became involved in New Point Friends Church, Hands Across Mathews, and the Mathews Ministerial Association.

Preceding Mr. Kensler in death were his wife of 75 years, Georgia Mae Reams; his parents, Fred and Mattie Kensler; three brothers, Charles, Clifford and Orville, and his sister, Isabelle Kensler.

He is survived by his four children, Shirley Faison (Bob) of Newport News, Carole Martin (Pat) of Williamsburg, Fred Kensler (Linda) of Zanesfield, Ohio, and Jean Hall (Donnie) of Mathews. He also leaves 11 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren, seven step-grandchildren, 22 step-great-grandchildren, and one step-great-great-grandchild.

Funeral services were held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, in Central United Methodist Church, Mathews, Va. Interment was in H.C. Smither Memorial Cemetery. The family received friends one hour prior to the service on Sunday at the church.