Obituary of Gerald Dean Coborn

Jerry Coborn 82, of Carlinville, died Thursday, March 25, 2010 at Memorial Medical Center. He was born Sunday, June 5, 1927 in Rock Island, Illinois, the Son of Leslie and Blancke (Granger) Coborn. Jerry spent his childhood and teens in Rock Island where he was born again at the age of five years and was baptized in water at six. At mid-teens he became very active in the children's work of the Moline Gospel Temple. He was baptized in the Holy Spirit at seventeen, on opening night of Bible School. The Moline Gospel Temple was one of the largest (2000 adherents) Pentecostal churches in pre-war (second) America. Jerry was therefore privileged to sit under the greatest evangelists of that day and they had great influence on his future ministry. He married Margaret Marian "Peggy" MacKendrick in Bradford, PA on September 29, 1945. To this union two children were born: Karen Joy (December 1946-entered her rest December of 1964) and Daniel Dean (October 1948). Jerry graduated from Rock Island High School, class of 1945. He attended the Open Bible Institute in Des Moines, Iowa and was credentialed as a licensed minister. He was the first new graduate to receive such recognition . Jerry was ordained with the Assemblies of God in May 1951. He also took courses at William Penn College in Oskaloosa, Iowa concentrating on creative writing and journalism. Evangelism was on Jerry's mind at all times, therefore; whatever assignments he was given, soul winning was the motivating factor. He was very innovative in his approach to reaching a community. One nationally known evangelist made a statement that had great influence on his minisrty: "find out how God is moving, then move with God". The Coborn's pastored for twenty five years in Illinois and Iowa, then received assignment from the Assemblies of God Division of Foreign Missions as Field Evangelists in West and East Africa. After their first term they were asked to go world-wide as Missionary Evangelists. Thus minisrty took them into sixty-four countries in the next twenty-two years. Their last major overseas assignment sent them to the Netherlands for six years, where they established an international english speaking church. Jerry was a member of First Assembly of God Church. He loved to fish and had accomplished his goal of traveling to all 50 states in the USA. He was the auxillary chaplain at Soesterberg Air Force Base in the Netherlands, as well as a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Carlinville. Survivors: Wife, Margaret "Peggy" Coborn of Carlinville, IL, Son, Daniel D. Coborn (Sally) of Plano, TX, 2 Granddaughters, Karina L. Pearce, Nicole "Nikkie" Renee Nowik, and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his Daughter- Karen Coborn and two Brothers- Virgil and Keith Coborn. Funeral Information Friends and family may visit from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M., Sunday, March 28 at Davis-Anderson Funeral Home in Carlinville. Funeral services will be held at11:00 A.M., Monday, March 29, 2010 at First Assembly of God Church in Carlinville. Burial will be in Prairie Lawn Cemetery in Carlinville. Dennis Bullard, Darrell Dart, Gary Foster, Carl Hallbauer, Kenny Meece and Paul MacKendrick will serve as pallbearers. Donations Information Memorials may be made to the First Assembly of God Church or the First Assembly of God Missions. Directions Visitation: Davis Anderson in Carlinville Service: First Assembly of God Carlinville Cemetery: Prarie Lawn Cemetery