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Title
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Compton, Asa T.
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Officiating Ministers
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-- Additional Biographical Experiences, Episodes or Further Comment on Back.
Detroit" Annual Conference
The United Methodist Chu.rch
Information for Memoirs
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Name~~~--------~------~T~--------------~~~------~C~o~m~p~t~o~n~~---------·(middle)
(maiden) ·
(last)
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Birthdate .Tune 21, 1918
Birth place Montrose T\•'P.
Fi.rst and last nameS of parents
As a pnd Jenevieve . Compton
Date of adm-ission T 19 4 2 F 19 4 8 to the Detroit
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LAMBERTVILLE, Whitmore Lake, Trentonr Faith,
· Date of death 9/2 6/' 0 3
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Marriage information_ mar ri e d to Joa n Warda. 'Johnson, July 12, 194 3
Survivors/relationship information in obituary
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This information was provided by J. Warda Compton, wife
Addr~s 1813 Gi~ ndale Ave--.~~S~a~q~i~n~a~w~,~M~I~~4~
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Phone·~
792 - 6076
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.lAce' leaves legac of love
. Renaissance artists depicted the
Creator as an Old Testament,
omnipotent male with a flowing beard.
I prefer the likeness of George Bw'lls,
who gave dry-humored advice to the
supermarket manager John Denver
portrayed in the film "Oh, God!"
If Earth's Architect has the power the
faithful of all religions assign him, an
appearance by the
Almighty might come
in such a plainspoken
form.
An even better
image is that of a man
who taught industrial
arts and ministered
thro1,1gh common
sense, wisdom, wit and example- and
the Scriptures. He departed this life on
Sept. 26.
Close friends knew him as "Ace."
Some called him "the Bishop of
Saginaw," a fancy name that
underscores his continued interest in
urban renewal and downtown
investment.
His formal title was the Rev. Asa T.
Compton. And he renewed more than
neighborhoods.
Ace and I arrived in Saginaw by very
different routes within roughly a year of
each other. But I didn't get to know hiJ1l
until long after those turbulent timeS of
1967.
Within minutes of starting our first indepth conversation some three years
ago, it was as if I'd known him all my life.
We had common interests: home
construction, a love ofworkingwith wood
and power tools. Both of us were quite at
ease in the woods and on the lake.
He helped whet my curiosity about life
and its meaning. He provided renewed
confidence about what
lies beyond.
Ace and his wife of
60 years, Warda,
helped Kindred Spirit
and I knit a new
relationship that
culrrrinated in his
presiding over our
marriage in 2002. They welcome~ us into
their home and gave us sage adVIce and
guidance as if they were our parents.
Which, in essence, they were.
Those who )mew Ace well - and
undoubtedly there are thousands saw him as a wearer of many hats,
including that of a Shriner and a 33rd
Degree Mason. His c~lling was .that of
minister to congregations rangmg from
the Upper Peninsula to Saginaw's
Jefferson Avenue United Methodist,
Warren Avenue Methodist and Second
Presbyterian - where I got to know
him best.
If anyone were to provide a pattern_ for
humanity, it was M:e. He took a genume
I
I
I
interest in everyone he met and had
something in common with each person.
He didn't wear his faith on his sleeve.
It came from his heart and soul. His
message of Christian brotherhood and
sisterhood was as natural to him as
breathing.
He helped
hundreds during their
most difficult times,
even fellow patients
at the Cartwright
Center, up until his
gentle pa~sing at the
ageof85.
My hope is
someday he will help
guide me to one of
those "many rooms" Asa T. Compton
that he talked about.
We may make a stop on the way at a pool
table where he'll give me a chance for a
rematch. He was, of course, a man of
many skills.
And we'll resume our conversations
during which I suspect he'll put a new
slant on one of his favorite sayings:
"Life was uncertain, wasn't it? Did
you eat dessert before you got here like I
suggested?"
Amen,Asa.•
Chris Thompson is a columnistfor The
Saginaw News. You may reach him at
176-9779.
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The
ews
A3
SEPTEMBER 2 7, 2003
Compton /touched a lot of lives'
BEN CUNNINGHAM
•THE SAGINAW NEWS
The Rev. Asa T. Compton had a
taste for ministry, urban renewal and
woodworking.
The longtime Saginaw resident,
who led the Jefferson Avenue United
Methodist Church, 310 S. Jefferson,
from 1967 to 1983, died Fiiday of congestive heart failure at Saginaw
Township's Cartwright Center hospice.
"He touched a lot of lives," said
Compton's wife, Warda. "We had a
wonderful 60 years together."
Compton was born in 1918 in Montrose Township. He grew up in Montrose and attended Flint Central High
School before moving on to Ypsilanti
State University and Ohio's Oberlin
Graduate School of Theology.
Nicknamed "Ace," he married
Warda Johnson on July 12, 1943.
Compton taught industrial arts,
history and English as needed and
encouraged one of the first urban
4-H Clubs in Michigan, his wife said:
He served Faith Methodist Chw-ch
in Wayne County's '!renton from 1959
to 1967.
In 1967, he moved to Saginaw and to
Jefferson Avenue Methodist Church.
He expressed his views on community and urban renewal early on.
"The church must play a significant
role in tackling the dividing issues of
the community today: housing, education, social services and race," he said
in a 1967 Saginaw News article.
After 42 years of ministry, Compton
retired from Jefferson in 1983. He
returned in 1985 as an interim pastor
at Warren Avenue Presbyterian
Church, 612 Millard, for 18 months.
Compton since had been involved
with Second Presbyterian Church,
2665 Midland in Saginaw Thwnship.
Compton volunteered as a board
member for the ArJlerican Red Cross,
was a trustee for f{oyt Public Library,
served as chaplain of the Elf Khurafeh Shrine Ternple and was presid~nt of the SaginaW Ministetial Asso-
Ciation.
lie was a foundi~g member of the
Saginaw Econornlc Development
~orp. and pushed Ul'ban renewal and
Investment projects for downtown
Saginaw.
. "He was very i.rlt.etested in the city,"
h1s wife said.
Compton had a penchant for wood-
working and used a router to create
the wooden sign for Jefferson Methodist
In addition to his wife, Compton
leaves three children and their spouses: daughter Terri and Michael Steinhauer of '!renton; son Dana and Jill
Compton of Boyne City; and son John
and Lisa Compton of Leroy, N.Y; and
six grandchildren. one grandchild
preceded him in death.
Memorial services are set for II
a.m. 1\lesday at Second Presbyterian
Church, 2665 Midla)ld in Saginaw
1bwnship. Those who wish may make
donations in his name to the church or
to the charity of their choice.
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Ben Cunningham is a staffwriter for
The Saginaw News. You may 1·each
him at 776-9716.
The Rev. Asa T. Compton led
Saginaw's Jefferson Avenue
United Methodist Church
until he retired in 1983 after
42 years of ministry.
!ompton, The Rev. Asa T.,
»aginaw Township.
Passed away Friday, Septem•er 26, 2003, at the James E. Cart~ri ght Care Center. Age 85 years .
i e was born June 21, 1918 in
llontrose Township, the son of the
:1te Asa and Jenevieve (Simpson)
;ompton . He graduated from Flint
~e ntral High School, attended Yp;ilanti State College and received
lis Master's of Theology from
)berlin Graduate School. His first
:hurch after Seminary was the
Nhitmore Lake Methodist Church
vhere he' served from 1949 until
959. He then served Faith Meth)dist Church in Trenton, Michigan
or eight years . He moved to Sagi1aw in 1967 where he served as
:>astor at Jefferson Avenue United
v1ethodist Chu rch. While there, he
Nas active in the downtown comnunity and urban renewal , serving
3.S a founding member of the Sagilaw Econo m ic Development
::orp .. and working toward urban
·enewal and investment projects
'or downtown Saginaw. He retired
'rom Jefferson Avenue United
Methodist Church in 1983. Subseuently, he served as interim pasor at Warren Avenue Presbyterian
Church for 18 months, and has
served as Parish Visitor at Second
Presbyterian Church since 1987.
He served as President of the Saginaw Ministerial Association . He
had also served as on-call chaplain at the Aleda E. Lutz V.A. Medical Center for many years. He was
a member of the Saginaw Lodge
# 77,F.&A.M ., was a 33rd degree
Mason, and a member of the Bay
bty Consistory and Scottish Rite
Bodies. He was a member of the
Elf Khurafeh Shrine Temple, serving as its chaplain for 22 years. He
served on the Board of Directors
of the American Red Cross and as
a trustee for Hoyt Public Library
Asa was an avid woodworker. He
was a member of the Tri -Cit
Wood Carvers, and was an ac·
complished carver who enjoye
sharing hi::; ca;viA§s witn tamil
and friends. He married Ward
Uohnson on July 12, 1943. She
surv-ives him. He also leaves one
daughter, tw o son s and the i
spouses. Terri and Michael Stein.
hau er, Trento n ; Dana and Jil
Compton, Boyne City; John ano
Lisa Compton, Leroy , N.Y. ; si>
grandchildren, Zachary, Jennifen
Emily, Margaret, Marg aux . an
Katherine; one sister, Ava Lam
bert; one brother-in-law and thre
sisters-in-law; many ni eces an
nephews. Besides his parents. h~
was predeceased by one gran
son , Craig and one brother, Th
Rev. Lewis Compton .
Funeral services wi ll take placE
11 :00 a.m . Tuesday, Septembe
30, 2003 at Second Presbyteriar
Church , 2665 Midland Rd. Th
Rev. James Neumann will officiat
with The Rev. Clare Tosch assis
ing. Private committal services wi
take place later in tM Flushin!
Cemetery. Friends may call at th
W.L. Case & Company Funera
Chapel, 4480 Mackinaw Rd. fran
2:00 to 5: 00 p.m . and 7:00 to 9:01
p .m . on Monday and then at thl
church from 10:00 a.m. Tuesda
until the time of service. Thos'
planning an expression of sympa
thy may wish to consider th•
church or charity of the1r choice
THE REv. AsA COMPTON,
retired D etroit Conference
clergyman, died Sept. 26. Mr.
. Compton served the McMillan Circuit, and the Stephenson, Ontonagan, Samaria,
• Lulu, Lambertville, Whitmore
Lake, Trenton: Faith and Saginaw: Jefferson Ave. UMCs.
He retired in 1983. Mr.
Compton is survived hy his
wife, Warda. Condolences may
be sent to her at 1813 Glendale Ave. , Saginaw, MI 48603.
Obituaries
11~?~..L
.JENEVIEVE E . COMPTON, age 72,
di ed Septem ber 1 at t he McLaren Gene ra l Hospita l in Flint. She was born in
Midland on April 29 , 1889, a nd married
Asa T. Compton ·o n Jun e 24, 1914, in
Bay Co unty. H e preceded her in death
in A ug ust 1954 . Mrs. Compton was a
g r ad uate of both Mt. Pleasant Normal
an d Ferris In stitute and tau g ht sch ool
in Album and F orrest schools in Bay
County. She was Ge nesee Co unty s up ervisor in 1937 a nd chairman of t he election boa rd for 25 years. Mr ·. Co mpton
was a me mber of t he Oak Park Church ,
Flint, and was the f irst presi dent of its
Woman's Soci e ty of Chri stian Service.
She also tau g ht a Sunday sc hool class
for man y years. Survivors include a
daug hter, Mrs . Daniel Lambert; two
s ons, Rev. As a T . Compton of Trenton
a nd Rev. Lewis Compt on of Bay City;
seve n g randchildren; three sist ers a nd
two brother s. Services were h eld from
the church with her pastor, Rev. Paul •
Hart, officia ting. Buri a l was in the
Flu shing Cemeter y.
9/c?/ ~?
TERRI AN N COMPTON, da ug hter of
Rev . a nd Mrs. A sa T . Comp ton of Trent on, and MICHAEL DAVID STEINHAUER, so n of Mr. and Mrs . F erri s
Steinhau er , wer e united in marriage
Au g ust 27 in th e newl y co mpl et ed sa nctua ry of Faith Me th odi st Church, Trenton. Th e Bible ca rried by the bride ll"as
the one carried by her moth er at her
wedding. Attending th e bride were Mi ss
Mrs. Michael D. Steinhauer
Jud y Lassig, Miss Betty Cornell and
Miss Dan iele Steinhauer. The best man
was Ferris Steinhauer, Jr., brother of
the g r oom, and Richard Los, Dana
Compton and Gary Bohl acted as ushers.
John Compton was ring-bearer for the
double-ring ceremony. Rev. Lewis P.
Compton of Gaylord read the marriage
service a long w ith the father of the
bride, Rev. Asa T. Compton. The young
couple will r eturn to school in the fall
and will Jive in Pine Grove Terrace on
the campus of Eastern Michigan Univers ity, Ypsilanti.
1
Compton, Asa T.