Lloyd A. Mead

Lloyd A. Mead, photograph courtesy of his Find A Grave page

20 January 1884 – 14 January 1980
Conference Cane: 1975
Age at death: 95 years, 11 months


The Rev. Lloyd A. Mead

The Rev. Lloyd A. Mead, 96, retired member of the West Michigan Conference, died January 14, 1980 in the Barry County Medical Care Facility, Hastings, where he and Mrs. Mead, the former Lola Hyde, had moved in November 1979. They observed their 75th wedding anniversary in 1979.

He was born in Barryville, Michigan in 1883 and preached his first sermon at the age of 17. He received his education at Adrian College, Michigan Business College and Garrett Theological Seminary and was ordained a Methodist Protestant minister in 1907 and a Methodist Episcopal minister in 1916. His first pastorage was in 1904 in Eaton Rapids, where he received pay of $165 a year and supplemented his salary by working as a house painter. West Michigan Conference churches which he served were: Browne, Gresham, Potterville, Middleton, Leslie, Whitehall, Nashville, Dimondale-Faith Haven, Dimondale-Grovenburg, and Dimondale. He retired from active ministry in 1948.

Even after retirement, Rev. Mead kept on with his ministry. He did survey work that eventually led to the building of the Calvary Church in Largo, Florida, where he was its first pastor. He later served as minister of visitation of the Chevy Chase (Maryland) Church and also local churches including the St. Luke's Methodist Church in 1962, where he assisted with all pastoral duties with special responsibility in pastoral visiting.

At the time of his death, Rev. Mead was the oldest member of the West Michigan Conference and had been the recipient of a gold headed cane that was passed down from the previous holder. The cane was originated in 1900 by a member of the conference and was to be passed on to the oldest living member.

From Rev. Mead's pen: "I retired in 1948 from the conference, having reached the required age for retirement. I did not retire entirely as you will notice. We attended the Pasadena Community Church for several years, Mrs. Mead had charge of the Junior Church there for five years and I was busy otherwise. Too, in 1968, I was called to Chevy Chase Methodist Church in Washington D.C....as Minister of Membership and Visitation, and within one year brought into the church over 200 members, calling on every one of them in the Holy Name of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. I resigned from further activities in Florida at 80 years of age, after making 1500 calls. Actions for Christ was my dedication...Now wife and I are 92 years old and married 72 years. I have snow banks on the head, but fire in the furnace. Much more could be said, but must be left to the life story which I hope to start soon."

Surviving besides his wife are two sons: Ronald of St. Petersburg, Florida and Hubert of Linden; two daughters, Marquita McDonald of St. Petersburg and Helen Mead of Lansing; a sister, Mrs. Bernice Shaw of Nashville; nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Memorial services were held January 17 in Peace United Methodist church, Barryville, with Rev. Steven Reid officiating. Interment was in the Barryville Cemetery.

- West Michigan Annual Conference minutes of 1980, pp. 241-242

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