Rev. Harry L. Ayers

Reverend Harry L Ayers, 91, passed away Monday, February 6, 2017 at his home in Corvallis, Oregon. Harry was born February 23, 1925, on the family dairy farm in Sydney, Nebraska. He was the only child of Glen and Nora Ayers. As a small child, he lived in Sweden Valley, Pennsylvannia, the birthplace of his father. During his school years, the family moved back to Nebraska where he rode his horse daily to the one room school house. During the Depression, the family moved to the Elkton, Oregon area where his father worked as a logger and then later become a pastor in the Assemblies of God church. Harry attended Canyonville Bible Academy, a boarding Christian high school in Canyonville, Oregon. It was there he met his future bride, Claretta. After graduation, he attended Northwest Bible School in Seattle. Shortly after his marriage to Claretta in Anaconda, Montana in 1943, he enlisted in the US Navy. He served in World War II as a fire-controlman in the South Pacific aboard the USS Phoenix. At the end of his military service, he completed Bible college in Seattle and he and Claretta started their 60 years of ministry for the Assemblies of God. Their first church was in Stevensville, Montana. They went on to pastor churches in the Oregon towns of Vale, Klamath Falls, Grants Pass, Springfield, Pendleton, and Rogue River. They also pastored in West Seattle, Missoula, Montana, and Nikiski, Alaska. He finally retired from the ministry in 2008. He and Claretta celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary in September of 2016. They had three daughters, Marybeth Michalsen (Dan) of Ketchikan, Alaska, JoAnn Bethany of Corvallis, Oregon, and Judy Adams (Alan) of Kennewick, Washington. Harry loved hunting and fishing. Alaska, Oregon, and Montana provided him with so many wonderful opportunities to enjoy those activities. He also loved playing golf. A true boy of the Depression, he did whatever he needed to make ends meet as a loving husband and father. He raised rabbits, picked strawberries, drove ambulance, shoveled coal, worked for a concrete business, a gas station, and a furniture store. He had great love for God, this family, his country, and all the church families he pastored. He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife and daughters. He is also survived by eleven grandchildren, Erik Michalsen (Mavi), Danielle Whitaker (Alex), Scott Kemp(Pansy), Chris Kemp, Matt Kemp (Amanda), Laura Soerheide, Ryan Harrington (Rachel), Jeremy Harrington (Toni), Kim Adams, Julie Ferguson (Brian), and Missi Hilding (Michael). He was blessed to welcome nineteen great-children into his life. Harry had a heart for missions therefore, in lieu of flowers, the family requests any contributions be sent in memory of Rev. Harry Ayers to: Assemblies of God Missions. Acct. #275281 Mark Rodli – Thailand. 1445 No Boonville Ave, Springfield, MO 65802-1894. Harry dedicated Mark as a baby and baptized him as a young man. Having young people who he had shepherded go into the ministry was a source of great joy to him.

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Rev. Harry L. Ayers

February 23, 1925 - February 6, 2017