Reverend worked to end world hunger
Rev. Vernon Cronmiller of Kitchener Born: Aug. 7, 1927 in Brantford Died: March 28, 2020 of age-related illness
When Bette (Elizabeth) Grabb met Vernon Cronmiller at a church youth group, she was certain marriage to this lovely young man was not in the cards. His father was a respected minister, Rev. Dr. Carl Cronmiller, and if young Vernon was going to be a minister too, she was not interested.
“On our first date, he walked me home,” recalled Bette. “He said he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps.
“I said I’d hate to be a pastor’s wife, you’re put in a certain mould, restricted.”
Skip ahead a few years, the man she married in 1948 did become a minister after serving in the Canadian military and working for 10 years at BF Goodrich before entering the ministry. Despite her earlier reservations, Bette loved the life of a minister’s wife, a life that led to more adventures around the world than any Kitchener-born girl could have imagined.
Vernon Cronmiller was born Aug. 7, 1927 in Brantford, one of five kids to Carl and Martha Cronmiller.
He quit high school and joined the army at the end of the Second World War, serving his term in New Brunswick. After being discharged, Vernon came to Kitchener to visit his grandfather, landed the job at the rubber factory and stayed. After nearly a decade, he left BF Goodrich to attend Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, graduating in 1958.
His father had graduated from the seminary and later served as president of the board of governors. During the war, Carl had been a chaplain with the
RCAF.
Those were big shoes to fill but Vernon would do an admirable job, though he found a different path.
First in Arnprior, then in Woodstock, Vernon’s skills working with youth were soon recognized and he was named executive director of Christian Education and Youth for the Eastern Canada Synod, a job he held until 1969.
“In the church, there were a lot of youth groups,” said Bette. “He loved it.
“He had a feeling for people, youth in particular. He felt there was a need to help.”
Next, he served as pastor at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Kitchener until 1980, when he was appointed director of the World Hunger Appeal for Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, an organization centred in New York City, where the couple moved.
His new job would take them around the world, visiting projects run by the Lutheran organization, working to bring awareness and significant change.
The couple visited projects in African countries as well as many in the Far East and South America. What Bette remembers the most was how welcoming the people were, whether they were in Ethiopia or Kuala Lumpur.
She felt that by travelling with her husband, being a woman, she was able to meet other women in the communities who otherwise might be reluctant to speak to a man they did not know. Even if he was a minister.
Rev. Stephen Larson remembers his friend Vernon’s ability to focus on what is important. He referred to how Vernon would “unpack biblical stories of famine and injustice, infusing them with hope and possibility” during his many presentations and sermons.
He also spoke about Vernon’s understanding of how many economic and agricultural systems led to famine. Part of Vernon’s work was pushing governments to be more attentive to fair trade and sharing of food resources.
After 10 years with World Hunger, it was time for Vernon to retire. They returned to Kitchener where he continued to serve St. Mark’s as pastor emeritus from1992 to1999. Vernon was finally able to spend more time at his beloved cottage where he continued to water ski into his 70s and enjoy family time.
Vernon’s father had officiated his marriage to Bette, though she said it was a subdued event given her identical twin sister had been killed in a car crash just months before. Vernon would go on to officiate at the wedding of his own children, Cathy, Ted and Tim, and then the grandchildren. Bette said it was a precious time for the family.
Vernon died on March 28, 2020, but his legacy is not forgotten.
Retired Rev. Claudine Carlson had called Vernon when she was contemplating leaving her psychology studies and entering the ministry in the 1980s. Vernon gave her unusual advice.
“I told him ‘I’m fighting this’ and he said, ‘Fight it until you can’t anymore.’ ”
He was her mentor and guide, a man she deeply admired for his integrity, passion and ability to inspire.
“He was always learning and growing,” Carlson said. “He had a profound influence on how I viewed my faith.”