Rev. Edith Heard

(From Parker Mortuary)

Rev. Edith M. Heard, age 93, longtime Joplin resident, passed away Saturday, January 4, 2014 at the residence of her daughter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Edith was born May 13, 1920 in rural Oklahoma. In 1932, at the age of 12, she preached her first sermon and spent her teenage years working alongside her minister-father in establishing churches throughout Southern California. In 1939, she married R. Dennis Heard and in 1943, they were ordained together into the Pentecostal Church of God of America (PCG).

For the next forty years, she worked beside her husband as he served in several major offices of PCG of America. She did this while maintaining her own ministry as national children’s leader for the PCG; held revivals; marriage enrichment seminars and served in a variety of other ministries. She served as President of the Pentecostal Ladies Auxiliary (PLA’s), which sponsored orphanages and children’s homes in Mexico; Brazil; Alaska; Texas and California. They also raised finances for cars; vans; boats; a home for a leper colony in India and Missionary Furlough Home in Wichita, Kansas and Bible Colleges in the United States and abroad. She also coordinated the publication and sales of 10 cookbooks for churches and the PLA’s.

In 2009 she published her autobiography, Little Lady from the Tribe of ‘Gad’.

She lived in Israel 4 years and worked at Haddassah Hospital, Jerusalem. She traveled to Israel 31 times, in addition to her time as an Israeli resident.

For over 20 years, Dr. Heard was General Superintendent of PCG. Edith served, as Dr. Heard affectionately said, the ‘Best Second Man’ during his tenure.

Survivors include two daughters, Alice Burkhart, Joplin, Beth Pretschold and her husband, Wayne, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; grandchildren, Stephanie Barner and her husband, Robert, Michigan, Stephen Perry, Joplin; great grandchildren, Hunter Perry and his wife, Lynsey, Lauren Porter and her husband, Kendon, Rebecca Gubera and her husband, Tim, Rory Barner; and great great grandchildren, Connor Perry, Reagan Porter, Bianca Gubera, Brooks Perry and Thatcher Perry. In addition to her husband, Edith was preceded in death by two granddaughters, Nannette Slabaugh and Melissa Perry. The family will receive friends from 1-2:00 p.m. Thursday at Parker Mortuary. Graveside services are planned for Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery Webb City MO. Pallbearers will be Hunter Perry, Kendon Porter, Tim Gubera and Stephen Perry. Honorary pallbearers will be Robert Barner and Wayne Pretschold. A memorial service is planned for Friday at 6:00 p.m. at Southside Community Church of God, 309 E. 37th Street, Joplin. Edith lived by the following motto: “Life shouldn’t be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting……’Wow! What a ride! Thank you Lord!!’ Arrangements are under the direction of Parker Mortuary