Published: January 04, 2008 10:32 pm         

Samuel F. Hernandez

Aug. 28, 1941-Jan. 3, 2008

The Rev. Samuel F. Hernandez, 66, 142 Roxbury Park, Goshen, died Thursday at 5:32 p.m. at Goshen General Hospital.

He was born Aug. 28, 1941, in Nordheim, Texas, to Adan and Reyna (Flores) Hernandez. A 1982 graduate of Goshen College, he married Donna Mathison, Dec. 4, 1963. She survives.

Also surviving are two daughters, Rachel Rogers, Goshen, and Mary Ellen Hernandez, Chicago, Ill.; son, Sam Hernandez, Livermore, Calif.; four sisters, Consuelo (Tony) Fuentes, Elvira Hernandez, and Estella (Frank) Alaniz, all of Corpus Christi, Texas; and Josephine Roman, Goshen; four brothers, Raul (Paula) Hernandez, Corpus Christi, Texas, Sisto Hernandez and Isreal (Lupe) Hernandez, both of Mathis, Texas, and Magdaleno Del Bosque, San Antonio, Texas; and three grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Rueben Hernandez.

He was a pastor, a member and interim pastor of Fuenta de Vida, Goshen. He was previously a bailiff at Goshen City Court. A member of the Mennonite General Board Office of Latin Concerns, Elkhart, where he served as executive secretary. He planted the first Hispanic Mennonite Church in Woodburn, Oregon.

Visitation will be 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Fuenta de Vida (First Church of God), Goshen .

The funeral service will be Sunday at 4 p.m. at the church.

Burial will be in Mathis, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Go2Jail Prison Ministries, Inc., P.O. Box 42, Goshen, IN 46527-0042

Online condolences may be sent to www.rrefh.com.