Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Precious Blood Father Werner Verhoff, 92, died Sept. 10 at Community Hospital in Coldwater of complications following a fall.

Father Werner Verhoff (Courtesy photo)

A native of Kalida, he entered the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in 1931 and was ordained in 1943.

Father Verhoff spent more than 50 years of active ministry as a pastor. After his ordination he was an associate pastor at churches in St. Henry, as well as in  Tulsa, Okla., Newark and Cleveland, before being named pastor of Queen of Angels Church in Hamilton in 1952.

Other churches he served as pastor include Holy Name Church, Cincinnati, and St. Bernard Church, Burkettsville, as well as parishes in Cleveland. In 1991 he was named senior associate pastor at Precious Blood Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he served until he retired to St. Charles Center in Carthagena in 1999.

A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated Sept. 12 at St. Charles Center by Father Angelo Anthony, the order’s provincial. Burial followed in the Community cemetery.