IVAN H. NOTHDURFT

Dr. Ivan H. Nothdurft died at his home in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on Thursday, Dec. 31, 1998.

He was born in Cape Girardeau on March 23, 1917, the son of Otto H. Nothdurft and Ida Ulrich Nothdurft. Raised in Cape Girardeau, he attended public school there and graduated with both bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees from Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) in 1938-39.

Dr. Nothdurft also earned his B.D. degree from Garrett Theological Seminary in 1941, his master of arts degree from Northwestern University in 1948 and his Ed.D. degree from Columbia University in 1951. He was a member of Kappa Delta Pi.

He was married to Lorla Marie Baenziger on April 9, 1941, in Winona, Minn.

After serving as pastor of the Oakwood Methodist Church in Illinois and of the Wykoff Methodist Church in Minnesota, where he also taught high school, he began his career in overseas missions with the Methodist Church. He and his wife went first to Cochabamba, Bolivia, in 1945, where he taught at the American Institute and both founded and served as minister of the Union Church. As pastor to Americans living and working in Cochabamba, he organized an effort to build the Good Neighbor Chapel for the city's English-speaking residents.

From 1946 to 1956, he continued his mission work in Lima, Peru. He was superintendent of the Lima District of the Methodist Church, director of the Victoria School, minister of the Victoria Church, treasurer of the Peru Methodist Mission, and board chairman of the Lima Union Church. He also founded and built several new churches in various communities in Peru and served as legal representative in Peru for the Methodist Mission Board.

In 1956, he was employed as executive secretary for the American Bible Society and for the British and Foreign Bible Societies for Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. In 1959, he became general secretary of the Bible Societies in Argentina, overseeing a full-time staff of 26 and 2,000 part-time sales correspondents. By 1966, he had completed the organizational, legal and educational processes for establishing the Argentine Bible Society as a legal entity.

While in Argentina, he succeeded in increasing annual Bible sales from a half million to more than four million copies. As a result, Argentina came to be rated third in the world in terms of total circulation of the Scriptures. He created a network of regional committees in 10 major Argentine cities and, through his effort, the Argentine Bible Society enjoyed support from more than 40 different religious denominations at work in the country.

During his years in Argentina, he also served as district superintendent of the Methodist Church for the Buenos Aires and Cuyo Districts and was on the board of the 8,000-member YMCA of Buenos Aires, whose Spiritual Life Department he chaired.

In 1967, Dr. Nothdurft returned to the United States to continue his work with the American Bible Society at the headquarters in New York. He became secretary of the Spanish-American Desk, U.S.A., secretary for Campus Ministry, secretary for Historical Research, and director of Library Services. He also served as associate pastor of the Hempstead Methodist Church on Long Island.

When Dr. Nothdurft retired from the American Bible Society in 1982, he returned to his native Cape Girardeau and continued his ministerial work. He was minister for Centenary United Methodist Church, calling on the elderly and shut-ins in the community. He also was on the Executive Board of the Executive Club and a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International. He was an active member of the Downtown Rotary Club.

In the past few years, Dr. Nothdurft wrote and published a book titled "Reflections on That Other America." He also wrote his autobiography entitled "Ordinary Life" and many "Letters to the Editor" of the Southeast Missourian.

Dr. Nothdurft is survived by his wife and three daughters, Sally Gallion of Miami, Fla., Margie Pryor of Overland Park, Kan., and Jane Rall of Rockville, Md.; five grandchildren, Juanita Gallion of Washington, D.C., Amy Pryor of Overland Park, Mark Pryor of Overland Park, Janet Rall of Rockville and William Rall of Rockville; his brother, Harold Nothdurft of Cape Girardeau; and his sister, Jean Sander of Cape Girardeau.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Clifton Nothdurft, who died in 1986.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Ford & Sons Mount Auburn Chapel.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Centenary Methodist Church. Pallbearers will be Bryce March, Graham Wagoner, John Braswell, Sid Sommers, George Suggs, Ralph Maxton, John Shelton and Ben Shell.

Burial will be at Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau.

Memorials can be made to the American Bible Society, the Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church.