Reverend Clifford Roscoe DePrenger, age 89, of Springfield, Missouri went to be with His Heavenly Father on Thursday, October 6, 2016. The son of Carl Cornelius DePrenger and Bessie Rykoek DePrenger, he was born in Marshalltown, Iowa on March 4, 1927, the second of five children.
Clifford’s early years were spent with his parents, two brothers, and two sisters on a farm north of Grinnell, Iowa, where he attended school.
At age 13, the family home burned down in late autumn. A solid house was purchased in Chester, Iowa then moved out to the farm and set over a new basement. The house movers invited the family to attend the Assemblies of God church in Grinnell. Given their parents’ permission, Leo and Clifford walked down the muddy lane out to the family car parked off the main grid road and drove to the local Assemblies of God church the next Sunday night. There they surrendered their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, were filled with the Holy Spirit, and experienced new direction in life.
At age 18, Clifford took the train to Minneapolis to attend North Central Bible Institute (NCBI), now North Central University. He worked his way through school. While there, Clifford was instrumental in forming “The Trumpet Trio” with a few friends. Together, they travelled in ministry to local Assemblies of God churches throughout the Central Plains during the summer preceding Clifford’s final year at NCBI.
In 1948, Clifford graduated from NCBI and helped to start a new church in Viroqua, Wisconsin. Once it was established, he became the pastor of Correctionville Assembly of God, in Correctionville, Iowa. In March 1949, he married Betty Brooks of Mascoutah, Illinois who also had graduated from NCBI the previous year. He received his ordination with the Assemblies of God in 1951.
As partners in ministry, Clifford and Betty pastored in Gillespie, Illinois before investing more than 16 years in building the Assemblies of God work in Clinton, Illinois. In 1969, they accepted the pastorate of Calvary Assembly of God in Galesburg, Illinois, and served that congregation for 20 years. In 1989, Clifford and Betty bought a home located on Lake Williamson Christian Center’s grounds in Carlinville, Illinois. For the next 22 years, they served as interim pastors for several congregations in the Illinois district and for one church located in Holland, land of his forefathers. Clifford and Betty helped form “The Dream Team” with some close friends, all retired couples, who shared ministry together at revival meetings and special services of many Assemblies of God churches in Central Illinois.
In 2010, Clifford’s ministry began to focus on needs at home as Alzheimer’s disease significantly affected Betty’s quality of life. She entered her eternal rest on September 26, 2011. Within the year, he retired and moved to Springfield, Missouri.
Clifford was preceded in death by his parents, his elder brother Leo DePrenger (of Phoenix, Arizona), his younger sisters Jean DePrenger Landers and Eva DePrenger Gill (of Des Moines, Iowa) , his wife of 62 years, Betty Brooks DePrenger (of Carlinville, Illinois), and their twin daughters Karen and Sharon (of Clinton, Illinois) who died shortly after birth. Clifford is survived by his daughter Ladonna (Mrs. Mark) Christianson, of Springfield, Missouri, their children Monique and Mark Dale (Wendy) Christianson, Clifford’s younger brother Warren (Jayne) DePrenger, of Lakewood, Washington, as well as several nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
Services will be 11 Am Saturday, October 15, 2016 at the Clinton Assembly of God Church with Rev. Gary Grogan, Pastor Doug Lowrey and Pastor Dan Bell officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery, Clinton, Il. Visitation will be 9:30 to 11 AM at the Church. Calvert Funeral Home, Clinton, Il. is in charge of arrangements.
In Lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts be directed to the Clinton Assembly of God Church Missions Fund to help start an orphanage.
