The Rev. G. Ellwood Grissom, 80

The Rev. G. Ellwood Grissom passed away peacefully in Yakima, Wash., on Friday, Jan. 30, 2009.

George Ellwood Grissom was born to E.A. and Adelaide Grissom in Lewistown on May 24, 1928. When he was a young child, the family moved to Hamilton, and he graduated from high school in Corvallis.

He served in the U.S. Army (Cavalry Division) in Japan and then attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis before graduating from Central Bible Institute in Springfield, Mo.

He married Lola Hudiburgh on Thanksgiving Day in 1952.

Ellwood was an ordained minister for the Assemblies of God for more than 50 years and pastored churches in Plentywood, Deer Lodge and Kalispell, as well as serving as the denomination's state youth and education director for four years. His three children graduated from Flathead High School.

After leaving Kalispell, Ellwood and Lola pastored in Sitka, Alaska, and in Rio Dell, Calif., before retiring. He also served as a district presbyter, both in California and Montana. In 2001, he returned to Montana and served as the seniors' pastor at Christian Life Center in Missoula until his final retirement in 2007.

Ellwood's greatest passion was serving people. He had a special heart and was most happy providing for the needs of his congregation. He touched countless lives in each community of which he was a part.

He was an avid outdoorsman throughout his life. He loved hiking, hunting and fishing in the mountains of Montana. In Alaska, he developed an interest in deep-sea fishing and boating.

Ellwood is survived by a family who knew they were accepted and loved - and were his pride and joy, Lola, his wife of 56 years; Greg and Nancy of Spokane, Robin and Joe Hite of Yakima, and Gordon and Kaye of Bozeman; eight grandchildren; his brother, Al, and Nola of Enterprise, Ore,; and sister, Pearl, and Richard Zimmerman of Missoula.

Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. on Feb. 16 at Christian Life Center in Missoula. He will be interred in Missoula.