Telford H. Dindinger

REVEREND TELFORD DINDINGER MUSCATINE, Iowa - Reverend Telford H. Dindinger, 87, of Muscatine, died on Monday, December 19, 2011, at Lutheran Homes Assisted Living. Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 22, 2011, at the First Presbyterian Church, 401 Iowa Avenue. Reverend David Ivie of the First Presbyterian Church will officiate the service. Burial will take place in Greenwood Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 21, 2011, at the Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church or the donor's choice. Reverend Telford Hood "Ding" Dindinger, son of Frank T. Dindinger and Bertha Hood Dindinger, was born on June 11, 1924. He graduated from Monaca (Pennsylvania) High School in 1941, and he attended Park College, Parkville, Missouri. He served in the US Army Air Corp from 1944-1945, training as a pilot, and reaching the rank of Second Lieutenant. He graduated from Grove City College, Grove City, Pennsylvania, in 1948 with a degree in Business Administration. While he attended Park College, he met Harriet Todd, and they married on Jan...[more]

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y 26, 1952, in Salina, Kansas. They would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in January. He worked as Boys Director at the YMCA of Youngstown, Ohio, and later served in the same role at Salina, Kansas. He studied music briefly at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. Ding entered seminary at Dubuque, Iowa, and he graduated from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in 1960. He was ordained as a minister in the United Presbyterian Church (predecessor of our current Presbyterian Church USA) on September 25, 1960 and celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination in 2010. During his faithful service to Christ, he served churches in eastern Iowa, including Cascade, Miles, Bettendorf, Muscatine, Wilton, and rural Ainsworth. He was honorably retired in July, 1989. The hallmark of Ding's career and his life was his spirit of service to others. He served God and His people faithfully, he mentored and guided youth, and he traveled to Mississippi in the 1960s and early 1970's to help register voters and to build playgrounds. He helped establish Camp Wyoming, a Presbyterian youth camp in northeast Iowa. He volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, and provided transportation to doctor appointments. Ding's great love of music and his sense of humor were evident throughout his life. He sang in choirs, he played baritone in a community band in his younger days, and he loved the jazz celebrations that are part of the Bix Beiderbecke festival in Davenport. He will be remembered as a caring pastor, a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and as a blessing to all he met. He was a life-long learner, always exploring new ideas and challenging others to do the same. He offered kindness to new and old friends every day. He is survived by his wife, Harriet Dindinger of Muscatine; one son, John T. Dindinger of Muscatine; four daughters, Amy Dindinger of Stanchfield, Minnesota, Judy Dindinger of Muscatine, Susan Dindinger of Lawrence, Kansas, and Meg Dindinger of Cedar Rapids; three grandsons, Drew (Alissa) Burkamper of Muscatine, Vaughn (Megan) Burkamper of Lawrence, Kansas, Thad (Rachel) Burkamper of Muscatine; a granddaughter, Lindsey Dindinger of Muscatine; six great-grandchildren, Lucas, Ciara, Bella, Zane, Kael and Hayden Burkamper; and two nieces, Jane (Don) Birnie and Ann (Bob) Morris, both of Pennsylvania. Ding was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Marjorie Fox.