Marian Ruth Hovey

Beloved retiree - Marian Hovey went to be with the Lord on November 22, 2020. In 1951, Marian went to Japan as a church planter with another mission but served with TEAM in Japan from 1963 - 1995. Marian worked in Wakayama, Yamaguchi, Ibaraki, and Nara Prefectures, near Osaka. There, she established the Ikoma Grace Bible Church and Gakuen Mae Bible Church. Both now have their own pastors. Working in church planting, Marian has led worship services and developed Sunday school programs, special evangelistic meetings, camps, tract distribution, film showing, cooking classes, and English Bible classes. Through the years, she served on boards and committees, helped in the TEAM office in Tokyo, and established a school for missionary children in Ikoma. Since 1985, she has been a church planter at Nagamo-dai Bible Church in Kyoto, which is a town of about 20,000 people. Marian retired in 1995 from her ministry in Japan. She lived in Wheaton in retirement and on a number of occasions she traveled back to Japan to visit the churches she helped establish. During the last several years of her life she lived in North Carolina near her nephew. I have attached an article Marian wrote in 1986 which highlights her ministry in Japan that I'm sure you'll find touching. TEAM is so grateful for Marian's heart for the church and for reaching Japanese women, children and MKs with the gospel. She was a dear saint who saw the need and met it with the love God put in her heart. Marian was born on March 25, 1922 in Worth Township (now Oak Lawn, Illinois), the beloved daughter of the late Charles and Laura (Nee Colvin) Hovey. She attended Calumet High School in Chicago and attended the Prairie Bible Institute (now Palmer University) in Alberta, Canada. She was the loving sister of Gerald and the late siblings, Norma, Charles, Laura, Shirley, Everett, Valerie, Lawrence, Joan, Ronald, and Daniel. Marian was the cherished aunt and great-aunt of many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 12, 2020 at 10:30 am at Oak Lawn Bible Church, 9435 S. 54th Avenue in Oak Lawn, IL with burial in the Resurrection Catholic Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Oak Lawn Bible Church, 9435 S. 54th Ave., Oak Lawn, IL 60453. Condolences can be sent to Marian's nephew: Dennis Couch & family 2420 Crofte Dr. Sherrills Ford, NC 28673