Arden Roush

Arden Roush, youngest son of James F. and Marvel Mace Roush, was born at Lebanon, Kansas, August 29, 1930.  He began his new life in Glory July 20th, 2019. 

Arden received his elementary education at Price School, 1 ½ miles from his parental home, a distance easily covered by Tony, their pony which he and Wayne rode together.  Tony was a smart fella and gave them both a toss on a late morning the boys didn’t stop for their customary “gas fill up.”   Arden attended Lebanon High School, graduating with the class of 1948.

After High School graduation, Arden worked on the family farm until entering the military service in March of 1951.  After 14 weeks of basic training, he was immediately shipped to the Far East Command where he attended a nine week mechanic’s school in Eta Jima, Japan.  Arriving in Korea, he was sent to the front lines and was assigned a BAR rifle.  Being with the 1st Calvary Division, Arden was engaged with the enemy in many fire fights and hand-to-hand combat.  He received the combat infantryman’s badge, Korean service medal with 2 bronze stars for outstanding achievement, United Nations service medal and an army occupational medal for a year in Japan.  He was released from active duty to the reserves in 1953.

Following his army duty he became owner and manager of the Oak Oil Company in Lebanon, Kansas.  He sold the business to Midway Coop in 1958.  He worked for Schuette Motor Company for two years before moving so San Jose, California, proclaiming he was “done shoveling snow” after that long winter.

Arden entered San Jose Bible College while working at Lockheed Space Company in Sunnyvale, California.  He graduated Cum Laude in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in theology and a minor in pastoring.  He also received a psychology degree from San Jose State.

He became assistant minister to the fastest growing Christian Church in the world at that time in Los Gatos, California.  In 1968 he moved to Pasco, Washington to and became a pastor of the Christian Church there.  He also founded Christian Center in Pasco, Washington.  This church, designed to minister to those with addictions and other challenges, grew at a tremendous rate as people found Jesus as their Savior. 

In 1976 Arden moved to the Midwest to be closer to his aging parents and family farm.  He pastored a church in Minneola, Kansas, before moving “home” to a farm near Lebanon.  Arden farmed with his brother, Wayne, and then became the minister of his boyhood Church, Lebanon Christian Church, in 1988.  He then retired from the ministry in 2000.

Arden was united in marriage to Joan Hays in 1955.  To this union was born two children:  Kathy and Jim.  He was remarried to J. Elizabethe (Liz) in 1975 in Spokane, Washington, who survives of the home.  Liz had a 7 year old daughter, Katie, whom Arden considered to be his own.

God greatly blessed his ministry, baptizing well over 2,000 people and received hundreds of recommitments.  Arden was an associate minister for Campus Crusade for Christ, International, for a period of time in California.  It was there that he received the call to evangelism, leading him to attend the Billy Graham School of Evangelism, and he came to know Billy Graham personally.  Arden held many crusades for the Lord.

Arden was a PATRIOT, considering himself to be “red, white and blue.”   He truly loved this great country of America which he fought for, and was prepared to die for.   He was well known for OLD GLORY flying high from the pole in the church yard, and his “God and Country” services were unrivaled.  In his spare time, he enjoyed working with wood and refinished many fine pieces over the years.  His son-in-law Bill stated this week that “we will miss Arden’s wit and humor, and he always had something to say that was of value.”

Those who preceded him in death were his parents, his son, and his brother.  Those left to mourn his passing are his wife, J. Elizabethe of Nevada, Missouri; his daughter, Kathy Lopez of Simi Valley, California; stepdaughter Katie Williams and husband Bill, of Milo, Missouri; 3 grandchildren:  Stephen of Berkeley, California; David and wife Courtney of Simi Valley, California; and Collin and Adrian Bond of Milo, Missouri; many relatives and many, many friends.

 Graveside Committal services will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 16, 2019 at Price Cemetery in Lebanon, Kansas.  In lieu of flowers, family request donations be made to the Lebanon Christian Church, Lebanon, Kansas.

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