By Lori Ehde
More than 150 Luverne residents traveled to the Twin Cities Sunday to attend the funeral of former First Baptist Church pastor Tom Mabe.
Mabe, 51, collapsed in his home New Year’s Day from apparent heart problems — possibly related to the aortic aneurysm that nearly killed him Dec. 6, 2000.
Mabe had been serving the Colony Park Baptist Church, Edina, since March 2001 after heading up the Luverne church for 10 years.
It was his goal to help the Edina church family grow to the size and resiliency his Luverne group had come to enjoy.
Full benches
On Monday, more than 400 people filled the Edina sanctuary to capacity, and Mabe’s son, Josh, recalled his father had intended to fill those benches. "You did it today, Dad," he said.
Having so many people, especially the large number from Luverne, at the funeral was a fitting tribute to Mabe, according to Rhonda Morris, office administrator at First Baptist Church.
"More than anything, he really cared, not only about the congregation, but about the community," Morris said. "Every spare minute he had, he spent with people."
Luverne’s Gordon Hamann was especially close to Mabe and read his obituary at the funeral.
He said Mabe will be remembered for his ability to connect with people.
"He’ll be very missed," Hamann said Tuesday. "He always seemed to be in a pretty good mood, and the caring attitude he had was pretty constant."
Hamann also said Mabe was a walking testimony to his faith. "He always had his perspective pretty clear," he said. "He had a faith that was so real it was part of his life, and everything he did he did it from that perspective."
Friends in eternity
In his farewell interview with the Star Herald in December of 2000, Mabe said he’d badly miss his friends and church family in Luverne.
"Your hearts just get knitted together strongly after 10 years. It’s like family," he said.
"The good thing is we know we’ll spend eternity with the Lord, and those friends are forever, so that helps."
Only days after that interview, Mabe collapsed from an aortic aneurysm that took months to recover from.
Results from the autopsy were not available as of this writing, but it’s assumed Mabe’s death is related to that condition.
In medical terms, his first collapse was due to a "dissecting aortic aneurysm," which means his main aortic valve split open from the top and separated from the lining of the heart.
‘There will never
be another Tom’
Morris said Tom will be remembered for his genuine spirit of kindness and compassion.
"When he asked how you were, he really wanted to know," she said. "That’s what was so special about him. He cared so much."
First Baptist member LeRoy Kellenberger, Hills, said that’s what he’ll remember most about his former pastor.
"There was just something special about the way he talked to you," Kellenberger said.
"He was the most caring person. Even on your best day, he was concerned about you. … He was just a friend — and you didn’t have to go to his church to be that way."
He said Mabe used to personally greet people at the church doors, and newcomers would be impressed to later see the "greeter" at the pulpit.
"I’ve seen preachers come and go, but I’ve never seen people sit up and pay attention like they did for him," Kellenberger said. "There will never be another Tom."
Burial was Monday in Des Moines, Iowa, where Tom and Stephenie grew up.
In Tom’s memory, Kellenberger established a fund for the benefit of Stephenie Mabe and the Mabe family.
Memorials can be sent to Minnwest Bank, P.O. Box 899, 116 E. Main St., Luverne, MN 56156.
Correspondence can be sent to Stephenie and other family members at 5033 Edinbrook Lane, Edina, MN 55436.