Paul A. (Armin) Krebill of Bozeman, Montana died on February 19, 2021, due to complications of COVID-19.
He was born on October 25, 1927, in St. Louis, Missouri, as the son and only child of Armin and Louise Krebill of Chester, Illinois. The family moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1928 where he subsequently attended Emmet Grade School. In 1933 they moved to Oak Park, Illinois where he attended Horace Mann School and then Oak Park River Forest High School.
He received a B.A. from Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, Illinois) in 1949 and an M.Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary (Chicago) in 1952, and a certificate from the Summer Theological Institute of the St. Andrews University in Scotland (1970).
He married his college sweetheart, Doris L. Schoening, on August 19, 1950 in LaSalle, Illinois. They began their married life in apartments provided by McCormick Seminary.
He was ordained into the Gospel Ministry of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. by the Presbytery of Chicago in 1952.
From 1952 to 1956 he served as pastor of the Presbyterian Community Churches of Yoder and Hawk Springs, Wyoming, of the Presbytery of Casper. From 1956 to 1967 he was Campus Minister to Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, under Montana Ministries in Higher Education, as a member of Helena Presbytery which subsequently became Yellowstone Presbytery.
During their time in Bozeman, their three children were born: Ross William in 1956 who died in 1960; Dan Peter in 1958; and Rose Louise in 1960.
From 1967 to 1992 he was the founding pastor of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Billings, Montana, Presbytery of Yellowstone. In addition to St. Andrew duties, he served as a part-time chaplain at Billings Deaconess Hospital and as interim pastor of the Oreti Parish in New Zealand, Southland Presbytery, while on leave from St. Andrew Church in Billings.
During his forty years as an active Presbyterian clergyman, he served as Presbytery Moderator twice and one year as Moderator of the Synod of the Rockies, in addition to serving on numerous presbytery and synod committees. He was a commissioner to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) five times.
He was honorably retired in October of 1992 and designated Pastor Emeritus of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Billings.
In 1992 Paul and Doris moved to Bozeman, Montana where they were active in First Presbyterian Church.
His hobbies included creating stained glass and writing, particularly publishing fifteen books through Xlibris. He and Doris derived great enjoyment from their children and their families. For fifty years beginning in 1970, the family enjoyed camping together at Colter Bay in Grand Teton National Park.
Born of Christian parents and heritage and baptized as an infant, he confirmed those vows in 1941. He belonged to Christ all his life.
He is survived by his wife, Doris; son, Dan (Jody McDevitt) of Bozeman and daughter, Rose Krebill-Prather (Timothy Prather) of Moscow, Idaho; and grandchildren, Alice Krebill Asleson (Paul), Martha Krebill, Tristan Prather, and Ian Prather (Katie Hukill and her son, Oliver).
Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church Campus Ministry Fund, P.O. Box 1150, Bozeman, MT 59771.
An online memorial service based at First Presbyterian Church of Bozeman will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2021, at 2 pm. The service may be viewed at fpcbozeman.org/media.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
