Tom Arbogast

Thomas "Tom" E. Arbogast was born March 11, 1937 to Lyle Arbogast and Margaret (Kearns) Arbogast in Webster City, Iowa and went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on March 2, 2017. Memorial service will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, March 11 at Meridian Avenue Baptist Church, 200 N. Meridian Ave, Wichita. His principle education was in Webster City, until he completed two years at Webster City Junior College. During that time, Tom, was planning to attend mortuary school until he was encouraged by friends he met at the American Baptist Conference Center in Green Lake, Wisconsin, to complete his last two years at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas. He graduated in 1959 from Ottawa University. In the course of that time, he received God’s call to Christian ministry. He then felt he needed more than a mid-America education, so he attended Berkeley Baptist Divinity School in Berkeley, California. In his third year, he did an intern at First Baptist Church in Bellingham, Washington. He graduated from BBDS in 1963, with a Master of Divinity. Tom was ordained to the Christian ministry on, May 5, 1963, at his home church in Webster City. While working at Green Lake, he was called to his first church in LaVeta, Colorado. While there a fellow pastor from Center, Colorado asked if he would like to meet a young lady from his church. Tom said, “I will, just leave it to me after that.” He was introduced to Wilma Sheesley on a blind date while Wilma was finishing college in Alamosa, Colorado. The two were married, June 26, 1966, promising to see their 50th Wedding Anniversary, which they celebrated in 2016. Tom was called to serve as Associate Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Pueblo, Colorado in 1967.In 1968 the senior pastor died suddenly and Tom was required to tell two services the next morning. In 1970 he was called as senior pastor and served in that capacity until 1979. While serving in Pueblo, we were blessed with three beautiful children; Stephanie, Kimberly and David. February 1979, Tom was called to Grace Baptist in Spokane, Washington where he served until 1984 when he was called to Clarks Grove, Minnesota where he served until 1994. In 1994, he was called to the Spring Hill Baptist Church in Spring Hill, Kansas, until he retired in 2000. In 2000, Tom and Wilma moved to Prairie Homestead Retirement Community in Wichita. During his retirement, he served as interim pastor at the West Haysville Baptist Church, Central Baptist Church, Augusta and West Side Baptist Church of Wichita. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother-in-law. He is survived by his wife Wilma, their three children; Stephanie Arbogast of Wichita, Kansas, Kim Davis (Bryant) of Goreville, Illinois, and David Arbogast (Dana) of Monte Rio, California, and three grandchildren; grandson, Brendon Davis, granddaughter Kendall Davis and grandson Ansel Arbogast. Two sisters, Anne Tapper of Webster City, Iowa and Jean Pelz of Tuscon, Arizona, nieces and nephews and a host of friends far and wide. Memorials to Prairie Homestead Senior Living,1605 W. May St, Wichita, KS 67213 or Encompass Home Health and Hospice, 245 N Waco Ave #125, Wichita, KS 67202 or flowers may be sent directly to the church.