Father John Bartholomew

The Very Rev. John Paige Bartholomew, 77, Dean Emeritus of Saint Mark's Cathedral, Hastings, Nebraska died July 12, 2008.
Father Batholomew served at Saint Mark's for 25 years, the longest tenure in the history of that church, from 1973 until his retirement in 1998 when he moved to Lake City, where he was a supply priest at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church Lake City and at Saint Paul's, Winona, Minnesota. He was born January 6, 1931 in Moorestown, New Jersey, attended Westminster School in Simsbury, Connecticut and graduated from Cornell University, majoring in History. After an Army tour of duty in which he was a battalion adjutant with the 2nd Armored Division in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, Fr. Bartholomew studied for the priesthood at the Philadelphia Episcopal Divinity School. Ordained deacon and priest by the Rt. Rev. Oliver J. Hart, Fr. Bartholomew was curate at the Church of the Redeemer, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, 1958-1961. He was rector at Saint James Church, Piqua, Ohio, 1961-1967. Followed by five years as rector of Saint Thomas Church, Garden City Kansas, 1967-1973, as well as vicar of Saint John's-on-the-Prairie, Ulysses and Saint Luke's, Scott City, Kansas. Father Bartholomew was active in diocesan and community affairs.

While in Garden City, "Father Bart" founded Way Out Coffee House, and ecumenical center for youth. He was elected to the Garden City School Board (ISD 457) and was president of the community theatre "Prairie Players. He received a lifetime membership to the Kansas Parent Teachers Association for his "outstanding contributions to youth".

In the diocese of Western Kansas, he was dean of Senior High Youth Conferences Camp Pecusa, Stockton, Kansas, member of the diocesan Executive Council, the diocesan Standing Committee, and chairman of the board of Examining Chaplains. He married Elinor Miller Monroe of Dayton, Ohio on July 25, 1972.

Saint Mark's Cathedral in Hastings, Nebraska, elected Fr. Bartholomew to become its ninth dean on January 15, 1973. During his tenure, Dean Bartholomew was active in diocesan and Hastings community affairs. He was past president of the Hastings-Adams County Ministerial Association, and in 1973 he established the popular Lenten ecumenical preaching and lunch series, "Sermons A L Carte".

Dean Bartholomew was elected deputy from Nebraska to eight consecutive national triennial Episcopal Church General Conventions, 1976-1997. He was chairman of the Department of Missions for 12 years in Nebraska and President of the Standing Committee, 1982-1986. In both Garden City, Kansas, and Hastings, Nebraska, He ran for public office, serving terms on the local school board. He was a counselor and chaplain of the Chemical Dependency Unit of the Hastings Regional Center, giving weekly lectures on spiritual awareness and providing individual counseling to patients. Other activities included his institution of the Mary Lanning Hospital Year-Around Christmas Toy Chest for young patients. He was voted "Outstanding Religion Leader" for the Hastings community in 1985.

A number of Father Bartholomew's parishioners and colleagues considered his notable characteristics to grace, humor, compassion, perseverance, and imagination. He was regarded as an excellent preacher, a superb liturgist and sensitive and diligent pastor. He was a sports fan and especially and avid follower of Nebraska and Cornell football. He was a collector of mugs, jugs, steins, crucifixes, paperweights, miniatures, antiques, political memorabilia, and he posted a wide array of scrapbooks.

He was preceded in death by is wife, Elinor (2000) and is survived by step-daughter Susan (Ed) Fain of South Bend, Indiana, step-son John Monroe of Red Wing, Minnesota and numerous nieces and nephews.



Requiem Eucharist will be held at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, Lake City, Minnesota, Saturday July 19, 2008 at 11:00 am and at Saint Mark's Cathedra, Hastings, Nebraska at a later date. Friends may call one hour before the service at the church. Memorials may be given to Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, Lake City or to Saint Mark's Cathedral, Hastings, Nebraska, "Fr. Bart Memorial". Mahn Family Funeral Home Anderson-Peterson Chapel Lake City.