Obituaries
John Henry Bollinger
( September 17, 1930 - December 1, 2021 )
Reverend John Henry Bollinger was born September 17, 1930, in Rowan County, NC to the late Henry Leroy Bollinger and Annie E. (Gardner) Bollinger. He died on December 1, 2021, at home surrounded by family.
John is survived by his wife, Nancy, a daughter, Lynn and husband, David Isenhower, son, Mark and wife, Karen, and son Rev. Craig and wife, Marilyn. He is also survived by four grandsons Matthew Isenhower, wife Christina and son Jacob, Jason Isenhower, wife Megan and son Connor, John Isenhower, wife Ashley and daughter Adalyn and Steven Bollinger, wife Paige and son Liam as well as four granddaughters, Cynthia, husband Jordan Berry and son Judson, Sonia and husband Clint Walkup, Christy, husband Chris Stefanides and son Watson, and Sarah and husband Jack Green. He is also survived by a brother Jim and wife Charlene of Salisbury NC. He was pre-deceased by a sister Katherine.
John, the son of an illiterate sharecropper, was determined to get an education. He graduated from Mt. Ulla High School in Rowan County, NC in 1950. He then graduated from North Carolina State University in 1954 and the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in 1958.
John met the love of his life, Nancy Jane London of Mt. Ulla, NC, on a blind date while he was in college. They married in 1956 and on December 15, 2021, would have celebrated 65 years together. He began his ministry at Gladesboro Lutheran church in VA, driving up to preach for them every weekend during his last two years at seminary in Columbia, SC before serving officially as their pastor from 1958-1962. From 1962-1964, he served at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Salisbury, NC. Hearing God calling him to serve in a foreign mission field, during the school year 1964-1965, John and Nancy attended the School of Missions in Chicago, IL, planning to serve in Liberia, Africa. Health issues sent him instead to Snyder, TX to become pastor of Grace Lutheran Church from 1965 to 1969. Finally, he achieved his goal to serve abroad, moving his family to Guyana, South America in 1969 where he served three years as pastor of Calgary Lutheran Church in Georgetown, the capital city, while making monthly trips ‘up river’ by barge to serve Amerindian churches along the Berbice and Demerara Rivers. He also helped develop lay pastors to lead the Guyanese church. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1972, John was called to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Dallas, NC where he served for 20 years until he and Nancy retired to their beloved NC mountains in 1993. Pastor Bollinger continued to minister to numerous churches across NC as an interim pastor after retirement as well as lead the High Country Coalition in Boone NC serving and finding supply pastors weekly for small, mountain churches. John served on the Texas-Louisiana Synod’s World Missions Committee, and the N.C. synod’s Camp Committee and Outdoor Ministries Board. Until early in 2020, John remained the visitation pastor at his church, Grace Lutheran Church, Boone, NC.
John, loved to travel, taking his family to every state except Hawaii, camping in a pop-up tent they pulled behind the family car. He also loved to garden as well as read and built an extensive library of his favorite author, Louis L’Amour, WW2 history and biblically based books.
A celebration of Rev. Bollinger’s life will be held on Saturday, December 18 at 10:30 am at Grace Lutheran Church in Boone, NC with Pastor Steve Troisi officiating followed by burial at 4:30 pm at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Dallas NC with Pastor John Spencer officiating.
The service in Boone will be live streamed on zoom,
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87807561757?pwd=NTdEeXlkVXZGUkMwKzNaNmx5eU1sdz09
Meeting ID: 878 0756 1757. Passcode: 319879, and posted on the Grace Lutheran Boone YouTube channel a few days later. (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlCxQntJzULO4jIVXOR0uA)
Warlick Funeral home in Lincolnton, NC is assisting the family.
Memorial gifts for Pastor John Bollinger can be made toward building the lives of children through a Christian school in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. Gifts may be made online at www.matthew2540.net. Matthew2540 is a non-profit ministry founded by his children. Checks payable to Matthew2540 may also be mailed c/o John’s daughter, Lynn Isenhower to 234 Brookfield Dr, Greenwood, SC 29646. Thank you for helping leave a legacy by Pastor John for Christian education to those in this impoverished community.
John is survived by his wife, Nancy, a daughter, Lynn and husband, David Isenhower, son, Mark and wife, Karen, and son Rev. Craig and wife, Marilyn. He is also survived by four grandsons Matthew Isenhower, wife Christina and son Jacob, Jason Isenhower, wife Megan and son Connor, John Isenhower, wife Ashley and daughter Adalyn and Steven Bollinger, wife Paige and son Liam as well as four granddaughters, Cynthia, husband Jordan Berry and son Judson, Sonia and husband Clint Walkup, Christy, husband Chris Stefanides and son Watson, and Sarah and husband Jack Green. He is also survived by a brother Jim and wife Charlene of Salisbury NC. He was pre-deceased by a sister Katherine.
John, the son of an illiterate sharecropper, was determined to get an education. He graduated from Mt. Ulla High School in Rowan County, NC in 1950. He then graduated from North Carolina State University in 1954 and the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in 1958.
John met the love of his life, Nancy Jane London of Mt. Ulla, NC, on a blind date while he was in college. They married in 1956 and on December 15, 2021, would have celebrated 65 years together. He began his ministry at Gladesboro Lutheran church in VA, driving up to preach for them every weekend during his last two years at seminary in Columbia, SC before serving officially as their pastor from 1958-1962. From 1962-1964, he served at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Salisbury, NC. Hearing God calling him to serve in a foreign mission field, during the school year 1964-1965, John and Nancy attended the School of Missions in Chicago, IL, planning to serve in Liberia, Africa. Health issues sent him instead to Snyder, TX to become pastor of Grace Lutheran Church from 1965 to 1969. Finally, he achieved his goal to serve abroad, moving his family to Guyana, South America in 1969 where he served three years as pastor of Calgary Lutheran Church in Georgetown, the capital city, while making monthly trips ‘up river’ by barge to serve Amerindian churches along the Berbice and Demerara Rivers. He also helped develop lay pastors to lead the Guyanese church. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1972, John was called to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Dallas, NC where he served for 20 years until he and Nancy retired to their beloved NC mountains in 1993. Pastor Bollinger continued to minister to numerous churches across NC as an interim pastor after retirement as well as lead the High Country Coalition in Boone NC serving and finding supply pastors weekly for small, mountain churches. John served on the Texas-Louisiana Synod’s World Missions Committee, and the N.C. synod’s Camp Committee and Outdoor Ministries Board. Until early in 2020, John remained the visitation pastor at his church, Grace Lutheran Church, Boone, NC.
John, loved to travel, taking his family to every state except Hawaii, camping in a pop-up tent they pulled behind the family car. He also loved to garden as well as read and built an extensive library of his favorite author, Louis L’Amour, WW2 history and biblically based books.
A celebration of Rev. Bollinger’s life will be held on Saturday, December 18 at 10:30 am at Grace Lutheran Church in Boone, NC with Pastor Steve Troisi officiating followed by burial at 4:30 pm at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Dallas NC with Pastor John Spencer officiating.
The service in Boone will be live streamed on zoom,
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87807561757?pwd=NTdEeXlkVXZGUkMwKzNaNmx5eU1sdz09
Meeting ID: 878 0756 1757. Passcode: 319879, and posted on the Grace Lutheran Boone YouTube channel a few days later. (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlCxQntJzULO4jIVXOR0uA)
Warlick Funeral home in Lincolnton, NC is assisting the family.
Memorial gifts for Pastor John Bollinger can be made toward building the lives of children through a Christian school in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. Gifts may be made online at www.matthew2540.net. Matthew2540 is a non-profit ministry founded by his children. Checks payable to Matthew2540 may also be mailed c/o John’s daughter, Lynn Isenhower to 234 Brookfield Dr, Greenwood, SC 29646. Thank you for helping leave a legacy by Pastor John for Christian education to those in this impoverished community.
Posted on 06 Dec 2021
Current Information
Contact
125 Dave Warlick Drive
Lincolnton, NC 28092
704/735-2521