Frank H Reverend Dr. Nestler

He was born to Reverend Paul and Marguerite Nestler on Dec. 19, 1922 in Galesburg. He married Mardel Smith in 1945 and she preceded him in death in 2008. He was also preceded in death by a sister, Dorothy Heller and a brother, Donald Nestler.

The Reverend Nestler was a graduate of San Jose, IL High School and Illinois Wesleyan University and attended DePauw University in Greencastle, IN as part of 30 months in the United States Navy. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Garrett Evangelical Seminary in Evanston and was ordained as a United Methodist Minister in 1947. Illinois Wesleyan honored him with a Doctor of Divinity degree in 1961.

During his 43 years of active ministry in the Central Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church, the pastorates served were Lerna, Chrisman, Charleston, Jacksonville Grace, Kankakee Asbury and Springfield Laurel. He also served as the District Superintendent of both the Springfield and Decatur Districts.

He was a respected leader of the Central Illinois Conference, serving capably on many boards including the Board of Pensions, Preachers Aid Society, Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Council on Ministries. For several years, he was an elected delegate to represent his conference of both Jurisdictional and General Conferences.

Since 1988, during his retirement in Springfield, he was a volunteer on the Board of the Kumler Neighborhood Ministries, the Samaritan Board of St. John’s Hospital, the advisory Board of the Caregivers Interfaith Service, the Senior Health Insurance Program sponsored by the Illinois Department of Insurance, the Mentor Program of the SIU School of Medicine and the Midwest Distribution Center.

His survivors include three children, Steven (wife, Connie) of Elmhurst; Jill Dannhorn (husband, Dan) of Davis and Kristie Zimmermann (husband, James) of Chatham; five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held 11:00 AM Thursday, March 8, 2012 at Laurel United Methodist Church, Springfield with Rev. Jerry King officiating. Private family burial will be in Greenhill Cemetery, San Jose. Memorials may be made to Laurel United Methodist Church or to the Frank and Mardel Nestler Scholarship at Garrett Evangelical Seminary. Boardman-Smith Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements (www.boardman-smith.net).