- Date Of Birth: March 6, 1933
- Date Of Death: February 15, 2021
- State: Illinois
Arthur Raymond Stees was born in Peoria, Illinois in 1933, the son of A. Raymond Steese and Gertrude Schoenheider Steese. He attended Peoria schools and graduated from Peoria High School and Bradley University.
He married Audrey Andres in 1953 and together they moved to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he attended and graduated from the Lutheran School of Theology. Ordained in 1958, he served parishes in Rockford, Peoria, Princeton, and Aurora before becoming senior pastor of First Lutheran Church in Freeport. After his retirement he served as interim pastor during vacancies at: Lena, Massbach, Warren, Derinda, Hanover, Belvidere, Stockton, Pecatonica, Durand, Schapville, Mt. Morris, Lanark, Byron, Pearl City and Stockton.
Art was a prolific writer with articles appearing in the Christian Century, Pulpit Magazine, The Lutheran, The History of Lutheranism in Stephenson County, Centennial History of First Lutheran Church, Freeport, Illinois and two historical pottery catalogs: The Art of Haviland Pottery and The French Connection, Impressionism in French and American Pottery, 1872-1900.
His church and community activities included initiating and supervising the erection of a Lutheran Social Services Senior Housing Project in Freeport (Meadow Ridge Apartments) and serving on the NW Illinois Elder Abuse Committee. He was a member of Rotary International for 30 years and was a past president and Paul Harris Fellow, and was also a board member of the YMCA. He served on the Illinois Synod Evangelism Stewardship Committees, was a former editor of the Illinois Synod newsletter, was a member of the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Board, and participated in quarterly Interim Pastors’ forums.
Art served regularly as a chaplain for Holland American Lines, traveling the continents and oceans and visiting 57 countries. His hobbies included being webmaster for the Haviland Collectors International Foundation, and he was a past president of the foundation and an avid collector of Haviland pottery. The Stees collection has been displayed in art galleries in Detroit and Milwaukee. Generations of Freeport preschoolers have been entertained by Mr. Furr, Art’s alter ego puppet — most recently at Empire School in Freeport — as have children in the parishes he served.
Art is survived by his wife, Audrey and four children: Barrick (Melinda) of Chagrin Falls, Ohio; Jennifer, (partner Sam Jackson) of Freeport; Andrew (Cheryl Olson) of Chicago; Sara (Kevin) McAuliffe of Cedarville, and six grandchildren: Kayleigh King, Grace (Chris Schnaible) and Madeleine Stees, Eva Stees, and Riley and Carly (fiancé Andrew Dorman) McAuliffe.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Sylvia Cooling, and two granddaughters who died in infancy, Kera McAuliffe and Kassandra King.
