with the lord

Nicolas Slobodian, 96, died June 11. Born in Ukraine and raised in Argentina, he worked as a missionary with the Slavic Gospel Association.

He immigrated with his family to the United States, arriving in Chicago in 1976.

There he pastored at Iglesia Bautista Biblica and the Russian-Ukrainian Baptist Mission reaching Russian Jews for Christ.

Whoever he met he always asked, “Do you know where you will spend eternity?” also sharing the tract of the same name.

The pastor was preceded in death by a son and his wife. He is survived by two daughters and their families. Slobodian’s son-in-law, Gabriel Georgescu, is pastor of Iglesia Bautista Biblica under Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago.

Donald Jerome Stuckey, 88, died August 6. He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Ruth; daughter, Melissa; brother, Bob; and sister Carol. The family suffered another loss as daughter Ericka

Uskali died Aug 11. He’s survived by two children: Richard and Cristie (wife of Tim Lewis, pastor of Bethel Church in Troy) and a total of 34 grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Stuckey attended SIU Carbondale and Loyola University Chicago earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees, plus a Superintendency certificate. He served as a teacher and administrator at Southwestern School District in Piasa for 34 years. After retiring he continued serving as assistant regional superintendent for Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, and Macoupin counties.

A deacon at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Medora, Stuckey served on 18 mission trips on 6 continents in 14 countries and was an Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer. Stuckey was an IBSA board member for eight years and a Midwestern Seminary trustee for 10.

Merle Fullerton, 86, died August 14. He married Beverly Lisenby who survives him in 1959. He is also survived by his sons Lendell and Glendell, daughters Daphna and LaVonda, 15 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a great-granddaughter, Hope Fullerton.

He surrendered to the call of Christian service in 1957 at First Baptist Church in Woodlawn.

Fullerton pastored several Illinois Baptist churches and actively promoted gospel concerts throughout Southern Illinois bringing in The Kingsmen, The Florida Boys, The Cathedrals, The Rex Nelon Singers, and Gold City. He started the radio ministry, “Gospel Quartet Time,” on WMIX in 1972.

The name was later changed to “The Ole Time Gospel Singing” and it aired for many years.

A highlight of his ministry was the recording of Kingsmen “Live Naturally.” Fullerton received the Singing News Golden Mic Award in 2017. In March of this year, he was honored with a “Tribute to the Life and Ministry of Merle Fullerton.”

Russell Fay Drinnen, 90, died August 20. A graduate of CarsonNewman College, she earned a Master of Religious Education from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

From 1958-1970 she was the Woman’s Missionary Union Youth Director for Illinois where she organized and led camps for Girls in Action (GAs) and Acteens.

From 1970-1974 Drinnen served as Baptist Young Women’s Director for Florida WMU. She was then called to lead The Learning Tree Preschool Center of San Jose Baptist Church where she served as director until 1988.

As a church member, Drinnen served as Preschool Director, sang in the choir, co-lead Women on Mission meetings, taught preschool Sunday School, and went on several short-term mission trips.

After “retirement” she spent 5-6 months each year in Mesa, Ariz., leading Bible studies and cooking for the Christian Women’s group luncheons.