Salvation Army

Major Raymond Warren Simpson was commissioned on June 10, 1957. He retired to the Lewistown, Pennsylvania Corps in 1998.

Major Raymond Simpson
Rank	Major
Birth Date	April 28, 1936
Death Date	April 21, 2014
Relations	Major Gretchen Simpson (wife)
	Simpson Family

Two Salvation Army lieutenants will marry at 4 p.m. tomorrow in the Salvation Army Citadel, 401 Shipley Street.

Lt. Gretchen Presnell, daughter of Mrs. Allene Presnell, 31 Elsmere Boulevard, Silverbrook Gardens, will marry Lt. Raymond W. Simpson, son of Mrs. Byard Mann, 1500 West Fifth Street.

The ceremony will be performed by Capt. Hartwell B. Fleming. Lt. Col. Paul D. Seiler will preside. A reception will follow the ceremony.

The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), June 11, 1959

Capt. Raymond W. Simpson, commander of the Salvation Army here, will deliver the principal address at the annual Memorial Day observance May 30 here. It will begin with a parad at 10:30 a.m. and end with a program at the War Memorial at the intersection of North Pittsburg St. and Route 119.

A native of Wilmington, Del. Capt. Simpson was graduated from Brown's Vocational High School there and served over two years in the U.S. Navy at Bainbridge, Md., and Norfolk, Va. being discharged as a diesel mechanic seaman third class before entering the Salvation Army College in New York City. He has eight years service in the Naval Reserve.

After a year at the college, he took one year of field work and was given consecutive assignments in New York City, Allentown, Latrobe and Erie, back to Latrobe and then to Connellsville in June of 1961. Four years of correspondece study followed his training in New York City.

Married to the former Gretchen Presnell of Wilmington, the couple has two children, Kathleen, 2 and Nancy, 1.

The Daily Courier (Connellsville, Pennsylvania), May 28, 1962

Recalling that imposters at Christmas time endeavored to sell what they claimed were copies of the 'Christmas Edition' of the Salvation Army's War Cry, Captain Raymond Simpson today announced vendors of the “Easter Edition” will carry with them written identification.

“Our people handling the Easter edition of the War Cry, which will be sold next week,” said Capt. Simpson. “will carry with them a letter of authorization signed by me. We are doing this to guarantee there can be no imposters active in the Connellsville area. We had such difficulty at Christmas time. The identification letters will end the imposter practice.”

The Daily Courier (Connellsville, Pennsylvania), March 30, 1963

Major Raymond Warren Simpson, 77, of Lewistown, died at 10:08 p.m. Monday, April 21, 2014, at Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital. Born on April 28, 1936, in Wilmington, Del., he was a son of the late William R. Simpson and Elizabeth (Bryant) Mann. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by sisters, Betty Jane Leauby and Mildred Adkinson, and a brother, Charles Simpson. Raymond is survived by: his wife, Gretchen (Presnell) Simpson, whom he married on June 12, 1959, his children, Kathleen Long and husband, Stephen, of Waynesboro, Nancy Yoder and husband, Daniel, of Lewistown, of Lewistown, Gretchen Peters and husband, Frank, of Stroudsburg, Captain Joshua Simpson and wife, Sunny, of Suffern, N.Y., Raymond Simpson and wife, Michele, of Aquasco, Md., and Christine Gross and husband, Robert, of Fremont, Ohio; 19 grandchildren; siblings, Barbara O'Neal, Lorraine Miller and husband, Jack, Georgia Megonigal and husband, Ted; and sister-in-law, Lynn Simpson. He was a graduate of Browns Vocational School in Wilmington and Salvation Army School of Officers Training in Suffern, N.Y., in 1957. Raymond served in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Major Simpson was a member and minister of the Salvation Army Church. He had served various appointments in the Salvation Army. After retirement, he continued to serve as a men's Sunday school teacher and prayer sergeant. He also played the cornet in the Salvation Army Band in his early years. He served as the Commander of the Lewistown Salvation Army Corps from June 1978 to June 1986. Raymond's greatest joy was his family. He was an avid fisherman and enjoyed archery, boating, hunting, tinkering with vehicles, coolecting model trains and watching westerns and game shows. Raymond always loved to sing. He also was a black belt in karate and served asscoutmaster with the Boy Scouts. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 26, 2014, at Heller-Hoenstine Funeral Homes, Woodlawn, 200 N. Main St., Lewistown, with Captain David Means and Major Les Walter officiating. A viewing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 25, at the funeral home. Interment will take place in Church Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Major Simpson's name may be made to The Salvation Army, 9 Dorcas St., Lewistown, PA 17044

• Private collection of Andrew Peters, to include largely the private papers of Major Raymond Simpson coming into possession by the rite of inheritance from his grandfather.