Rev. Dr. Lawrence Sherwood

Rev. Dr. Lawrence Franklin Sherwood, Jr., 93, of Oakland died on Friday, September 6, 2019, at Garrett Regional Medical Center. Born on December 13, 1925, in Ronceverte, WV, he was the son of the late Lawrence Franklin and Blanch Margaret (Hedges) Sherwood. He was a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he obtained his Doctor of Divinity degree, and the Garrett United Theological Seminary. Dr. Sherwood was ordained an Elder in the West Virginia Conference of the Methodist Church in 1950. He served Main Street UMC in Petersburg, WV, Trinity UMC in Glenville, WV, St. Paul's UMC in Oakland, MD, and Trinity UMC in Bluefield, WV. He was also Superintendent of the then Lewisburg (now Greenbriar) District and Grace UMC in Keyser, WV. He had served on various UMC Conference and District Committees. A Methodist historian, Dr. Sherwood has written numerous articles on Methodist history, especially West Virginia Methodism and Bishop Francis Asbury and was the recipient of the Ministry of Memory Award from the Historical Society of the United Methodist Church. Active in his community, he was secretary of the Hospice of Garrett County Board of Directors, a member of the Board of the Garrett County Historical Society, a 50-year member of the Oakland Lodge No. 192 AF&AM, and the Oakland-Mountain Lake Park Lions Club. He is survived by his loving wife, Hazel (Steiding) Sherwood, to whom he was married on December 29, 1947; children, Rebecca Fallon and husband Fleming, John Sherwood and wife Debbie, Martha Ognibene and husband Bart Thompson, and Mary Dreibelbis and husband Harold; eleven grandchildren; and one great grandchild. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Judith Susan Sherwood Schaumburg and a sister, Margaret Lee Sherwood Smith. Friends will be received at the C & S Fredlock Funeral Home, P.A., 21 N 2nd St., Oakland on Monday, September 9th from 3 to 6 PM. A funeral service will be held in St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Oakland on Tuesday, September 10th at 2 PM with Rev. Dr. Matthew Paugh and Rev. Bart Thompson officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial may be made to St. Paul's UMC, Educational Fund, 318 E Oak St., Oakland, MD 21550 or Hospice of Garrett County, PO Box 271, Oakland, MD 21550.