Retired Covenant pastor Albert A. Damrose died September 20, 2024. He was 95.
Albert Allen Damrose (“Al”) was born on February 16, 1929, to Albert and Una (Morey) Damrose in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended Sunday school at Maplewood Covenant Church and was confirmed at First Covenant Church of St. Paul.
Al graduated from North St. Paul High School in 1947. He worked a variety of jobs to pay his way through college, often working two full-time jobs while taking a full course load. As a result, he achieved a debt-free education. He graduated from North Park Junior College with his AA in 1950, then graduated in December 1954 from the University of Minnesota with his BA in sociology.
On June 27, 1953, Al married Gladys E. Anderson at the Dawson (Minnesota) Covenant Church. In 1957 he graduated from North Park Theological Seminary and was ordained in Minneapolis in June of that year.
Al lived to serve. He generously and joyfully shared his life, time, energy, resources, and family. Together with Gladys, he was a houseparent at Chapin Hall: “The Chicago Nursery and Half Orphan Asylum,” from 1955 until 1957. Between 1979 and 1992, while living in Massachusetts, they were emergency placement and long-term foster parents. He also served on the Board of Directors for Cromwell Children’s Home in Connecticut for several years.
Al served as pastor at several congregations in the Evangelical Covenant Churches, including Covenant Congregational Church in Beverly, Massachusetts (1957–1964); Pilgrim Congregational Covenant Church in Granby, Connecticut (1964–1966); and after his retirement he was interim pastor at Pleasantdale Covenant Church in Troy, New York. He also served as interim pastor for the Harvey Street Baptist Church in Springfield, Massachusetts (1966–1976), while he worked full-time for ServiceMaster Corporation–Hospital Division. In 1976 Al purchased his own franchise of residential and commercial services: ServiceMaster of Westfield, providing exceptional service until his retirement in 1988.
Al committed his life to Christ while at a Bible camp, and camps were significantly important to him. During his pastoral internship year with the Covenant churches in Tustin and LeRoy, Michigan, Al was a camp counselor at Portage Lake Covenant Bible Camp. He was also part of the planning committee for Pilgrim Pines Camp and Retreat Center starting in 1957. He was on the crew that moved the original camp from Cromwell, Connecticut, to West Swanzey, New Hampshire. He served as chair of the board at Pilgrim Pines for eight years. He was first to volunteer and was a force to be reckoned with in building the “new” chapel and the campgrounds. Al was fully invested in the camp experience for children and families, and his family spent countless wonderful summers camping there, with some attending Camp Squanto.
Al spent over twenty-five years of his retirement volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in Rockford, Illinois. He was elected to the board of directors in 1995 and became chair of the building committee. Al started and led the Habitat Weekday Warriors group. He also spent many years volunteering to do taxes with a program called Tax Counseling for the Elderly. Later he started doing taxes for residents of Fairhaven Retirement Community, long before he moved there himself.
Al enjoyed jigsaw and crossword puzzles and games like Rummikub and Solitaire. He and Gladys welcomed all to their home and table and were friends and refuge for people who were hurting and otherwise rejected. They opened their home to refugees and were considered American parents and grandparents to the Kingambo family.
After retiring to Illinois, Al was a faithful and active servant of Broadway Covenant Church for over thirty years. He served on many committees, his favorite being the Mission Committee.
Al was preceded in death by his wife, Gladys; beloved brothers Richard, Robert Damrose (Edna); sister and brothers-in-law Veloris Miller (Wallace), Lauraine Hanson (Lloyd), Donald Anderson (Margaret), and Raymond Anderson (Doreen); nieces and nephews Elaine DeJesus, Richard Miller, Keith Hanson, and Evelyn Megaro.
Al is survived by his children, Barbara Wood (Steven) of Lombard, Illinois; Rebecca of Rockford, Illinois; Laura Moore (Gregory) of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Mark (Julie) of Streamwood, Illinois; and foster son Dennis Micjenka of Florence, Massachusetts; grandchildren Allison Wood; Lynelle Overturf (Nathan); Christopher Damrose (Erin); Peter, Andrew (Kristy), Philip (Valerie), and Nathanael Moore (Hannah); Sarah Gridley (Timothy); Nathan and Michael Damrose; great-grandchildren Aiden and Abbigal Overturf, James and Emily Moore, Susanna Gridley, and two that arrived in December 2024 and February 2025; his sister-in-law Karin Damrose and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service was held on October 26, 2024. Memorial gifts in lieu of flowers may be made to Broadway Covenant Church in Rockford, Illinois.
Peace be to his memory.
