Arthur Frederick (Bud) Downing Jr.

Arthur Frederick (Bud) Downing, Jr.

Arthur Frederick (Bud) Downing Jr., 70, died July 9, 2015, at Arcadia Valley Nursing Center, Coolville, Ohio. Bud was born December 22,1944, to Arthur Frederick Sr. and the late Elizabeth Peterson Downing. He married Karen Anderson August 27, 1966.
Bud grew up in Merrill, Wisconsin , living his teen years on a dairy farm. He graduated from Merrill High School in 1963 and from The University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 1967 with a degree in agriculture. Although he was not able to live on a farm as an adult, he never lost his love of Holstein cows and Oliver tractors.
Bud's greatest joy and the desire of his life was to teach young people God's word and the wonders of God's creation. He pursued this goal as the Oconto County Wisconsin 4-H and Youth agent , the local director of Child Evangelism Fellowship for North Central Wisconsin, a teacher at Wausau Christian School, a teacher of missionary children with New Tribes Mission, in Papua New Guinea and Waukesha WI , a teacher at Grace Christian School, Huntington WV, and a petting zoo guide at Heritage Farm Museum and Village. The Bible verse Bud said described his life is Jeremiah 17:7; "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is." He was a member of Bethel Baptist Church.
In addition to his father, Arthur Downing Sr.,, and his wife,Karen, Bud is survived by a son, Andrew (Dawn) Downing, a daughter, Tiffany Grace Downing, and a daughter in law , Shirley (Greg) Downing Howard.He is further survived by 10 grandchildren: Mary (Marek) Downing Counts, Elise (Justin) Downing Heath,Dalton, Jurney, Mackenzie, Dakota and Landon Downing,Dan (Holly) Weber, Lauren (Brent) Weber Zimmer, and Lance (Angela) Weber and 8 great grandchildren. Surviving siblings include his sister , Nancy Ann Nelson Priebe , brothers Ted (Marian) Downing, Chris Downing, and Tim (Katie) Beppler, and sister in law Mari Nelson. Nieces,nephews, and cousins also survive.
Preceeding Bud in death were his mother, Elizabeth Downing, his step mothers, June Nelson Downing and Mildred Moore Downing, two sons, Jon Arthur and Craig William Downing , his sister, Nancy Beth Downing Laabs, brother Roger Nelson,brothers in law Pat Priebe and Myron Laabs and sister in law Sheryl Downing.
The funeral will beSaturday, July 18, at 11:00 AM at White-Schwarzel Funeral Home, Coolville, OH, with burial in the Coolville Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral homefrom 6-8 Friday evening and one hour prior to the service on Saturday.
Gifts in Bud's memory may be made to Memory People or Good Seed International.
Memory People is a support group for those dealing with dementia which has been a great encouragement to Karen.
Memory People Inc.
C/O People's Bank
P.O. Box 1000
Coshocton, OH 43182
Good Seed International is the producer of the books Bud most liked to use to share God's love with others.
GoodSeed
P.O. Box 2890
Hayden, ID 83835
Be sure to specify memorial donation on behalf of Bud Downing
The family would like to especially thank Dr. Ross Patton,Dr. Kenneth Leopold, and the staffs of Muskingum Valley Nursing and Rehab, and Arcadia Valley Nursing Center for their kind and compassionate care of Bud through the stages of his Alzheimers journey.