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Promoted to Glory
Mrs. Brigadier Joan Crombie was promoted to Glory September 18 from Somerfield Place, Fresno, Calif.
Joan was born May 6, 1916 in Kirby, Wyoming. Her family moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon, where Joan was converted at age ten in a Salvation Army Young People’s meeting. She became active in the corps there and received the call to officership shortly after her conversion. After some wrestling with her calling, she entered the School for Officer Training in San Francisco and was commissioned in 1935 with The World For God Session.
As a single officer, Joan assisted at corps in San Francisco and Santa Cruz. In 1937, she married Captain Ralph Clement and they served in divisional and corps appointments in the Northern California and the Oregon and Southern Idaho divisions. They ministered for some months in 1941-1942 at the USO in Victorville, California, and then from 1942 to 1950 they served as corps officers in Whittier, Calif. and Reno, Nev., as superintendent at the Honolulu Boys Home, and as corps officers in Hayward, Fresno, and Taft, Calif.
In Taft, Ralph was promoted to Glory, but Joan continued serving there until January 1952 when she was appointed corps officer at Damon Tract, Hawaii. Other appointments were Santa Rosa, Oakland Booth Hospital, San Diego Door of Hope, SFOT—women’s side officer, THQ—Education department, El Paso Booth—superintendent, and administrator at Spokane Booth and Denver Booth Hospitals.
After retiring, Joan moved to Fresno to be near her only son Ralph and his family—she was very close to her grandchildren. She pursued her interests of needlework and painting. One of her afghans earned first prize at the Fresno Fair and was entered into the State Fair in Sacramento.
On September 26, 1992, Brigadier Joan Clement and Brigadier Robert Crombie were married. Brigadier Bob Crombie was promoted to Glory in August 2001.
A memorial service for Brigadier Joan Crombie was held at the Fresno Citadel Corps with Major Chester Danielson officiating.
Messages of condolence may be sent to Mr. Ralph Clement, 4080 N. Wilson Avenue, Fresno, CA 93704.
Salvationist Everett Holmes, 94, was promoted to Glory earlier this year from Ventura, California. A faithful servant of God, he began bringing people to Army meetings at age 10, and continued throughout his life to support the work of God with all that he had.
Major Lawrence Holmes sent New Frontier the following story, which illustrates what can come from a simple invitation to Sunday school.
Ten-year-old Everett Holmes attended The Salvation Army Sunday school in Petaluma, California. When an attendance contest was announced, he went home very excited. He asked his twin brothers, who were three years older, to come with him to Sunday school. They said, “Sure, we’ll come some Sunday.” Everett handed them a calendar and asked, “What Sunday?” The twins chose a date and thought Everett would forget all about it. When that day rolled around, Everett reminded his brothers of their promise, so the twins went to Sunday school.
Little did they know that this would lead to four generations of Salvationists. The twins were Leslie and Lester Holmes. Leslie became a local officer, teaching many young people to play instruments right up to his promotion to Glory in 1994 at age 86. All five of his children have been faithful Salvationists. One son became an officer—Major Lawrence Holmes.
Brigadier Lester Holmes was promoted to Glory in 2002 at age 94. He, too, raised his son in the Army and taught youth to play instruments. He also sent many young people into training to become Salvation Army officers, and he opened all of the service centers in Alaska, as well as the corps in Palmer, Alaska (among other locations). He was faithful to God’s call.
Only eternity will reveal all the lives were and still are being touched by that one 10-year-old boy—Everett Holmes.