Richard E. Coston, Sr.

Richard E. Coston, Sr., 83, of Bailey Road, Meadville and a resident of the Crawford County Care Center since August 1999, entered into eternal rest there Sunday, September 9, 2001.

He was born in Salamanca, NY November 2, 1917 a son of Stanford and Laura Pauline Emrick Coston.  He married Dorothy Gray July 26, 1939.

In 1936 he graduated from Dunkirk High School, Dunkirk, NY.  From 1936-1938 he worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps at camps in the Salamanca, NY area.  In 1939 he moved to Meadville and worked for the Brown & Jones Drug Store, Jerome Meyers Jewelry Store and then Penelec for 14 years.  He then entered the seminary graduating from Baptist Bible Seminary that was located in Johnson City, NY at the time.  He served as a Baptist minister for twenty years in churches in Hunts Corner, NY, Bedeque, Prince Edward Island, Canada and Titusville, Mehoopany and Spartansburg, Pennsylvania.  He also served as the administrator of the Open Door Children’s Home in Cornetsville, KY.  He retired from full time ministry in 1980 and subsequently lived in Florida managing a condo association.

Survivors, in addition to his wife of 62 years, include: two sons, William L. Coston and his wife Lea Ann of Meadville and Richard E. Coston, Jr. and his wife Gene of North Carolina; a daughter, Shannah Karastury and her husband Michael of Meadville; seven grandchildren, three step grandchildren, ten great grandchildren and five step great grandchildren; two sisters, Bette Wahl of Sun Center, FL and Jean Oliver of Orrington, ME; a step sister, Anna Mae; and a brother, Stanford Coston of Panama City Beach, FL;.  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two infant brothers.

A private service for family and friends will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the chapel at Roselawn Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Gerald Walton of Lyona Bible Church, officiating.  Burial will be in Roselawn Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the Crawford County Care Center, 20881 State Hwy. #198, Saegertown, PA 16433 or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Robert W. Waid Funeral Home, Inc., 581 Chestnut St., Meadville, PA 16335.