Obituary of Harvey Stromme

 

 

On June 23, 2021 Rev. Harvey Stromme, age 97, went to be with the Lord he loved and served his whole life and for more than 50 years in Nigeria. Born in Viceroy, Sask. he lived through difficult times enduring terrible dust storms and devastation of the ‘dirty thirties’.

 

God had a plan for his life that he was not aware of until one day he heard the gospel on the street corner as a Salvation Army group sang “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and the granddaughter of the local barber sang “Jesus Loves Me” in her grandfather’s shop. He went to church the next day and heard about that “Friend in Jesus and His love.” That night he asked Jesus to be his Friend and Saviour. He had a deep hunger for the Word of God voraciously memorizing Scripture and eventually graduating from several Bible Colleges. 

 

Harvey pastored several churches until he answered God’s call to the mission field through SIM, arriving in Nigeria in October 1966. What was to be a short-term became a life-long ministry most of it in Gusau in northwest Nigeria. One by one God brought needy children to Harvey’s doorstep whom he took into to his home to feed, clothe and educate. In no time he had a ‘family’ to care for as well as pastoring a church and teaching 35-40 Christian Religious Knowledge classes each week in the schools and colleges. More than 100 children in Nigeria have called Harvey’s house ‘home’ and he has over 500 grandchildren.

 

There were some anxious moments for Harvey wondering where food would come from and how to care for the children when they were sick, but he taught them to take ‘everything to God in prayer.’

 

Harvey’s only passion was to share the love of Jesus and His saving grace with everyone whether in Canada or Nigeria for the glory of God.

 

He will be greatly missed by his beloved family in Nigeria with whom he was in contact regularly and also by Kendra and Peter Anderson and too many friends to mention by name. He was very grateful for the compassionate care given by Dr. Che, Dr. Scher, and the staff of Douglas Memorial Hospital.

 

A Celebration of Life was held at Golden Harvest Baptist Church with limited attendance due to COVID restrictions.