John Youngberg

He was a Seventh-day Adventist minister, missionary in South America, family life educator, and long-time professor at Andrews University and member of Pioneer Memorial Church

John Blanchard Youngberg, Seventh-day Adventist minister and professor emeritus of religious education at Andrews University, passed away on Friday, August 14 after a short illness. He was born on August 9, 1932 in Redfield, South Dakota to Bertha Oss Youngberg and Alfred G. Youngberg.

John was part of large, interconnected and extended family of Adventist workers known around the world for their careers in ministry, mission work, medicine, and education.

John was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church on October 6, 1945, at the age of 13, and attended high school at Union Springs Academy in New York, and La Sierra Academy in California. He received a BA degree in religion from La Sierra College (now University) in 1953, a MA in systematic theology from Andrews University in 1962 and a MA in education from Andrews in 1971. In 1974 he received a doctor of education degree in educational leadership from Western Michigan University.

John’s professional life included two years of pastoring in the Southeastern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists immediately following graduation from college. Then followed 16 years of mission service (1955 to 1971) in a variety of teaching and church administrative roles Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Bolivia, including as president of the Bolivia Training School. He was ordained to the ministry in the Seventh-day Adventist Church at Puiggari, Argentia on January 11, 1958.

After completing his doctoral degree, John began teaching at Andrews University in 1974, and was active in that role as an honored professor for three decades.

He married Bonnie Brown Youngberg in 1953 and she was the mother of their two sons John Nielan Youngberg and Wesley Scott Youngberg. Bonnie passed away April 15, 1971. Youngberg married Millie Urbish Youngberg later that same year. Millie, Ed.D, was a professor of teacher education at Andrews. Together, John and Millie developed a specialization in family life ministries and education, writing books and traveling to many countries around the world, inspiring pastors and church members about how to raise families to love each other and to follow Jesus. For this work and their many years of teaching at Andrews, they were awarded the John Nevins Andrews Medallion for the Advancement of Knowledge in 1999. They were also deeply appreciated for the vibrant community prayer ministry they operated out of their home for many years. Millie passed away in 2018. John married Beverly Boyson in 2019 and she has been a devoted wife and caregiver for the last years of John’s life.

John was preceded in death by his parents Alfred and Bertha Youngberg; by his five siblings: Stephen Youngberg, Margaret Youngberg Horsley, Russell Youngberg, Olive Youngberg Hoogenboom, and Gorden Youngberg; by his first wife Bonnie Youngberg; and by his second wife Millie Youngberg.

He is survived by his wife Beverly Youngberg and her children Tina Boyson and Marc Boyson; by his sons John (Ivette) Youngberg of Ooltewah, Tennessee, and Wesley (Betsy) Youngberg of Temeculah, California; by his grandchildren Jey Youngberg, Paul Youngberg, Dakota Youngberg, Madison Youngberg Sequeira, and Katie Youngberg; and by a very large clan of admiring cousins, nieces and nephews and their generations around the world.

Service arrangements are being handled by Allred Funeral Home in Berrien Springs. A private burial in Rose Hill Cemetery will take place on Friday, August 21. Public visitation with the family will be on Saturday, August 22 at 4:30 p.m., immediately followed by a memorial service at 5:30 p.m., both at Pioneer Memorial Church, where John was an active and faithful member for 54 years.