A beloved retired Minnesota pastor known for his tremendous faith is being remembered for living life to its fullest, after falling through the ice to his death last week.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Minnesota reported 78-year-old Greg Garmer’s body was found on Dec. 2 around 4 p.m. Garmer had fallen through the ice while ice skating near Woodstock Bay, KNOP News 2 reported.

Woodstock Bay is an inlet on the river separating Minnesota and Wisconsin.

 Garmer had spent Sunday morning reading Scripture at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, which is affiliated with the ELCA denomination, where he was an active member, The Christian Post reported. His wife reported him missing after he failed to return home from ice skating, following the morning church service.

Garmer was a member of the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. He also served as an interim pastor at the First Lutheran Church and was a longtime pastor at the French River Lutheran.

“Greg was one of the warmest, most congenial, most sincere, most generous people I have ever met,” Kathryn Tiede, Associate Vice President of Philanthropy at Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota said in an interview with Northern News Now.

“The church is stunned, as you can imagine—devastated and heartbroken, but also filled with gratitude for his witness, his ministry, his friendship, and his faith,” said Rev. David Carlson, Garmer’s friend for nearly 25 years.

In an interview with Beliefnet, Carlson said Garmer was known for his passion for service and engaged in numerous ministries, including neighborhood outreach breakfasts, discussions on racial justice and science, and advocacy for environmental stewardship.

 “He was always thinking about how we as people of faith could do more—whether that was helping others or caring for God’s creation,” Carlson told Beliefnet.

Garmer’s life not only touched those in church, but he also had a larger circle of influence.

“He was first my pastor, and but then so much more after he retired … including my birding buddy,” said Richard Hoeg, a Minnesotan blogger. “We often spent hours in the car together as we drove to remote spots in northern Minnesota.” 

“The last time I saw Greg was a bit over one week ago. He had excitedly stopped by my home to let me know a Northern Shrike was nearby,” according to Hoeg’s Dec. 3 entry.

Garmer’s memorial service is scheduled for Dec. 28 at 11 a.m. at First Lutheran Church in Duluth.

Sheila Stogsdill is a freelance print journalist and digital reporter, primarily covering crime issues for KSN/KODE.