Norman Ned Valentine, 89, Pierce

July 13, 1934 – May 21, 2024

Norman “Ned” Valentine, age 89, entered into the presence of his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at the Harmony House in Pierz, MN. A funeral service will be held at a later date in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Norman “Ned” was born July 13, 1934 in Bowling Green, Ohio, the son of the late Debs and Katherine Valentine. After high school in Bowling Green and three years of saving for college, Ned attended St. Paul Bible Institute, where he studied pastoral studies and Bible and theology. It was also around this time that he met the love of his life, Elaine Colby. The couple married in 1959 and began their God-directed mission of planting churches in Ontario, Canada. They also started a family and had Jeff, Gregg and Elizabeth. Ned and Elaine later served Christian and Missionary Alliance churches in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Six years of service at Meadow Creek Church in Anoka, Minnesota, gave the entire family a sense of “home.” Ned spent the last seven years of his ministry with the Billy Graham Association, where he believed God had given him an expanded ministry before his retirement.

Ned was known for his infectious smile, his ability to make you feel good, and his caustic sense of humor. Ned had a passion for God's Word, the Bible. He took Psalm 1 seriously. “His delight is the word of the Lord, and on his word he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by rivers of living water, which yields fruit in its season, whose leaf never withers.”

Norman is survived by his children Jeff (Merri Lee) Valentine, Gregg (Nancy) Valentine and Elizabeth (David) Zimmerman; grandchildren Jeremy, Jennifer, Jerilyn, Victoria, Olivia, Hannah, Rachel, Nathaniel and great-grandchildren Summer, Fox, Fisher, Avery and Liam.

His wife, Louise Elaine Valentine, predeceased him.