Kern County Obituaries

John P Cranston, Jr.

Submitted by Don Stowell; 13 Feb 2008

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Source Unknown; Date Unknown
 
Rev. John P Cranston, Jr., retired pastor of the Community Churches of Mojave and California 
City, both parishes of the United Church of Christ, passed away on December 6, 2000 at 
Lancaster, California at the age of 87.
Born in Holly, Michigan, on May 24, 1913, Rev. Cranston spent most of his adult life on 
the east coast, serving churches in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Main and New York. He was a 
minister of the United Church of Christ (formerly Congregational	ChristianChurches) since 
1952. His last pastorate in the east was at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 
Bay Shore, Long Island, New York from 1960-1980.
Rev. Cranston came to the Mojave and California City churches in September 1989 
and served these then-yoked parishes until he retired in December 1988. The churches have 
since become separate parishes. In 1989 Rev. Cranston moved from California City to 
Mojave where he lived until his death.
Rev. Cranston is survived by two sisters, Mary Jane Gellert of Exton, Pennsylvania and 
Miss Ellen Cranston of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.
Also surviving are seven children; John P. Cranston III, Santa Rosa California; Peter 
Cranston Las Vegas, Nevada; Beth Voight, Massanutten, VA; Gregory Cranston, Spring 
Valley, California; Bonnie Ringquist, Misawa, Japan; Robin Reed, Littleton, Colorado and 
Claudia Fonseca, East Islip, New York. He also leaves 17 grandchildren and 7 great-grand-
children.
At his request, services and the dispersal of his cremains in the ocean are private, with 
arrangements made by Stickel Mortuary of Mojave. In lieu of flowers, the family requests 
donations to the Doves Nest in Mojave.

MOJAVE � Reverend John P. Cranston, Jr., retired pastor of the California 
City and Mojave Community Churches, passed away December 6 in Lancaster.
Reverend Cranston came to the Mojave and California City churches in 1980 and 
served the two parishes until he retired in December, 1988.
He moved from California City to Mojave in 1989, where he lived until his 
death.
Reverend Cranston was born in Holly, Michigan, on May 14, 1913, and spent 
most of his adult life on the east coast, where he served churches in 
Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maine, and New York.
He became a minister with the United Church of Christ, formerly the 
Congregational Christian Churches, in 1952.
Reverend Cranston's past pastorate in the east was the First Congregational United 
Church of Christ in Bay Shore, Long Island, new York, from 1960 to 1980.
He is survived by two sisters, Mary Jane Gellert, of Exton, Pennsylvania, and Miss 
Ellen Cranston of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.
He is also survived by seven children: John P. Cranston III of Santa Rosa, Peter 
Cranston of Las Vegas, Nevada; Beth Voight, of Massanutten, Virginia; Gregory 
Cranston, Spring Valley, California; Bonnie Ringquist, of Misawa, Japan; 
Robin reed, of Littleton, Colorado, and Claudia Fonseca of East Islip, New York.
He also leaves 17 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
At Reverend Cranston's request, services and dispersal of cremains in the ocean are 
private, with arrangements made by Stickel Mortuary of Mojave.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Dove's Nest in Mojave.