Brother Olen Benjamin Landes Obituary (1917 - 2016)

Brother Olen Benjamin Landes, 99, Harrisonburg passed away on December 14, 2016 at his home. Mr. Landes was born on May 31, 1917 in Harrisonburg and was the son of the late Benjamin Samuel and Grace Bowman Landes. He was the founder and owner of Landes Heating and Air which began on January 1, 1948 and he continued to actively work there for 34 years. He had deep roots in the Church of the Brethren and was ordained into the ministry in 1943 and continued to preach worship services until 2015 when he was 98 years old. He held services in Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, California, Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania. He had a lifelong love of motorcycles and a genuine love of people. When meeting people, he always asked about work, genealogy and their church affiliation. Brother Landes was a member of the Mill Creek Church of the Brethren and was always quick to "Give God the Glory." Olen occasionally included in his services that "one day you will read an obituary that Olen Landes is dead, but don't believe a word of it, for I will be more alive then, than ever." On April 4, 1937, he married the former Alice Clara Earman who survives. Also surviving are children, Ray Landes and wife Paige, Mary Alice Weaver, and husband Wallace, Juanita Wheeler and husband Larry, all of Harrisonburg; Robert Landes and wife Joanne, Grottoes, Barbara Raines and husband Chuck, Keezletown, Lynn Landes and wife Anita, and Phil Landes and wife Debbie all of Mt. Crawford, Rodney Landes and wife Tina, Rockingham; a son-in-law, Don Myers, Harrisonburg; 31 grandchildren and 59 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Carolyn Myers, sisters and brothers, Sylvia Adams, Vesta Adams, Lorene Armstrong, Roydon Landes, Melvin Landes, and Mary Virginia Landes and a granddaughter, Brielle Nelson. Reverend Jim Miller and Brother Jim Myer will conduct a memorial service Sunday, December 18, 2016 at 2p.m. at the Mill Creek Church of the Brethren. The family will receive friends following the memorial service. Burial will be private. Those wishing to view may call at the McMullen Funeral Home from 9 a.m. until 7p.m. on Friday. Memorial contributions may be made to The Brethren Revival Fellowship, P.O. Box 543, Ephrata, PA 17522-0543 or to the Brethren Disaster Ministries, P.O. Box 188, New Windsor, MD 21776-0188, or Weekday Religious Education P.O. Box 835, Harrisonburg VA 22803. Online condolences may be made to the family at McMullen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. http://videos.lifetributes.com/761077