Mark Whitfield Adamson of Cherokee was called home to Jesus, his Lord and Saviour, Monday, March 9, after a brief illness.
Memorial services will be on Saturday, March 14, at 11 a.m. at Oakdale Evangelical Free Church. Pastor Tyler Stauffer will officiate. Private family burial will be held at Oak Hill Cemetery prior to the service. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until service time on Saturday morning. Online condolences may be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com. Boothby Funeral Home of Cherokee is assisting the family with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials in Mark's honor to the Cherokee Athletic Booster club and local chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Mark was born to Darrell and Phyllis (Everly) Adamson on Sept. 13, 1955, in Cherokee. He attended Cherokee (Washington) High School, graduating in 1974. He did undergraduate studies at George Fox College (Newberg, Ore.), South Dakota State (Brookings, S.D.), and completed his degree at Northwestern College (Orange City). Throughout his high school and college years, he was a stellar, record-breaking distance runner.
Known for running 14-20 miles a day in high school, he was given the nickname “Mr. Dedication.” He was also a NAIA All-American in the marathon and at one time held a world record in the 4-man 24 hour relay.
As much as Mark loved running, his true passion was Jesus Christ. He was an avid participant in Fellowship of Christian Athletes camps as a huddle leader.
Mark will be remembered for his love for, and his interest in people, both friend and stranger, and for his twinkling eyes, easy smile and encouraging words.
A nephew wrote, “He was a great uncle, and I have a lot of memories of conversations with him that ended with me feeling a lot better about myself. He always had a way of making a person believe in themselves. Every conversation I had with him was incredibly positive. That was Mark.”
Mark was self-employed most of his adult life, splitting his time between Newberg, Oregon and Cherokee.
He is survived by his sisters, Sharman Wirtzfeld (Dieter) and Heidi O'Connor (Tom) and two brothers, Blaine Adamson (Audrey) and Bruce Adamson (Julie). He will be missed by all of his nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by four sets of grandparents; his mothers, Phyllis June (Everly) Adamson and Juanita June (Manlove) Adamson, and his father Darrell Duane Adamson.
