Obituary from Joplin Globe:

Karl Lewis Eugene Beyersdorfer, 73, Joplin, Mo., died suddenly on May 27, 2016 at his home in Joplin.
 

Karl was born Jan. 20, 1943. in Chicago, Ill., to Eugene and Anna (Biller) Beyersdorfer.

He was an ordained minister for 49 years and had served churches in Minnesota, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio and Missouri and was a member of the Living Church of God, in Joplin. The work of the Lord was his passion.
 

Karl married Gaylon Smith on June 5, 1966, at Big Sandy, Texas, and she survives.
Additional survivors include four children, Kurt Beyersdorfer, Christi Ramos, Robert Smith and Kraig and wife, Nova Beyersdorfer; five grandchildren and four sisters, Andrea Zima, Marcia Pruner, Vikki LaRocco and Terri Bogue. He is preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Art Beyersdorfer.
 

Graveside services were held on May 31.
 

Contributions, in memory of Karl, may be made to the Joplin Church Fund, in care of Clark Funeral Home, PO Box 66, Neosho, MO 64850.
Services are under the direction of Clark Funeral Home, Neosho, Mo.

Online condolences may be posted at www.clarkfuneralhomes.com.

Excerpt from a letter written by Mr. Roderick C. Meredith:

Mr. Karl Beyersdorfer—for many years living in my own hometown, Joplin, MO—was noted as “Mr. B” around the whole region and made himself beloved by constantly serving and giving of himself to the people in that area as Christ’s minister.

However, in Mr. Beyersdorfer’s case, it was a double tragedy in the sense that he took his own life. Hundreds of brethren in that area know that Mr. Beyersdorfer had had quite a number of serious physical ailments—leading to deep depression at times—and finally, about two years ago, completely of his own volition, asked to be removed as the Pastor. He asked that Mr. Gene Hilgenberg carry on and he would just “assist” him as best he could. He was under a great deal of stress and was sometimes not “himself” according to his wife and many others. He was under medical treatment and at the time he took his life was undoubtedly in one of the “spells” under deep depression.

Brethren, Almighty God our Father understands all this. He is called: “The Father of mercies” (2 Corinthians 1:3). Our Father in heaven knows that all of us have moments of great weakness. We who really understand the Bible are fully aware that God does not judge just according to what we do in some moment of weakness. Although we want all our young people to be fully aware of the awful consequences of suicide, we feel that Mr. Beyersdorfer will eventually be resurrected and be honored for what he did do in the decades of faithful service to God’s people when his physical and mental condition were normal. But we certainly need to pray for Mrs. Beyersdorfer and her whole family in this situation. And she has let me know that she has no problem with me telling you about the nature of his death. It is better that it gets “all out there” now rather than having it come up and be asked of her and others over the months and years to come.