Ross Thomas Hindman

HINDMAN, Ross T. 10/27/1941 – 4/30/2020 On April 30, 2020, Ross Thomas Hindman passed from his earthly rest in Jesus to his heavenly rest with Jesus.What he could only see through the eyes of faith in this life, he now sees face to face. Throughout his life Ross enjoyed music and the arts. He was a talented artist and a skilled musician playing both trumpet and guitar, and a little piano.His love of the outdoors started in childhood, continued through camping trips with his wife Ellen, and was passed on to his children through camping, hiking, fishing, canoeing, etc..He greatly enjoyed working with his hands; DIY projects, gardening, and especially woodworking.One of his greatest joys was spending time with his twelve grandchildren engaging in a variety of activities with them. Ross was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania on October 27, 1941, and grew up in Clairton, PA where he graduated from Clairton High School in 1959.Ross attended West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, WV, for one year.In September, 1960, Ross began working as a bookkeeper in the corporate municipal bond department of Mellon Bank in downtown Pittsburgh, where he was promoted each year until he resigned in May, 1965. In 1963, Ross joined the Pennsylvania National Guard.In 1965, Ross decided to move to Atlanta, GA to begin a new life.During that time he was reassigned to the Army Reserve 11th Special Forces Unit, Co.E, Det.B-3 in Columbus, GA and served in that unit as a Light Weapons Leader until his honorable discharge in June, 1970. While residing in Atlanta, Ross first sold calculators for Smith Corona Marchant Corporation, after which he became a manufacturer’s representative for companies selling architectural products, construction materials, hospital, and scientific equipment in a six state region.Ross then co-founded and ran a unique flower business for several years followed by opening and running a restaurant, The Carriage Room, in a historic mansion just off Peachtree Street in Atlanta. The last half of the 1960s was a turbulent time in American history.Ross got swept up into it all, particularly the hippie, drug movement, and his life changed drastically.Ross felt the only positive thing during that time was meeting Ellen, who would later become his wife.They had many adventures together. A transforming event occurred in Ross’s life on August 12, 1975 which would set the course for the remainder of his earthly journey.He was, to use the phrase that Jesus used (John3:3), born again, and that made all the difference.His was a life transformed by the power of God’s spirit.He and Ellen married three weeks later and never looked back. The newlyweds lived two years in Vermont where they were blessed with a daughter, then moved to Wilmore, Kentucky for Ross to pursue further schooling as he sensed that God was calling him into fulltime Christian ministry.Ross received a BA with honors from Asbury College (now University) in 1980, and a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in 1983.During this time, Ross received a more specific leading from God, he felt called to ministry in France. Ross and his family left the U.S. for France in August, 1984 serving under Cornerstone International.After ten months of language school, they moved to Marseille, France, a port city on the Mediterranean Sea.Ross spent the next seven years planting/establishing three churches in Marseille in conjunction with local French Christians who asked for his help to do so.During those years two sons were welcomed into the family. Following a sabbatical time in the United States, Ross accepted a request by Bethany International to direct a Bible training center in the heart of France. He and his family moved there in February 1994. To better cater to the needs of the French Christian community, Ross created an innovative program for students who were called into ministry that combined distance learning via recorded classes with on site in person classes. The school and program were successful and grew.Hearing of the program, a Brazilian missionary working in Africa asked Ross to work with him to start schools in two French speaking African nations. In 2006, Ross passed the directorship of the school to a French minister and moved with family to Omaha, Nebraska to be near their eldest daughter, her husband, and their children.Through all his years of ministry and from great quantities of time spent studying the Bible, Ross became a very gifted teacher of God’s word and was his wife’s all-time favorite Bible teacher.Retirement was not a word in Ross’s vocabulary and he continued to teach and preach both locally and overseas (Europe, Africa, Asia) as part of the international faculty of GlobeServe, a multination mission group.Ross continued teaching until just a few months ago when he was no longer physically able to do so. In 2003, Ross survived stage four cancer.When he received a second diagnosis of stage four cancer less than two months ago, which left him with no options for a known medical cure, he thanked God for the seventeen extra years he had been given to serve Him and be with his family.His family thanks God for the gift of time they were given to surround him with great love and care till God called him home. Ross is preceded in death by his father, Elmer Joseph Hindman, and his mother, Dorothy Louise (Cogan) Hindman. He is survived and will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of forty-five years Ellen, daughter Rachel (Josh), sons Joel (Mara) and Nathanael (Bailey), and from a previous marriage, sons Ross and Randy (Sharon). Also surviving Ross are siblings Remle (Earl) and Rick, and grandchildren Lucie, Jack, Joey, JJ, Lillie, Jacob, Jonathan, Collins, Rosie, Marcella, Hope, Cogan, his maternal aunt Naomi, many other kin and a host of international friends. Braman Mortuary - Southwest Chapel 6505 S. 144 St. Omaha, NE68137 402-895-3400