Rev. Samuel Howard Balius fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith at 5:07 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, 2019 at his home in Springfield, Missouri. He was born August 13, 1928 in Biloxi, Mississippi to Ernest and Opal Balius. Samuel was one of seven children who all grew up helping in the family bakery business.

He was a Boy Scout leader.  He was a member of Central Assembly of God in Biloxi, Mississippi.   He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1949. After his military service he worked for the Illinois Central Railroad until the time he felt God calling him to prepare for ministry.  He enrolled in Central Bible Institute in Springfield, Missouri in 1951 where he met and married Mona L. Ellsworth on May 29, 1954.  They spent their first few months of marriage studying Spanish at the University of La Havana, Cuba. He graduated from Central Bible Institute in 1954.  He and Mona moved to Mississippi where they pastored for several years before going into missions in 1959.  They served in Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Canary Islands and traveled throughout Latin America with Christian Education programs.  In 1988 he founded the Facultad de Teología de las Asambleas de Dios en Latino América (Latin America School of Theology of the Assemblies of God in Latin America).

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Rev. Mona L Ellsworth Balius; three daughters, Rev. Deborah Caldwell and her husband Rev. Michael Caldwell of Springfield, Missouri; Rebekah Clute and her husband Randall Clute of Springfield, Missouri; and Rachel Balius of Framingham, Massachusetts; four grandchildren, Lisa Mankins; Amber Furr and her husband Darren Furr; Andrea Gonzalez; and John Michael Balius Caldwell and his wife Nicole Caldwell; two great grandsons, Greyson Furr and Zelek Furr; an older brother, Rev. Gerald Balius of Melbourne, Florida and a score of nieces, nephews, cousins, colleagues and world-wide friends.

Memorial donations may be made in his honor to Assemblies of God World Missions LAC Facultad de Teologia Balius Scholarship Fund. Acct # 448585 info@facultadAD.org or 1445 N. Boonville, Springfield, MO 65802

A Visitation is scheduled for Tuesday April 2 ^nd from 4-7 p.m.  in the chapel at Klingner-Cope Family Funeral Home at Rivermonte (4500 S. Lone Pine, Springfield). A Funeral service will be held Wednesday April 3 ^rd at 11 a.m , also in the chapel, with entombment to follow in the mausoleum at Rivermonte Memorial Gardens. Online condolences may be made to www.klingnerfuneralhome.com