Don H. Polston, age 86, died January 22, 2014, in Indianapolis, Ind. He served for 30 years as pastor of Sunnyside Temple, a Wesleyan congregation in Waterloo, Iowa. When he and his wife Ruth Ann went to Waterloo in 1963, it was in answer to a call to become pastor of the Falls Avenue Wesleyan Methodist Church. As the church outgrew its space, the congregation purchased property near the Sunnyside Country Club, built a new edifice, and renamed it Sunnyside Temple. Today it is called Cedar Valley Community Church.
While there, Rev. Polston began a ministry called The Life that Wins, through which he conducted a television ministry, a daily radio program, motivational seminars, and through which he published several books, some of which have gone around the world in other languages. In 1980, Sunnyside Temple was recognized as the largest Wesleyan congregation in North America at that time, with an average worship attendance of over 1,300. After retirement, Don moved to Indianapolis and continued The Life that Wins as an online ministry.
Prior to his tenure in Waterloo, Polston also pastored Wesleyan Methodist churches in Indiana and Texas.
Rev. Polston is survived by his wife Ruth Ann, a son Stephen (Jean) of Minneapolis, Minn., a daughter, Ann (Rick) Lund of Scottsdale, Ariz., four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
A funeral service was held February 1 at Trinity Wesleyan Church in Indianapolis, with the assistance of Shirley Brothers Mortuary. Also, a memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m., February 22, 2014, at Cedar Valley Community Church, Waterloo, Iowa.
