IN MEMORIAM
EXPANDED EULOGIES
“In Memoriam” listings are expanded paid obituaries, phrased as the family requests, and may include enhanced information or photographs that might not fit within free death notices.
Dan Catlin
A service to celebrate the life of Daniel Vernon Catlin, 70, known to many as Pastor Dan, will be 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at Yazel-Megli Funeral Home, 205 Elm St., Marion.
Viewing will begin at noon. Burial will follow at Marion Cemetery with a gathering afterward at Marion County Lake hall.
Pastor Dan began his final rest Nov. 8, 2025, surrounded by family at home in Florence after a courageous battle with cancer and a bloodstream infection.
He was born July 4, 1955, in San Jose, California, and lived a life marked by unwavering faith, steadfast service, and deep compassion for others.
The son of Harold Vernon Catlin and Virginia Belle Catlin, both deceased, Daniel grew to embody the values his parents instilled in him — honesty, patience, and understanding.
These qualities became the foundation of his ministry and service to others.
Together with his beloved wife, Linda Darlene Catlin, they founded the Messiah’s Branch Mission Church, through which they dedicated their lives to feeding the homeless and poor and ministering to anyone in need, all of which was guided by the Lord through their strong faith and convictions.
For 27 years, Pastor Dan touched the lives of countless people, offered hope to the hopeless, and made it a point to never turn anyone away.
Let brotherly love continue.
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
— Hebrews 13:1-2
Pastor Dan also was the guiding voice behind “The Messiah’s Branch Prophecy Hour,” a radio program that shared end-time prophecy and news through the lens of truth guided by the Lord and his great faith.
In 1995, he began a mail-out newsletter, connecting believers across the nation. His ministry touched countless lives through weddings, funerals, counseling, and teachings.
Pastor Dan was a man of his word, known for his wisdom and understanding and a love that was both gentle and firm.
He was a seeker of truth no matter the consequence, an avid reader, a lover of history, and a tireless investigator in all things he pursued.
During times when he wasn’t dedicating his life to his works, he found the most joy in riding his motorcycle and spending time with his family, whom he cherished dearly.
He is survived by his devoted wife, Linda Catlin; his sister, Linda Aggson; his sister, Sharon Ann Cox; and his sons, Joshua Vernon Catlin, Daniel Vernon Catlin, and Elijah Vernon Catlin. His legacy lives on through them and the countless souls he shepherded throughout his lifetime.
As we remember Pastor Dan, we hold close two scriptures that guided the beginning of his ministry:
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
— Hebrews 13:1-2
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
— Mathew 25:35-36