Charles Schulz dies of colon cancer

SANTA ROSA, Calif. — “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz, the world’s best-known cartoonist, died in his sleep Feb. 12 of complications from colon cancer. He was 77. Schulz said goodbye to Charlie Brown and the rest of his creations in his final comic strip, which was published the day after his death. Schulz, who grew up in a Lutheran home and joined the Church of God (Anderson, Ind.) as an adult, communicated biblical truths through his strip, referring to parables and quoting scripture at times. That tendency led to a 1965 book by pastor Robert Short titled “The Gospel According to Peanuts,” which sold more than 10 million copies.