Elder J. P. Dale, Jr. Brother Jim Johnson Brother Doyle G. Roberts
Elder Lacy Fried Sister Vesper Nowlin Gotcher
Elder J. P. Dale, Jr., pastor of New Hope Primitive Baptist Church, Fredericksburg, Texas, passed away Friday morning, February 12, 1999 in the Knopp Nursing Home @2 at the age of eighty-six years.
He was born May 25, 1912 in McKinney, Texas to the former Emma Gotcher and James Preston Dale.
He leaves to mourn his wife, Lela, daughter of the former Mr. and Mrs. Willie Baethge; one daughter, Lynn Miller and her husband, Tim Miller of Mesa, Arizona; together with five grandchildren; Jim Gifford and wife, Rosemary, Jackie Niemi and husband, Larry, Gina Bradley, Joe Watkins and wife, Vicki, and John Gifford; together with seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, Elizabeth, Mrs. J. L . Crues; and three brothers; W. R. Joshua, and Gotcher Dale.
Elder Dale united with the Primitive Baptist Church in Tioga, Texas in 1923 at the age of eleven years and was baptized by Elder H. G. Ball. On July 15, 1934, he was ordained to the ministry at the Lone Star Primitive Baptist Church in Tioga, Texas.
He has traveled through thirty some-odd states preaching the gospel and assisted in the constitution of five churches, namely; Maud, Port Neches, Warren, Albuquerque, N.M., and Fredericksburg.
He has pastored churches in Oglesby, Quitman, Maud, Warren, Port Neches, Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas, Corpus Christi, Doss, San Antonio, and Fredericksburg, Texas throughout his sixty-five years in the ministry.
Dr. Dale graduated from the Texas Chiropractic College, August 2, 1943, and has helped many sick and afflicted people throughout his fifty-five year practice.
As referrals, patients came to him from eleven foreign countries, namely; Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Greece, Poland, England, Russia, Germany, Panama and Rome, Italy.
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" [Psa. 116:15]. Our Lord and Savior took His servant, Brother Jim Johnson, home, December of 1998. Elder George Johnson, pastor of Lubbock Primitive Baptist Church officiated graveside services at the Pecan Cemetery in Dublin, Texas on December 20, 1998.
Brother Jim resided in Howe, Texas at the time of his death and was a member of the Lubbock Church where he served as a faithful member and deacon for several years. Brother Jim is survived by his wife, Louise, a son, Ken, and daughter, Karen.
Our prayers and love are extended to the family of Brother Jim. Our God is ever faithful to His application of comfort and grace. Let us always remember that "Jehovah remembers" His own.
Elder George Johnson, Pastor
Dan Gowens, Church Clerk
The Primitive Baptist Church of Abilene, Texas writes this Resolution of Respect at the death of our dearly beloved brother, Doyle Roberts. Brother Doyle was 67 years of age when he was called to be with the Lord.
Brother Doyle died in a local Abilene hospital after several years of declining health due to cancer. He was buried in Elmwood Memorial Park in Abilene with Elders Travis Brown and Mark Burress officiating.
He was a retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant, having spent 27 years in the service of his country in Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand. Brother Doyle was born in Star, Texas and graduated from Midland High School. He moved from Farmington, N. M. to Abilene in 1990, after working for Unichem International for ten years.
He married his wife Callie Marie Austin in 1968 in Dell City, Oklahoma, and she preceded him in death. They were both members of the Abilene Primitive Baptist Church where he had served as the church clerk for several terms. Brother Doyle had a special affinity for his comrades-in-arms and was a member of Chapter 36, Taylor County Disabled Veterans and the Texas Veteran Land Board. Two of his dearest friends from the DAV served as pall-bearers, and he received a full military honors burial.
Those of us who visited Brother Doyle to cheer him up during his lengthy illness were always surprised that it was us who came away uplifted. God blessed him with a spirit that enabled him to strengthen all of us who were with him. It was Brother Doyle who smiled and prayed for us instead of the other way around! It is this kind and loving spirit that our Lord blessed him to have that will be missed by all of us who knew and loved him.
Brother Doyle was survived by two sons; one daughter; his mother, sister Grace Roberts of the Abilene Church; one sister; five grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Written at the direction of and by the authority of the Abilene Primitive Baptist Church.
Elder Travis Brown, Moderator
Brother Ron Hale, Church Clerk
After a long painful struggle, Elder Lacy Fried was taken from this life. We feel that he is in a better place, resting in the arms of Jesus.
He leaves to mourn his wife of eight years, Lorene Poss Fried, several brothers and sisters; one daughter, Dorothy Miller, and a host of grand-children and great-grand-children. He had been in a nursing care center since March of 1998, and even after he entered there, of his own will, he was faithful to attend church. He joined the church sometime in the thirties or forties; was first ordained a deacon and later a minister. He has been a member of San Jacinto Primitive Baptist Church since Feb. 15, 1987. While still able he was much help in the upkeep of the church. He always spoke of how great the Lord was, and he felt he hadn't been as thankful for the good health that God gave him for so many years.
We do not mourn his going, because he suffered so at the last. His last statement made, after his mind failed was, "O, just waiting to go home." and we felt he meant to heaven. Our little group will miss him.
Elder Wayne Poss, Pastor, Moderator
Sister Effie Lou Poss, Church Clerk
Mount Zion Church is saddened by the recent death of Sister Vesper Nowlin Gotcher, but we are reconciled to it, knowing that she has gone home to be with the Lord, and with the saints of all ages, including those of her loved ones who have preceded her in death. She suffered a stroke several years ago and had been in poor health in nursing homes since then. During that time she was occasionally able to leave for a few hours to be with the family, in fact, she attended the recent family Christmas gathering, and greatly enjoyed it.
A few days later, her condition worsened, and she was no longer able to communicate, although she was able to hear, and at times was heard to sing praises to God. She was surely granted dying grace, because her face during the last month showed no evidence of distress or pain, but rather, a calm peacefulness that could have only have come from God. As the song writer has said, "Jesus can make a dying bed feel soft, as downy pillows are, whole on His breast I lean my head and breath my life out sweetly there."
Sister Gotcher was born July 22, 1912 at Potts Camp, Miss., and passed away January 29, 1999 at the age of 86 years. She united with the Primitive Baptist Church at Oglesby, Texas in July of 1933, and was baptized by Elder John Childers. Subsequently, she moved her membership to Little Flock, near Killeen, then to Friendship near Gatesville, when Fort Hood took over the area around Little Flock.
In 1953 she moved to Arlington, and subsequently held membership at Mount Zion in Fort Worth, then Paradise in Arlington, then back to Mount Zion in Fort Worth where she remained a faithful member until her death. She was married to Martin Gotcher [a deacon] from 1933 until his death in 1991. Together they faithfully served the Lord in the various churches where they held membership, and they raised their five children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
She was laid to rest after funeral services that included congregational singing led by Brother Paul Harris, and messages of comfort by her former pastor, Elder G. H. Crain and by her current pastor, Elder Weldon Walker. She is survived by three sons; Martin Gotcher, Jr., Darrell Gotcher and wife, Barbara; Wayne Gotcher and wife, Kathy; and two daughters, Lucibelle Swart and husband, Charles and Eudell McIntosh and husband, Gene.
She is also survived by a brother, Morris Nowlin of Muleshoe, Texas; 14 grandchildren, nine great-grand-children; and a host of nieces and nephews, friends and fellow church members. She will be greatly missed by her large, closely-knit family, and by her church family at Mount Zion, but we submit to the will of God and rejoice in the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Written on behalf of Mount Zion Primitive Baptist Church
by Elder Weldon Walker, Pastor