Rev. Simmons Rites Tuesday

SHALLO'ITE - The Rev. William Vance Simmons, 85, a well-known Baptist minister of Ash, died Sunday in Columbus County Hospital at Whiteville.

The Rev. Simmons had been a minister for ap-proximately 65 years, having started his work in this field at the young age of 20 years. He was retired at the time of his death but he had pastored Baptist C~urches in both North and South Carolina in many areas.

Final rites will be held Tuesday at 3 p.m. at New Brittian Baptist Church by the Revs. Raymond L. Cumbee, Haskell Sides and Lester English, with burial in the church cemetery.

Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Ether Simmons;, four sons, Ed Simmons, McFarland, Calif., Levy M. Simmons, James Simmons and Lendon Simmons of Ash; four daughters, Mrs. Myrle S. Babson, Mrs. Vada Hewett and Mrs. Zella Mae Sim-mons of Ash and Mrs. Nellie Johnson of Winnabow; four brothers, Vander of Bolton, Isaac and Priest Simmons, Ash, Woodrow Simmons of Hallsboro; a sister, Mrs. Elneta Coleman of Star; 26 grandchildren and eight · great-grandchildren.

Active pallbearers will be his grandsons, William , / Harold, Norvan, Danny, Darious Babson and Benny Prevatte.

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Rev. Simmons SHALLOTTE - The Rev.

William Vance Simmons, 85, a well-known Baptist minister of Ash, died Sunday in Columbus County Hospff'.al at Whiteville.

The Rev. Simmons had been a minister for ap-proximately 65 years, having started his work in this field at the young age of 20 years. He was retired at the time of his death but he had pastored Baptist Churches in both North and South Carolina in many areas.

Final rites will be held Tuesday at 3 p.m. at New Brittian Baptist Church by the Revs. Raymond L. Cumbee, Haskell Sides and Lester English, with burial in the church cemetery.

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Ouna Grove: Rowan Tim.?s-Herald Charlotte· Me.:klcnburg Times Cherryvi Ue Eagle Clayton News Clemmons: Courier Clinton: Sampson Independent Clinton: S.:impsoruan Cooleemee Journal Danbury Reporter Davidson: Gdzette D nton; Dav1ds,m Record Dunn Dt•p.:.1 tch . ,/- ? - ?/

WILLIAM VANCE SIMMONS

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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF ELAH BAPTIST CHURCH, 1882-1982 (NCCF)

MMONS 1906; 1908-09; 1917-18; 1924-26

ight Clemmons was born on November 12, 1872. arried the former Virginia Odell Coleman. Their

rs and five sons, of whom one, Lindsey Mack, Sr., aptist minister of Brunswick County for many

died on May 8, 1932 and is buried in the Mount , Bolivia, North Carolina. s that the Reverend Alfred Wright Clemmons wn Creek, Little Zoar, Farmer's Chapel, Jennie's ilent Grove, Cool Run, Beulah, Mount Pisgah, d Elah, all in the Brunswick Baptist Association.

ENRY DOBSON, SR. 1911

enry Dobson, Sr., son of Terry and Sally Pridgen 1, 1860 in Pender County. Married on March 14,

e Marshburn of Catherine's Lake, North Carolina, D. Bannerman, Ruth D. Sellars, Eva D. Holden,

ii, Carl Edward, Marvin Terry and James Henry

Reverend Dobson attended Wake Forest College. s Chapel Baptist Church, Midway, North Carolina; or a span of twenty years; and Atkinson Baptist n Chapel Baptist Church, Delco; Riley's Creek

Church; and for more than twelve years, the Haw ounty, North Carolina. m Atkinson to the Haw Bluff Baptist Church.

ly served by train transportation on Saturday in d.

ministry, the Reverend James Henry Dobson, 29 in Atkinson, North Carolina and is buried in

Britt was born on December 28, 1874 at Lum-ried twice, he had a family of six daughters and orley Franklin and Rufus, were ordained Baptist

at the Reverend Britt had pastored included in the n: Mount Pisgah, Chapel Hill, Mill Creek (Bruns-Grove, Antioch, Bethel and Elah Baptist Churches.

pe Mills; the Columbus Baptist Association, Mace-in the Robeson Baptist Association, White Pond,

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Oak Dale, Broad Ridge, Bethel and Mount Elam Baptist Churches. The Reverend Paul T. Britt died on April 11, 1946. He is buried in the

Pine Crest Cemetery in Bladenboro, North Carolina.

DEMPSEY LENNON HEWETT 1912-15; 1927

The Reverend Dempsey Lennon Hewett, son of Llewlyn Hewett, was born on October 18, 1868. He was married to the former Martha (Mattie) Mintz of Cumberland County. Their children are: Laura Jane, Theresa, Annie, Larue and sons; Beaman, Woodie and the Reverend James B. Hewett.

The Reverend Hewett was ordained in 1884 at the age of sixteen by Old Shallotte Baptist Church. His pastorates were at Mount Sinai Baptist Church in the Columbus Baptist Association and Mill Creek, Prospect, Shiloh, Jennie's Branch, Mount Pisgah, Chapel Hill, Town Creek, Beulah, Bolivia, Oak Grove, Little Zoar and Elah Baptist Churches in the Brunswick Baptist Association.

The Reverend Dempsey Lennon Hewett died on February 26, 1930 and is buried in the old Chapel Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in Shallotte.

GEORGE THOMAS HICKMAN 1916; 1920; 1923

The Reverend George Thomas Hickman was born on January 19, 1870 in the Mill Creek section of Brunswick County. Married to the former Francis Elizabeth Robbins, their children are Beulah H. Willetts, Otto, George Rotha, Lloyd, Lawrence, Aubrey H. McCall, Bryson and Marjorie H. Willetts.

The Reverend Hickman died on February 19, 1948 and is buried in the Robbins Cemetery at Mill Creek Baptist Church in Winnabow.

The Brunswick Baptist Associational minutes of 1907 reads, "By request of the Mill Creek Church, Brethren J.C. Mizell, H.F. Brinson and N. Milliken were appointed as presbytery to examine G.T. Hickman for ordination and report to Mill Creek Church."

The presbytery reported to the association on the evening session of the third day, "Your board of examiners appointed to examine Bro. G.T. Hickman as to his conversion and call to the ministry, find him sound in the faith and recommend him for ordination when he shall have entered the pastorate and his work demands such procedure."

The 1908 associational minutes list the Reverend Hickman as an ordinated Baptist minister and the pastor of Farmer's Chapel Baptist Church in Leland.

The Reverend George Thomas Hickman is known to have pastored Little Zoar, Farmer's Chapel, Shallotte, Town Creek and Elah Baptist Churches.

WILLIAM VANCE SIMMONS 1928

The Reverend William Vance Simmons was licensed in about 1920 and ordained on April 28, 1923 at Shallotte (Old Shallotte) Baptist Church. Taking part in the service was the Reverend C. Millican, James A. Mintz and deacon A.T. Ward.

Twice married, he was the father of four sons and four daughters. The Reverend Simmons was born in 1886 and died on April 4, 1970 at the age

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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF ELAH BAPTIST CHURCH, 1882-1982 (NCCF)

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of 85. He is buried in the New Britton Baptist Church Cemetery in Ash, North Carolina.

The Reverend William Vance Simmons preached until age 75 when health problems forced his retirement. Churches that he pastored during these years were: in South Carolina-Sweetwater Branch, Greenwood, Glendale, Macedonia OaK Dale, Pleasant Grove, Mount Vernon, Mount Olive, Cave Branch and Dog'. wood Baptist Churches. In the Brunswick Baptist Association-Jennie's Branch Oak Grove, New Life, Mill Creek and Elah Baptist Churches. '

In the Dock Baptist Association were the following Baptist churches-Riverside, Palmyra, Poly Bridge, Happy Home, Gore's Chapel, Sweet Home, Camp Branch, Zion, Magnolia, Mount Sinai, Sandy Plains, Seven Creeks, Dulah, Olyphia and Myrtle Head.

Hi- daughter, Mrs. Winfred (Vader) Hewett of Ash, states that the Lord poured c •Jt his blessing upon her father. Unable to read or write when called to the ministry, he taught himself to read the scripture and to write a fair hand. The Reverend Simmons always gave God the glory for this accomplishment.

FRANKLIN PIERCE POTTER 1929-32; 1934-35

The Reverend Franklin Pierce (Frank) Potter was born on August 3, 1881, the son of Critzbury and Annie Jane Skipper Potter. He was married to the former Martha Clemmons. Their children are Bertha P. Roach, W.E. (Willie), Tyler and Bartley Potter.

The Reverend Potter was ordained in 1927. He served the following known Baptist Churchs: Shiloh, near the Lees Lake community, Columbus County; Town Creek, Farmer's Chapel, and Elah in the Brunswick Baptist Association.

At his death on June 8, 1964, the Reverend Franklin Pierce Potter was buried in the old Silent Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Brunswick County.

NORLEY FRANKLIN BRITT, SR. 1933

The Reverend Norley Franklin Britt, Sr., son of the Reverend Paul T. Britt, was born on April 1, 1895. Married to the former Ora Leigh Holden, they are the parents of Norley Franklin, Jr., Edsel Lancelot, Guinivre, Nadine Victoria, Dorcas Leigh and Margaret Elaine Britt .

Ordained into the Gospel Ministry in 1922, while a student at Wake Forest College, the Reverend Britt pastored the following Baptist churches: Corinth, Louisburg; Wise, Wise; Wendell, Wendell; Brittan's Neck, Gresham, South Carolina; Elah, Leland; North Park, High Point; Trinity, Trinity and Southside, Thomasville, North Carolina.

One of the Reverend Norley Franklin Britt's last wishes before his death on October 3, 1966 was that each of his children would commit the words of the hymn, "Rock of Ages," to abiding memory and use it daily as a verbal or silent prayer.

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