Charles Edwin “Charlie” Elliott of Brady, former youth minister at First Baptist Church in Midland, died Jan. 19. He was 77. Elliott was born April 8, 1940 in Knox County. He earned his undergraduate degree from Hardin-Simmons University and his Master of Religious Education degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served 38 years as minister of youth and activities at First Baptist Church in Midland. Hardin-Simmons University recognized him with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000. For 30 years, he took youth from First Baptist in Midland and their adult sponsors on an annual spring mission trip to Coahuila, Mexico, to conduct Bible schools for children and help start churches. For many years, he also trained college students to lead Christian day camps in small towns across Texas. This summer would have marked his 50th year to provide children’s activities at an annual camp in Paisano Baptist Encampment near Alpine. For 13 years, he was a deacon, Sunday school teacher and leader of missions education for boys at First Baptist Church in Brady. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca Jane Cope Elliott; sons Michael Elliott and John Elliott of Midland and Danny Elliott of Fredericksburg; and 10 grandchildren.

David Shuttlesworth of Waco, longtime Texas Baptist minister, died April 20. He was 82. He was born in the parsonage of First Baptist Church in McGregor on July 23, 1935. He grew up in Houston and attended Baylor University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956. At Baylor, he met Virginia Lee Berry in an early morning trigonometry class and married her Thanksgiving Day 1957. He later earned a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Shuttlesworth began his pastoral ministry in 1960 at First Baptist Church Kempner, followed by service at First Baptist Church in Florence, Miller Heights Baptist Church in Belton and Park Lake Drive Baptist Church in Waco. He retired from full-time ministry in 2002, but continued to serve part-time as an associate pastor at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church in Waco until 2012. His brother, William Louis Shuttlesworth Jr., preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Virginia; two sons, David Lee Shuttlesworth and wife, Vicki, of Belton, and Bill Shuttlesworth and wife, Brenda, of Waco; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and a brother, Guy Eugene Shuttlesworth of Mena, Ark.

Barbara Gage, a wife and mother to evangelists and partner in their ministries, died April 10 in Houston. She was 82. Her four sons—all ordained ministers—were present at the time of her death. She was 14 when she first met her future husband Freddie at a skating rink in the Denver Harbor area of Houston. Later, on a blind date, they went to a drive-in movie. They married Sept. 1, 1950 in Houston. During a revival service at Melrose Baptist Church, where the young couple heard Evangelist Dan Vestal Sr. preach the gospel, they both made professions of faith in Christ. During his more than five decades as an evangelist, Freddie Gage traveled extensively to present the gospel to individuals on the streets, to inmates in jails and prisons, and to students at school assemblies, as well as preaching to crowds in sports stadiums and worship centers. In the early years of his ministry, he sometimes traveled 40 weeks a year, and his wife bore the responsibility for childrearing. “She was used of God to provide a home whose culture was saturated with the presence of the Lord,” said family friend Jimmy Draper, former pastor of First Baptist Church in Euless and retired denominational executive. Barbara Gage was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years in 2014. She is survived by her four sons, Daniel Gage and wife Darleen, Paul Gage and wife Susan, Rick Gage and wife Lynne, and Rodney Gage and wife Michelle; 10 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. Visitation will be at 1 p.m. April 20 at Rosewood Funeral Home in Humble, followed by a memorial service at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the Freddie Gage Liberty University Scholarship Fund. Gifts can be made payable to ReThink Life Church in Orlando, Fla., where Rodney Gage is lead pastor.

Betty Ross Priesler Kelley of Wharton, who served Texas Baptists in a variety of volunteer capacities, died March 3. She was 86. She was born April 26, 1931, in Houston to Garnet and Elizabeth Jackson. She graduated from San Jacinto High School in Houston in 1949 and Baylor University in 1953. She was a member of South Main Baptist Church in Houston 48 years, from when she was enrolled in the cradle roll until she moved to Wharton. She was employed as church staff receptionist at South Main many years, as well as volunteering as choir member, committee member and mission activities. In 1979, she moved to Wharton after marrying Louis Preisler. During her years in Wharton, she worked as church secretary. She volunteered as wedding coordinator, church clerk and general Sunday school secretary, as well as serving in the choir, on committees and in missions activities. She served on Texas Baptists’ State Missions Commission and Theological Education Committee, and she served on the board of directors for the Baptist Standard. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Louis, and sister, Joe Stevens. She is survived by her husband, James Kelley, whom she married Oct. 17, 2009, and by stepchildren Glen Preisler and his wife, Lori; Sharon Shafer; Judy Leber and her husband, Fred; and Dennis Kelley and his wife, Melinda; along with numerous nephews and nieces.

Ted Cromer, retired Baptist missionary and minister, died March 1 in Murfreesboro, Tenn. He was 93. He was born in Hominy, Okla., Jan. 23, 1925, to John Baptist Cromer and Ora Boatman Cromer. He grew up in Oklahoma and Texas during the Great Depression, as his family moved often to find work during those times. At age 9, he was baptized in Tulsa, Okla., at Nobles Ave Baptist Church. At age 17, he married Dorothy Bernice Cromer on Christmas Eve, 1942. He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II. At age 24, he dedicated his life to the gospel ministry and missions. He graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. During his time as a missionary in Liberia, West Africa, he started 100 missions and 79 churches. When he returned to the United States, he continued to serve churches in Dallas as pastor. His daughter, Tedi Cromer, preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife of 75 years, Dorothy Bernice Cromer; daughter, Janis Cromer Sauls; son, Ted “Dehru” Cromer Jr.; six grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Richard “Dick” Moody, retired minister and artist, died Feb. 27 in Southlake. He was 87. Moody was born Sept. 22, 1930, in Dallas to T.J. and Lucille Putnam Moody.  He earned his undergraduate degree from Baylor University and a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He married Wilma June Chapman July 27, 1957. His pastorates included First Baptist Church in Wills Point, First Baptist Church in Tioga, Main Street Baptist Church in Grand Saline and First Baptist Church in Marlow, Okla. He was pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Ennis 25 years, and he later served the congregation 14 years as pastor to senior adults. He also was interim pastor of several churches. Many Texas Baptists knew Moody as the creator of two oil paintings, “The Gathering of the Father’s Family” and “The Peacemaker.” He was preceded in death by his wife and a brother, John Arlen Moody. He is survived by his daughters, Sherry Lynn Baker and husband Bob, and Deborah Moody Wade and husband, Ryan; two grandchildren; and his sister, Linda Lee Graham.

Ray P. Rust, former Baptist college president and denominational executive, died Feb. 2 in Richardson. He was 92. Rust was born Aug. 8, 1925, to H.H. and Clara Taylor Rust, and grew up in Summer Grove, La. He was ordained to the ministry at age 18. In 1946, he married Joy Lucille Stagg. Rust earned bachelor’s degrees from Louisiana College in Pineville, La., and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and he later received doctoral degrees from Louisiana College and Furman University in Greenville, S.C. He was pastor of churches in Louisiana and Mississippi before joining the administration at at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he held multiple roles including executive assistant to the president, acting president and executive vice president. He went on to become president of Anderson College in Anderson, S.C., and then executive secretary-treasurer of the General Board of the South Carolina Baptist Convention until retirement in 1992. After retirement, he served as an interim pastor, including at First Baptist Church in Blue Ridge. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joy; son, Lawrence Henry Rust; and brother, Charles Vernon Rust. He is survived by his daughter, Jory Rust Watson; brother, John M. Rust; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Bennie Joe Camp, a deacon and longtime Bible study teacher at First Baptist Church in Bryan, died Feb. 19 in College Station. He was 90. He was born in Greenville, March 19, 1927, to George Roy Camp and Artie Jackson Camp. He earned his undergraduate degree from East Texas State Teachers College and his master’s degree and doctorate in biochemistry from Texas A&M University, where he joined the faculty. After retiring from the Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1989, he worked 25 years as owner and analytical chemist at Mega Lab, an environmental testing laboratory. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Bryan more than 50 years, where he taught adult Sunday school classes. He was preceded in death by four brothers. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary Camp of Bryan; son, Ben Camp and his wife Sheri of College Station; daughter, Maggie Kruse and her husband Dale of College Station; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Joe Neil Smith of McKinney, retired Texas Baptist bivocational pastor, died Feb. 15. He was 80. Smith was born March 7, 1937, to Willie and Sally Jo (Tarpley) Smith in Edhube. He married Paula Jane Meek June 15, 1956 in Bonham. Smith served in the U.S. Air Force. He was a pastor of churches in North Texas and southern Oklahoma 51 years. His Texas Baptist pastorates included King Memorial Baptist Church in McKinney and Westminster Baptist Church in Westminster. He also taught 25 years in the McKinney Independent School District and other area schools. He was preceded in death by his son, Dennis Ray Smith; his brothers, Dale Smith, Glen Smith, Wetzel Smith and Mike Smith; and his sisters, Sue King and Linda Rogers. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Paula Smith of McKinney; children, Tony Smith and wife, Kathi of McKinney, Glenyss Barnhill and husband, Kent of Lorena, and Darrell Smith and wife, Cherie of Longview; daughter-in-law, Cathy Harris Smith of Lubbock; 10 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; siblings, David Smith of Lufkin, Ann Brown of Mansfield, Sherill Hash of Brock and Ronnie Smith of Waxahachie.

Ron Ellison, a Texas Baptist historian, died Feb. 9 in Vidor after a lengthy illness. He was 85. He was a member of Calder Baptist Church in Beaumont. Ellison was born Oct. 7, 1932, in Lakeland, Fla., but his family moved to Pickensville, Ala., when he was 6 months old. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1950 to 1953. He received his undergraduate degree from Samford University and a master’s degree from Lamar University in Beaumont. He completed additional study at the University of North Texas, Trinity University and Rice University. He was the author of Chronicle of the Christians of North End Baptist Church, Beaumont, Texas, 1932-1982, and Calvary Baptist Church, Beaumont, Texas: A Centennial History, 1904-2004, and multiple academic papers. He was co-author of Southern Baptists of Southeast Texas, A Centennial History, 1888-1988, which won the Texas Baptist Historical Society Book Award in 1989. Ellison served 15 years as secretary of Texas Baptists Committed and five years on the board of directors of the Baptist Standard. He was a past president of the Texas Baptist Historical Society and also served on the Baptist General Convention of Texas history committee. He is survived by a daughter, Rebekah Anne Cox, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and two grandchildren.

Billy Wallace Tinker, longtime member of First Baptist Church in Richardson, died Feb. 1. He was 84. Tinker was born in Trumann, Ark., Sept. 20, 1933. He enjoyed a 40-year career as a switchman on the railroad and was a member of First Baptist Church in Richardson 54 years. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Doris Rees Tinker; son Greg and daughter-in-law Jennifer; one granddaughter; one grandson; and one great-grandson. Sisters Ann Ward and Betty Clark and brother John Sydney Tinker Jr. preceded him in death.

Bracy Alvus Bledsoe of Brenham, a longtime Texas Baptist pastor, died Jan. 6. He was 100 years old. He was born Nov. 5, 1917, to Andy Walker Bledsoe and Ida Venable Bledsoe at Ten Mile, near Normangee. He and his twin brother, Tracy Altus, were the sixth and seventh of 11 children. After he graduated from Normangee High School, he moved to Tyler and worked three years to earn enough money to enroll in Baylor University in Waco and pursue a degree in biblical studies to prepare for the pastorate. At Baylor, he met his wife of 55 years, Addie B. Gilliam, and they married Aug. 16, 1942. He interrupted his senior year at Baylor to enter military service in World War II.  He was trained as a paratrooper and served in the Pacific, primarily in Luzon and The Philippine Islands. In February 1945, he was on a mission as a connecting scout, delivering messages between units, when he was wounded. He received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat. Returning to Texas after the war, he began 35 consecutive years as pastor of churches throughout Central Texas—Friendship Baptist Church in Waco, First Baptist Church in Chilton, Emmanuel Baptist Church in Corsicana, Immanuel Baptist Church in Temple, First Baptist Church in Dripping Springs, Ridgetop Baptist Church in Austin and First Baptist Church in Buda. After retiring from the full-time pastorate, he continued to serve another 13 years as a supply preacher or interim pastor for Austin-area churches until he retired again in 1994 to care for his ailing wife, who died in 1998. He relocated to Brenham to be near his children and was involved many years at First Baptist Church there. In 1995, he received recognition for his years of Christian service from Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. He was preceded in death by nine sisters and brothers, as well as his wife. He is survived by his daughter Martha Annette Haydon and her husband, Robert; his son, Timothy Joe Bledsoe; two grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and his brother, Jerry Wayne Bledsoe and his wife, Faye.

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