The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE —
The Rev. Granville Hollis (G.H.) Gordon, 90, went to be with his heavenly Father Saturday night, December 15, 2012 at the home of his daughter, Donna Strickland.
Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m., Tuesday evening at Natchez Trace Funeral Home, Madison, Miss.
Funeral service will be 2 p.m., Wednesday afternoon at Creston Hills Baptist Church with visitation at the church at 1 p.m.
Officiating will be the Rev. Dr. Keith Gordon, Dr. Dale Holloway, and Dr. Perry Sanderford and Dr. Don Brown. His grandsons will serve as pallbearers.
G.H. was born October 12, 1922, outside of Picayune to Eugenia and Tom Gordon. He and his mother lived with his sister, Verna Godshaw, and her husband, Walter, on a farm in the Mill Creek community of Pearl River County. After graduating from Carriere High School, G.H. Gordon married Miriam Culpepper. Soon afterward, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp and was stationed in Liverpool, England during WWII.
Following the war, he returned home to meet his eighteen month old daughter, Tessa. He and Miriam built a home and he worked with International Harvester in Picayune. Feeling the call into the ministry, he was ordained April 2, 1950. He then moved his family to Jacksonville, Texas, where he attended Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary.
During his 58 years of ministry, he pastored: Friendship Baptist Church and Little Flock, Jewett, Texas (1950-51); Rural Shade, Kerens, Texas (1951-52); Ogden Avenue, Mobile, Ala. (1952-54); Stanton Way, Mobile, Ala. (1954-58); Creston Hills, Jackson (1958-65); Shady Grove, Laurel (1965-74); Creston Hills, Jackson (1974-84); Rolling Hills, Jacksonville, Fla. (1984-86); Temple, Lucedale (1986-89); Highland Park, Hattiesburg (1990-96); Shiloh, Mt. Olive (1996-98); and Pear Orchard, Jackson (1998-2008).
For eight years, he served as editor of the Mississippi Baptist, the weekly paper of the Baptist Missionary Association (BMA). He also served as Director of the BMA Publication Department and as Recording Secretary of both the state and national Missionary Baptist organizations.
Throughout his life, he was an avid wood craftsman. His porch swings, tables, and Christmas decorations were often gifted to family and friends. He and Miriam especially enjoyed time spent at their getaway place in Jasper County.
He was admired and respected for his devotion to being a Christian witness. G.H. loved the Lord, the church and his family.
He was preceded in death by: his wife of 65 years, Miriam; his eldest daughter, Tessa Gordon Darst; and his great grandson, Nathan Key.
He is survived by: his wife, Ruby Kennedy; son, Keith (Judy) Gordon, Pearl; Cathy (Jay) Johnson, Ashville, N.C.; Connie Lowe, Laurel; and Donna (Nick) Strickland, Brandon; grandchildren: Gordon Darst, Gerald Gordon II, Dr. Jessica Gordon, Rodney Johnson, Jeannie Johnson, Deidra Johnson, Lori Lowe Key, Lou Lowe, Sally Slater Easterling, Tom Slater, and Steven Slater; and 14 great-grandchildren.
The family would like to give special thanks for the care given by Pam Horton, Lolita Jackson, Flora Bilbrew, Sandral Mack, John Anderson, Jackie Coates, Lyquita McLaurin, Mary Nason, Bertha Coleman, Sharell Smoots, and Kathy Woman.
