A sketch of a Rusk County minister's life

A sketch of his life

P. 1
Marshall Lewis Vaughn was born in Rusk Co Texas May 24 - 1858. He was born of the Spirit at the age of 18 and joined The Church [and was baptized by John Sparkman*] at the age of 19. On the 4 day of Dec 1881 he was married to Miss Martha Jane Sanders. To this union were born 9 children 5 boys and 4 girls. In Oct 1897 he was ordained to the work of a minister of the gospel and afterward served as pastor of the following churches. In Rusk Co Sulphur Springs, Glenfawn, New Salem, Cool Springs, Gumsprings, Rehobeth (At Buford)

P. 2
Pleasant Hill, Liberty, Shiloh, Isbels Chapel, Mt Olive Nacogdoches Co Union Springs, Bethany Panola Co Mt. Carmel, Corinth, Friendship. He has gone through heat and cold rain or shine to meet those churches, feeling that promptness was half the battle to success. He has gone when his breath would freeze on his beard and yet his financial support has been very scant but he was trying to lay up treasures in heaven which would endure forever.

P. 3
It was his delight to serve rather than be served and yet he was just a sinner saved by grace who claimed no merit or honor to himself but God be all the praise through Christ our redeemer. He was born and raised on the farm and made farming his ocupation in connection with his pastoral work but never obtained any wealth of this World though he did delight in contributing to the support of the gospel as far as he was able.

Written by M. L. Vaughn

* This was written in down the side of the page and appears intended to be inserted where I have placed it. “A sketch of his life” is written on the back of page three.
** This obviously intended as mostly a sketch of M. L. Vaughn's ministerial life. An obituary in the Baptist Progress gave Bullard as one of his pastorates. While that is possible, it more likely is the Buford mentioned above, which was located about 3 miles west of Henderson where the Rusk County Expo Center and Airport are now located. RLV

Obituary of a Rusk County Baptist

TENNESSEE BAPTIST, November 9, 1861, p. 4, c. 5

Thomas G. Spear.

Died September 16th, 1861, Thomas G. Spear, son of B. B. and Mary Spear, age 47 years 9 months and 18 days; born Nov. 28, 1813, in Anson county, North Carolina; moved to Montgomery, Alabama, at the age of six years; professed religion in 1837; married E. A. Thurmond Jan. 15th, 1839; moved to Mississippi in 1840; baptized by Lewis R. Barnes into the fellowship of Fellowship Church, Kemper county, in 1844; moved to Texas in 1857, and joined the church at Belleview, Rusk county, of which he was a member at his death. Bro. Spear manifested during his long illness the evidences of a genuine Christian; he endured his sufferings with patience, and had clear views of his acceptance. Christ and his righteousness constituted his only hope. With this view he fell asleep in Jesus. He left a large and interesting family to mourn his loss. As a citizen and brother he believed in the Lord he is missed. Our loss is his eternal gain, and while his body rests low in the grave his spirit rests high up in heaven.

M. V. Smith.