Small, Caesar D.
9/26/1990
| Rev. C. D. Small was born 98 years ago on July 18, 1894, in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. As a child he attended church services with his mother in the mornings at Ross United Methodist Church, and with his father in the evenings at First Zion Baptist Church. At the age of 10, Rev. Small received Christ into his life at Ross UMC. He was educated in the Orleans Parish School Systems and was graduated from New Orleans University. He started his preaching career at an early age and pastored his first church in Chicago, Illinois. When Rev. Small returned home to Louisiana in the early thirties, he was appointed to St. Philip United Methodist Church in New Orleans. Other pastorates included Donaldsonville-Pineville and in New Orleans the Hartzell, Shaw Temple, Ross and Williams United Methodist Churches. Rev. Small was blessed with many gifts, and he utilized them to the fullest. It is said that during his prime he could “set a church on fire” with his powerful and dynamic preaching. During his tenure at St. Philip, he promoted and helped to build the present church in 1937 and was instrumental in the remodeling of the church in 1967 before he retired from St. Philip in 1968. He was also responsible for the remodeling of the Shaw Temple, Ross and Wil-liams churches. After retirement Rev. Small remained active at St. Philip and other neighboring churches until shortly before his death, moving about without transportation. He was a regular “man about town,” walking from church to church each Sunday. Everyone along his route knew him. On September 26, 1990, he walked his last mile and joined in death his wife, the late Thelma Chapman Small. He is survived by two daughters, Barbara Williams and Claire Williams; step children, Melba Mitchell, Emile Brown, Anita Webb, and Joyce Anderson; 20 grand-children, 26 great-grandchildren and a host of other relatives. If I walk in the pathway of duty, If I work till the close of the day; I shall see the King in his beauty When I’ve gone the last mile of the way. I will rest at the close of the day, And I know there are joys that await me When I’ve gone the last mile of the way by Johnson Oatman Jr. & Wm Edie Marks 1936 |
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| Source: Journal Louisiana Conference, 1991, p. 250 By Rev. Marva L Mitchell | |
