Rousseaux, John Cude
2/12/1965
May 6, 1885 - February 12, 1965 |
|
| John Cude Rousseaux was born in Florienville, Louisiana, on May 6, 1885, and died as a result of a traffic accident on a highway in Hancock County, Mississippi, on February 12, 1965. He was in his eightieth year. Alter seeing his son, Rev. J. C. Rousseaux, Jr., safely aboard a bus, he was struck by an automobile, while crossing the highway, during a rainstorm. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Hancock County Hospital. Funeral services were held in the family residence in Waveland, Mississippi, on Sunday afternoon, February 14, 1965, followed by serv-ices in the Waveland Methodist Church. Burial was in the cemetery in Logtown, Miss. Rev. Percy Byrns, pastor, was assisted by Rev. Fred Campbell, and Rev. H. J. Moore. His was a long and useful life. He was graduated from Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss. in 1908. In December, 1909, he was married to Miss Pearl Weston, who survives him. Other survivors are two sons, Rev. J. C. Rousseaux, Jr., of Dodson, La., and Ralph A. Rousseaux, of Slidell, La., two daughters, Mrs. Carl DeVitz of Harper Woods, Mich., and Mrs. Earl Zeller of Burns Flat, Okla,, six grandchildren, and one great grandson. He had the pleasure of baptizing this only great grandchild, on January 3, in Dodson. In 1907, he was admitted on trial into the Louisiana Annual Conference of the M. E. Church, South. He was ordained Deacon in 1909, admitted into full connection in 1911, and ordained Elder in 1913. His long career as a Methodist pastor carried him into many com-munities, town, country, and city, in Louisiana, Bon Ami and Carson, Texas Avenue Shreveport, Zwolle, Greenwood, Abbeville, Springhill, Mangum Memorial Shreveport, Algiers, Morgan City, Lake Providence, Many, Jackson, Zachary, Colfax, Covington, Houma, Pearl River, Lacombe, and John Wesley in New Orleans. At the age of 68, he retired but he refused to quit. He continued as a retired supply pastor, deeply loved by his congregation, until he was 74. Even then, he was not through. He bought a home in Waveland, Mississippi, where there was no Methodist Church. He strongly felt that something should be done about that, so he began holding services in his home. The final outcome was the organization of the Waveland Methodist Church. He was so helpful to this new church that, after his death, the Waveland Methodist Church changed its name to the Rousseaux Memorial Methodist Church, of Waveland, Miss. A memorial fund has been set up for the building of a new sanctuary. Contributions to this fund may be sent to Rev. Percy Byrns, Waveland, Miss. Brother Rousseaux loved the Methodist Church; he loved people; but above all, he loved his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He loved to tell the old, old story of Jesus, and His Love. His gentle spirit, kindly manner, and genuine interest in people, endeared him to thousands of his parishioners, and friends outside his church in each community. In the words of the Memorial Hymn, No. 521 in the Methodist Hymnal: “Thanks be to God that such have been, tho they are here no more! More homelike seems the vast unknown, since they have entered there —they cannot be where God is not, on any sea or shore,~ What’re betides, Thy love abides, our God, forevermore!” |
|
| Source: Journal of the Louisiana Conference of the Methodist Church, Pages 217-218, 1965 by Henry A. Rickey. | |
