Freestone County, Texas
Obituaries


 

John H. McCord

The Rev. John H. McCord, 69, of Kerens passed away Monday, Jan. 15, 2001 at
Navarro Regional Hospital.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Paschal Funeral Home.

Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Kerens Presbyterian Church with
Ministers Tom Prentiss, Charles A. Reese and Rita Wilson officiating.

McCord, a native of Kerens, was born Jan. 13, 1932 in Waco. He was a descendent
of the first settlers of east Navarro County, Wadeville and later Kerens. His
maternal great-great-great grandfather, Robert Smith, came to the area with
those who settled on the Wadeville site, a portion of which is on the
Smith-McCord farm south of Kerens. Other great-great-great grandparents were
the Owen family who settled in Elm Flat.

McCord, a graduate of Kerens High School, was president of the class of 1949.
He attended Navarro College and was president of the student body from 1950 to
1951. He graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio and was president of
the senior class from 1952 to 1953. For the summer of 1953 he was student
minister of his home church and later that summer he married Marion Sue
Steinman of Abilene and student of Trinity University.

He attended Austin Presbyterian Seminary from 1953 to 1954 and then served
three years at Westminster Presbyterian Church of Corsicana as director of
Christian education. During that time his daughters, Elizabeth Lynne and
Kathryn Anne, were born. The McCords returned to the seminary in Austin in 1957
where he received his graduate degree of theology in 1959 and was ordained in
March of 1960 as a minister of the Lott and Fairview Presbyterian churches in
Falls County, Heart of Texas Parish. He served Austin Avenue Presbyterian
Church of Brownwood from 1961 to 1963; First Presbyterian Church of
Jacksonville from 1963 to 1969; Central Presbyterian Church of Waxahachie from
1969 to 1985; and an interim ministry at the Gilmont Presbyterian Center near
Gilmer from 1985 to 1986.

In 1986, the McCords semi-retired in Kerens and he served as a tent-maker
minister in the Fairfield Harmony Presbyterian Church from 1986 to 1997, when
he finally retired, enjoying participation with church, family and friends in
Kerens and neighboring communities.

He served a number of years as a member of and chairman of the horticulture
committee of the Navarro County Extension Service program council and was
active in grafting pecan trees in Navarro and Ellis counties. McCord was a
member and past president of the Corsicana Miniature Aircraft Club. He was
active in several areas during his personal life, as a scout master and as a
Girl Scout committee member. He was also a member of Presbytery committees,
nominating committee and member and chairman of the committee of Christian
education. He was a member of American Cancer Society, American Heart
Association, community choruses and band boosters. He was the first president
of the Waxahachie Bass Club. His latest joy was serving on the committee that
produced "Remembering Kerens" and helping with the Kerens Class of 1949
reunions and the Barracks Bunch reunions at Navarro College. His motto was
"Faithful to God, family, friends and strangers.

He was preceded in death by his father, Eldridge McCord in 1960; and his
mother, Walta Valkey Smith McCord in 1982.

Survivors include his wife, Marion Sue McCord of Kerens; daughters and
sons-in-law, Lynne and Danny Jackson of Waco and Kathy and Jerry Cunningham,
and grandchildren, Randy, Alicia and Julie, all of Lewisville; sisters, Delia
Ann Lonon of Hurst and Marilyn Carter of Bedford; and brothers, Neal McCord of
Nacogdoches and Dr. Eddie McCord of Mansfield; and many beloved relatives and
friends.