Charles Elton White of rural Greenfield, Missouri, went to be with his Lord on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at the Good Shepherd Nursing Home in Lockwood, Missouri. He was 85 years old.
Elton was born April 1, 1934 to Carl and Marie (Beasley) White. He was the eldest of their eight children, with five sisters and two brothers. They were raised on the family farm near Arcola, Missouri.
In 1952, Elton graduated Greenfield High School as valedictorian and president of his class. He then began his degree program at Southwest Missouri State College, but due to a teacher shortage, accepted a teaching position at Arcola Elementary School where he had the dubious privilege of teaching some of his own siblings! This decision postponed his college graduation to 1961 as he taught through each school year and continued his own education during summers. He taught hundreds of children in area schools during his 38-year career, retiring in the spring of 1991 to enter full-time ministry.
Elton began his walk with Christ as an 8 year old boy, was baptized at age 14, and began teaching a Sunday School class of 10-12 year old boys when he was 16. He surrendered to preach at a Lawrence County Baptist Association meeting in his twenties. Soon after, he began his first pastorate at Hopewell Baptist Church in Lawrence County while continuing to teach. He was ordained by Van Buren Baptist Church in May of 1964, ultimately pastoring 12 southwest Missouri churches between 1959 and 2006, and touching numerous lives with the love of Jesus Christ.
Elton met Kay Garoutte during a youth meeting at Halltown Baptist Church in the summer of 1960. They were engaged Christmas of that year, and married at Stotts City Baptist Church on Good Friday, March 31, 1961. God blessed their 58 years of marriage with four children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, October 7, 2019, at Main Street Baptist Church. Burial will follow in the Hackney Cemetery, southeast of Jasper. The family will receive friends on Sunday from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in Greenfield Funeral Chapel.
Memorial contributions may be made to Baptist Hill Assembly. Online condolences may be shared at www.greenfieldfuneralchapel.com.
Services are under the care of Greenfield Funeral Chapel.
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