8,000+ sermons later,G.W. reckons it's time to retire
By SHARON KERR Staff Writer

Courtesy photo G.W. PATRICK (above) stands knee deep in familiar waters, baptising family and friends in the river. Left: Lorena Minyard Patrick met G.W. at a 42 game and decided he was a keeper.The newlyweds will make their home in Jasper.

G.W. Patrick, 87, just retired from a career that includes building four churches, pastoring more than 15 churches and preaching more than 8,000 sermons.

Granddaughter Pamela Gilchriest Sterling says he'll never really retire from pastoring; it's not what he does but who he is.

"He taught himself to read from the Bible," Sterling said.

"That's right," Patrick said. "I went all the way to third grade, but I couldn't read, and then I became a woodsman like all the men around me."

Patrick was born at Bessmay near Buna, one of the old Kirbyville Lumber towns where the whole economy depended on timber.

In 1942, G.W. Patrick was in his early 20's, drafted into World War II, but still didn't know his given name. The military said "GW" wouldn't do, and recorded him as George Washington Patrick. He spent 1942-45 in the U.S. Navy.

Newsboy photo/ Sharon Kerr

"Later I asked my mama what my middle name was," Patrick said, "and she told me it was William. That's the first I ever knew that."

At his first church, he was working to become ordained, and said there was a deacon that didn't think he'd last.

"I hadn't been to college. I was just that Patrick boy to them. They thought I'd give it up," Patrick said. "They didn't know that God had called me."

In his long career, Patrick has performed hundreds of weddings, funerals and baptisms, many in Wolf Creek near Colmesneil. The oldest person he has baptized was 89. The oldest person whose funeral he has presided over was 102.

He helped build four churches- Katy Baptist in Colmesneil, Grace Missionary Baptist, Emmanuel Church and Pineywoods Baptist Church.

Sterling said Patrick's woodsman experience helped with church building. "He goes out in the woods and picks out special trees for each church," Sterling said.

All four churches are still standing and still holding services.

In his early days, Patrick and his wife walked to church. They left early to gather pine knots on the way, so they could light the fire and warm the church.

One winter it was so cold that they had to break the ice off the river to perform a baptism. "The fog built up, and we had to wade out to get deep enough to dunk 'em," Patrick said. "The people on the bank could hardly see us."

Another baptism Patrick recalls is two brothers at Ebenezer. "The one about 16- years-old got scared and I couldn't get his head under," Patrick said. "My wife hollered from the bank, 'put him under GW.' He was stiff like a plank but I just kind of lifted him and set him under," Patrick said.

Patrick gained his booming voice when he preached at Oak Grove. "There were hickory nut trees, and the church had a tin roof, so in the fall I had to be loud enough to be heard over the

sound of hickory nuts hitting that old tin roof," Patrick said.

Patrick and his granddaughter tried to reckon how many blood descendants of the family there are, but gave up when the numbers got too big. Counting from his parents, Patrick estimated there are more than 400.

"I had one sister who had 15 children, and she had a daughter who had 12 children," Patrick said.

At one point, he remembers that Colmesneil had 300 people, and his mama was related to most of them.

Sterling says there are not many of the old pioneers left in East Texas. "If they hadn't laid the foundation of faith for us, we wouldn't have the churches we have today," Sterling said.

Patrick admits he will never really retire, but he is moving from Tyler County to Jasper. His new bride, Lorena Minyard Patrick, convinced him to make the move to her home near Dam B.

Patrick and his new wife each lost their previous spouses to cancer. They met during a game of 42, and she decided he was a keeper.

They haven't had time for a honeymoon yet, but are planning to go to Arizona soon.

The family is discussing putting together a book that will include stories of people affected by Patrick's long career. Anyone with stories or pictures to contribute to GW's recollections can send them to: Pamela Sterling, 180 Private Road 5157, Kirbyville, 75956.