The Rev. George Emmett Pirtle Jr Welcomed Into the Presence of the Lord

The Rev. George Emmett Pirtle Jr., was welcomed into the presence of his Lord at 6:20 p.m. November 12, 2020, at his residence in Lima. He was born in El Dorado, Arkansas, on August 15, 1929, the son of George E. Pirtle, Sr., and Ethel Keys Pirtle, who preceded him in death.

Friends may call from 11:00 am until time of services at 1:00 pm Wednesday, December 23, 2020   at CHILES-LAMAN FUNERAL AND CREMATION SERVICES SHAWNEE CHAPEL with the Rev. Donald Smith of Waynesfield and the Rev. Andrew Shields of First Baptist, Lima officiating. Burial will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery, Lima.

On August 16, 1952, he married to Billie T. Layman of Pineville, WV. She preceded him in death in 2009. They had 1 daughter, Dr. Sarah Leah Pirtle, a pediatrician, who preceded him in death. She and her father enjoyed trips to Disney World, Ireland, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. His favorite souvenir was a genuine Donegal Irish grey tweed wool hat.

At the age of 11 during a spring revival George made the decision to follow Christ and was baptized with his parents’ blessing. He taught in rural vacation Bible schools at the request of the Director of Missions for the Baptist association. Several of the boys he worked with gave their hearts to Christ and George realized that God was calling him to make a commitment to Gospel ministry, which he did in June, 1946.

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Pastor David Fowls Passes into Heaven's Arms

Pastor David Blaine Fowls, 69, passed away Dec. 9, 2020 at Genesis Hospital in Zanesville.

He was born July 13, 1951 in Mt. Vernon to the late Kenneth Blaine and Shirley A. (Lupher) Fowls. He has been the Pastor at Perry Chapel Baptist Church since November of 1979 to the present.  He received his education from the University of Montana and took courses through Moody Bible Institute and Southern Baptist Seminary Extension. He was a professional songwriter in Nashville in the early 1970's and a rural mail carrier in Mt. Vernon for 16 years (1982-1998).

Dave was an avid big game hunter and has several trophy mounts to show for it. His main interests were history (especially the Civil War), baseball and Jesus.

He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Judy (Dunn) Fowls of Warsaw, whom he married July 21, 1979; two daughters, Erin (Adam) Stone of Dresden and Jenna Fowls of Warsaw.

Please keep the Fowls family in your prayers.

Jacqueline Cecere Goes Home to be with the Lord

Jacqueline Dean (Smith) Cecere went home to be with her Lord on December 8, 2020 at the age of 64. Jackie's husband of 45 years is Rev. Jim Cecere, pastor of St. Clair Avenue Baptist Church of Hamilton.

Jackie's heart for serving others as the hands and feet of Christ spanned from her hometown of Hamilton, Ohio to a mission field in Africa. She was called “mama” by many and her love, compassion, and no bake cookies will forever remain unparalleled.

Please keep the Cecere family in your prayers during this time.

Rev. Milton Trice III Joins the Heavenly Angels

Milton Trice III, beloved pastor of Walnut Hills Baptist Church, Cincinnati, passed away on November 20, 2020 after a recent illness.  Milton served as Associate Pastor at WHBC for several years before accepting the call as Senior Pastor in February of this year.

A native of Madisonville, a Cincinnati suburb, Milton graduated in 1972 from Withrow High School, after which he worked a variety of jobs, including many years as an over-the-road truck driver.  He became active in the Cincinnati non-profit community too, volunteering with organizations like the first Million Man March on Washington, DC, the Walnut Hills Anti-drug Coalition, and other groups, some of which met at the church.

Initially hired as the church custodian, Milton’s natural leadership qualities, love for the Lord, and hunger for God’s Word, made him an active member of Walnut Hills Baptist.  This eventually led to his call as Associate Pastor by the congregation.  He loved to reach out to the church neighborhood through food, cooking and coordinating many free meals from the church basement, including popular fish fries.  He also enjoyed delivering bologna-and-cheese sandwiches, which had been prepared by the church, to the homeless population in the area. 

Milton received a degree in Christian Ministry from Cincinnati Christian University in 2015.  He was also a graduate of the ABC-Ohio Leadership Academy, and at the time of his death was employed as a Peer Specialist by Talbert House, a Cincinnati non-profit that offers integrated care for addictions, community care, community corrections, housing and mental health. 

Milton was well-recognized in the Cincinnati area as a “street chaplain” as well, who worked to curtail neighborhood violence.  In addition, he was a guest speaker at many community-wide meetings and seminars focused on the problems encountered by those who live in an urban and inner-city setting.

He was proceeded in death by his daughter, and he is survived by his granddaughter as well as many friends and family members.