Transcription
FITZGERALD, WILLIAM HENRYMissionary pastor to Eastern Cherokee Indians, Cherokee,N. C.; born, Apison, Tenn., Jan. 13, 1876; son of Margaret Whittleof Sevierville, Tenn., and Rev. Asa Fitzgerald of Apison, Tenn;education, A.B., D.D., Carson-Newman Col., Th.M., Southern Sem.;ordained Aug. 6, 1896; married Mayme Newman of Alpha, Tenn., Sept.29, 1903, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Newman; children,Margaret A. (Mrs. C. C. Curtiss), Asheville, N. C., Louise E.(Mrs. Falton Garren), Waynesville, N. C., Constance, Spring Creek,N. C.; William, Asheville, N. C.; Mary H., Mars Hill, N. C.;Daniel J., Asheville, N. C.; Lois, Asheville, N. C.; pastor, BeachStreet (Highland Park) Ch., Chattanooga, Tenn., 1899-1900;Meadow Home, Louisville, Ky., 1901-1904; pastor, Hardinsburg, Ky.,1902-1904; Riverside Ave., Baltimore, Md., 1904-1905; First Ch.,Cheyenne, Wyo., 1906-1910; First Ch., Jefferson·tity, Tenn.,1910-1915; Pleasant Grove, Blount Co., Tenn., 1916-1917; Mt.Olive Ch., Blount Co., Tenn., 1917-1918; Island Home Ch., Knoxville,Tenn.,19l8 1919;Newbridge and Beaverdam Chs., Asheville, N. C.,1919-1920; Black Mtn., N. .1921-1923; Biltmore, N. C., 1923-1934;Cherokee, N. C., 1935 to date; Pres. Wyo. State Conv., 1907-1910;Chmn., State Home Mission Bd., Wyo.; Rec. Sec., Wyo. Anti-SaloonLeague; Mod., Buncombe Assn., N. C., 2 yrs; Pres. Asheville Bapt.Ministerial Conf., 2 terms; Pres., Asheville Ministerial Association,' 19331 Sec. N. C. Bapt.Pastors' Conf., 1 yr.; author: poems,sermons; chaplain of the Wyo. Legislature, 1908; chaplain A. F.and A. M., Biltmore, N. C., 3 yrs.AMONG SOUTHERN BAPTISTS, p. 172By: John S. Ramond920/R14Address: Cherokee, N. C.
(NCCF)BY FAITH AND WORKSA History of the First Baptist Church, BlackMountain, North CarolinaJune 5, 1905 - June 6, 1965DR. WILLIAM HENRY FITZGERALDpril 10, 1876 in Hen ed school, and laterty Superintendent ofty of North Carolina, rs. Then he felt thehe University to Wake1907 he was graduatedisville, Kentucky, andltina. On August 12,olumbus, Georgia, andere they remained for: their stay in Southl Mr. Justice returnedfew months' rest hel April 1921. Follow hurch of Bryson City,{ in Kansas City, Mis church where he re ollowing an attack ofj.Dr. William Henry Fitzgerald was born in Apison, Tennessee, Janu ary 13, 1876, a son of Asa and Margaret Whittle Fitzgerald. He wasgraduated from Carson-Newman College with a bachelor of arts degree.The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, awardedhim a Master of Theology degree. In 1916, he received the honorarydegree of Doctor of Divinity from Carson-Newman College. In 1903 hewas married to Miss Mayme Newman, of Alpha, Tennessee, who precededhim in death. Dr. Fitzgerald served pastorates in Tennessee, Kentucky,Maryland, Wyoming, and various churches in Western North Carolina. From1935-1946, he and Mrs. Fitzgerald served under the Home Mission BO(1.rdof Southern Baptist Convention to the Eastern band of the Cherokee In dians at Cherokee during which time they became authorities on IndianLore and its religious life . A short time prior to Dr. Fitzgerald's deathon September 13, 1959 he was honored by the Biltmore Masonic Lodgeupon completion of more than fifty years as a Master Mason. He wrotemany poems and sermons that wefE;' published. Dr. and Mrs. Fitzgeraldhad five daughters, na.mely: Mrs. C. C. Curtis, Mrs . Louise F. Garren, Mrs.Elliott Moore, and Mrs. Ralph A. Kennedy, aU of Asheville, N. C., andMiss Ruth Lois Fitzgerald, a missionary to Indonesia, and two sons, Wil liam H. Fitzgerald, Jr., of Asheville, and Daniel J. Fitzgerald, of Roanoke,Virginia .(Information furnished by William H. Fitzgerald, Jr., son.)by Sam JusUce, son.)51
CLIPPING SERVICE1115 HILLSBORORALEIGH, NC27603INDEPE b 2079TRIBUNECONCORD, N. C./.,j)5i ,)r0 FEB 07 0 0. .Biptist Iminister trBy VANESSA CHARLESOfficer J.W. Flairs. st minister.formerStaff WriterCONCORD - Former Baptist ministerJ.W. Flair felt a greater calling in bis life to become a police officerFlair has been a police officer for almost10 years, but was a minister for six beforeanswering the call "to serve and protect" thepeople of Concord.Flair dislikes the term law enforcement,saying it connotes stiff and unfeeling. Heprefers to be called a problem solver."We are the end of the line problemsolvers of crises," he said."I always enjoyed helping people withcrises, and that's what this job is everyday."Flair has anvays felt a call to service - acall that has guided his different paths inlife.When he was 15, he accompanied hisfather, who worked for the World HealthOrganization at the time, on a trip to Africaand the Middle East. The team from WHOwent to build hospitals, giving Flair his first .
.-,- :5"ns,-eg caseo I1'Sl\J·:)j)1lt, ." J\I\\9: t;een\\991 \'.O ' ':;;, ., tc nic\es,.,.-4' --"l\on,.'!Y.mOfe 'ie'(l.C';,\ '15,rles Bible for Ibadgi7 ;;; ,eJ-opening exposure to overwhelminghman need.The experience instilled in him a desiretopractice medicine.He went to Davidson College after dis c13sing it with his father, a professor anddi-ector of medical studies at the UniversityolCharlotte Chapel Hill at that time.'After two years I realized that medicinew n't what I was really interested in," Aair, chuckling.He soon transferred to Chapel Hill to pursue a bactbelor's degree in sociology, aswell as to --at the side of his father, whowas slowly flosing his battle with cancer.After gnllduation, Aair decided to go toseminary ror mission work and enteredDuke Univtprsity School of Divinity in 1980.He nevd,r made it to the missionary field.His wi 'e Ashley, whom he married in1981, did ritot feel as strongly about leavingAmerica, ard the couple decided theybe equally p seful at home as abroa d.ISee Minister I p e A10- -- - -- -- - - - - - - - .:J. .CO;).," ,-L "\'l SO f,(f.'I.), Ust
( I\ niste\.continued from page A1Ordained as a Baptist ministerin 1983, Flair took up the post ofassociate minister in Southfield,Mich., where he pent threeyears.Before coming to Concord,Flair and his family lived inKoinenea, Ga. - a self-support ed Christian community whosemission is service.While there, he met MillardFuller, the millionaire who gaveup his wealth and formed Habitatfor Humanity."Koinenea did what Habitatfor Humanity is doing now," hesaid. "Millard took it a step fur ther."Flair and his family, whichhas grown to include two boys,Jordan and Levi, spent threeyears there.They decided that it was timeto leave in 1989, and Flair beganthinking about pursuing his pri vate dream of being a police offi cer."My wife encouraged me topursue it and we wanted to benear family again, and Concordseemed like the best place to be,"he said.tIn response to skeptics whoma'y wonder about the seeminglymild-mannered minister tw·n dcop, Flair reassures them that herises to the challenge when nec essary.He credited the CharlottePolice Academy for its reali tictraining, which he said preparedhim for the potential abuse policeofficers receive on the job."After nine and a half years Ihave done a lot," Flair said."A calm demeanor helps, butat times you have to change. I dochange and get loud or physical but I'd rather I didn't"Flair, who has had his fairshare of being "hit, bit, kickedand punched," prefers talkingand reasoning with people first.This is a char:tcter trait he relieson heavily from his days as a"minister.Flair does nG\t feel that he hasmissed his cat ling in life, orGod's call for '1t matter.He keeps at h. eart a statementby theologian Frr deric Buechnerribe his lifethat seems to dland career choice."Ifs hard to dt !tee God'swill, but you can t Je sure that youare at 1( )se When theworld's needs ant j your desiresmeet.", --. .
Dr. William Henry Fitzgerald was born in Apison, Tennessee, Janu ary 13, 1876, a son of Asa and Margaret Whittle Fitzgerald. He was graduated from Carson-Newman College with a bachelor of arts degree. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, awarded him a Master of Theology degree.
