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Established 1948   The Herald Democrat Thursday, March 9, 1006 pg. A12 Ft. Worth - Jerry Arlen Dowdy, 71, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 in Ft. Worth. Funeral was held Friday morning at Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Ft. Worth. Dr. Michael Dean and Dr.Darrell Grice officiated. Burial followed Friday afternoon at Cedarlawn Memorial Park in Sherman, Texas. Pallbearers were Mark Dowdy, Oran Gaynor, Trey Holmes, Zachery Lawson, Bruce Lee and Bill Morgan, III. Honorary pallbearers were the Kelly Men's Sunday School Class. His memory may be honored with a gift to the Jerry and Barbara Dowdy Seminary Fund for Malawi, c/o International Mission Board, P.O. Box 6767, Richmond, Virginia 23230. Jerry was born in Denison, Texas on July 26, 1934, son of Arvil and Pauline Dowdy. With his parents, his brother Norman and sister, Jann, Jerry moved to Dallas where he graduated from North Dallas High School. He also graduated from Dallas Baptist University and attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He married Barbara Nicholson in 1955. They lived in Irving from 1956 to 1967. He was a service technician for Lone Star Gas Co. and managed Copease Corporation im Dallas. In 1964 he started Copy and Litho, Inc. of Ft. Worth. During subsequent years, he opened offices in several Texas cities. In 1967, he moved to Ft. Worth and joined Travis Avenue Baptist Church. There he served as Chairman of the Deacons and on the Finance and other committees. He was also a Sunday School director and teacher. In 1978, Jerry and Barbara surrendered their lives to Christ as full-time foreign missionaries and served in the African countries of Malawi, Kenya and Somalia until 1994. In Malawi, he served as the Baptist Mission's business manager as well as construction foreman for the building of 16 churches and 5 missionary houses. One of his most important ministries was starting Capital City Baptist Chruch in Lilongwe, Malawi, where he served as pastor. In 1995 Jerry and Barbara moved to Sherman and joined First Baptist Church. While there Jerry served on several committees, taught a men's Sunday School class, and did mission work in Brazil and Canada. He was the building foreman for Camino Real Church in Denison. In 2000, the Dowdys moved back to Ft. Worth and Travis Avenue Baptist Church. Jerry was a man who trusted God for all he needed and praised God for all he was given. Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Barbara Nicholson Dowdy; son, Kenneth Wesley Dowdy and wife, Suzanne, of Arlington, Texas; daughter, Peggy Dowdy Lawson and husband, Bruce, of Missouri City; grandchildren, Zachary Chase Lawson; Corbin Wesley Lawson; Alayna Michelle Dowdy; and Andrew Wesley Dowdy; brother, Norman Dowdy and wife, Peggy, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and sister, Jann Walton of Richardson.  Cedarlawn Cemetery Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |