Truman Marcus Smith, Sr. - 1930-2006
Yet another great soldier in the Lord’s army has fallen. He has left a vacancy that will take an exceptional man to fill. It is sad to lose one so loved and respected but brings joy at the same time to know he is, at this moment, enjoying the rest and peace that he so much deserves. Like David, he served his own generation, and then fell asleep. Truman represents a whole generation of preachers who labored in extremely difficult times and now, one by one, are turning everything over to the younger generation, just as those long ago did to us.
Perhaps some of the readers never heard of Truman. That’s no surprise. He did his work for the Lord without fanfare, never seeking any high visibility or glory for himself. He was only interested in magnifying the Lord Jesus in every way he could. What I say here will not be to do anything for him in that way, when he would not do it for himself. I do think, however, that you should know something about Truman. His was a life worth remembering. There are others like him who are little known but have spent a lifetime of hard work in preaching the gospel, bringing many to Christ while being certain that Christians were brought even closer to the Lord. Those whose lives Truman touched will not forget him.
Truman was born at the beginning of the "Great Depression." It was March of 1930 and life was not easy then. He was the fourth of ten children, delivered at home by his father; the doctor didn’t arrive in time. They all lived in the country outside of Jacksonville, Texas. He was just 14 when he started preaching, which he did regularly for the rest of his life. He was helped/trained in those early years by L.W. Hayhurst, an anti-Bible class preacher who defended that doctrine in debates among brethren; Hayhurst later abandoned that position, which Truman also did in 1950. That same year, Truman finished two years of schooling at the Kerrville Bible School, in Kerrville, Texas. The last semester there, he met Patricia Gullion. It was love at first sight. They were married in April of 1951. Other than being fellow preachers and close friends, we also had this in common. My wife and I were married in July of the same year.
It will surprise you to know how wide spread was his work. He preached in every state of the union, meaning the old 48. He did local work in San Benito, Falfurrias, Neches, Grapeland, Hempstead, Waco, Teague, Gladewater, Sweetwater, Odessa, Houston, Henderson, LaPorte, Vidor and Crane; all in Texas. But, he also worked with churches in Akron, OH, Alexandria, LA and Florence, AL. For 20 years, he preached regularly in meetings throughout Ohio, PA and WV. He had a circuit through those states every spring; three and four meetings in a row. He toured Europe in 1980 with H.E. Phillips, preaching in Italy, Germany and Switzerland. He also spent many weeks in Haiti in 1978, with a Creole French interpreter, Bob Vizinot. He converted dozens of people in those efforts. From 1972-l979, he also served as an elder in the Green’s Bayou church in Houston.
"Retirement" was just a word for Truman. He did give up full time local work in 2004, moving to Crockett, TX. Going back to East Texas was "coming home" in more than one way. He and Patsy moved into the house her parents lived in until their passing, on Pat’s sister’s Arabian horse farm. He continued to study, taught Bible classes for the Lacy Hills church in Crockett. He finished writing his book ("The Great Paradox," published by the Preceptor in 2006). The book tells of his observations on the anti-Bible class churches over the years from the view of one who was raised in that belief and abandoned it. It should be in your library, and read. He continued, after "retirement," to preach in several gospel meetings. There were three of those in the spring of 2006. He left us in October of that year.
Truman is survived by his faithful and loving companion of 55 years, Patricia. Two sons, Marc (wife, Melodie) and Shawn (wife, Marti), are faithful and capable gospel preachers. His daughter, Deborah Roskos, is the wife of one of the elders of the church in Hewitt, TX, Larry Roskos. Several grandchildren complete the family. All are faithful to the Lord. Then, there are those of us who knew and loved him, and will always miss him. What a great legacy.
-Maurice Barnett, Phoenix, AZ
(Dad standing beside a preacher named H. E. Phillips, also deceased, on the Appian Way outside of Rome, Italy in 1980.)