Gerry Jane Dunkin of McKinney, former president of Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas, died July 16. She was 82. She was born Nov. 18, 1934, in Houston to Max and Mary Mennike. She married Raymond Gerald Dunkin June 4, 1955, at Park Place Baptist Church in Houston. She earned her bachelor of education degree from Baylor University and taught in the Waco, Fort Worth, Lufkin and Quitman school districts. Her great passion was Christian missions, which consumed her life. 

At the 125th anniversary of Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas, Gerry Dunkin (center) is pictured with other past presidents of Texas WMU (left to right) Ophelia Humphrey, Amelia Bishop, Mary Humphries and Jeane Law.In addition to her service as president of Texas WMU from 1988 to 2002, she also was president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ministers’ Wives Conference in 1983 and led women’s conferences and prayer retreats throughout Texas, Utah and Washington, D.C., as well as in Spain, Germany, Australia, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Shortly after Estonia received its independence, she was invited to help begin Woman’s Estonian Missions. As a pastor’s wife 39 years, she fostered local, state and international missions in local churches. She was a member of Cottonwood Baptist Church in Allen. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Maxine Glasscock and Doris Foster. She is survived by her husband, Raymond, of McKinney; a daughter, Cindy Long and husband, Dale, also of McKinney; sons, Carl Dunkin and his wife, Lynn, of Statesville, N.C., and Chris Dunkin and his wife, Amber, of Waco; eight grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 12 noon, July 21, at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Chapel in Allen. The family will receive friends during a visitation beginning at 6 p.m. the evening before at the funeral home. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m., July 22, at Garden of Memories Memorial Park in Lufkin. Memorial donations may be made to WMU of Texas—Mary Hill Davis Offering here. 

Charlie Worden Fenner, church musician and former missionary to Japan, died June 28 in Dallas. He was 87. Fenner was born Nov. 28, 1929, in Freeport to Grace and M.M. Fenner. At age 14, he began taking piano lessons and singing. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College. College music courses were free, so again he began to take piano and voice lessons. In 1952, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, and he served as an assistant chaplain in Japan. Upon completion of his military service, he completed a master’s degree in education and enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. During a Mission Day service, he publicly acknowledged his willingness to do whatever God wanted him to do. He served as music director for First Baptist Church in Allen, Okla., and then as assistant to the pastor of First Baptist Church in Daingerfield. When he talked about missions opportunities with representatives of the Foreign Mission Board at Ridgecrest Conference Center, he learned about a need for a teacher in a school for boys in Fukuoka, Japan. From that point forward, his focus was set. He was appointed in 1959, spent two years in language school in Tokyo, and then began teaching at Seinan Gakuin Junior High School in Fukuoka. When he served in East Texas, he met Joy Phillips, and they began a dating friendship. They rekindled their relationship when he later was on missionary furlough and she was director of Girl’s Auxiliary for Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas. After he returned to Japan, he wrote to her in January 1966, asking her to marry him. Taking a leave of absence, he taught at Gardner-Webb College in Boiling Springs, N.C., and they married Oct. 8, 1966. She completed the missionary appointment process, and they served together in Fukuoka until 1980. After she became executive director-treasurer of Texas WMU, he supported her ministry, serving as organist or pianist in churches and at various WMU meetings, and he led the Study Abroad Program for Seinan Gakuin High School. At Gaston Oaks Baptist Church in Dallas, he taught Bible study, sang in the choir, played the organ or piano, and served on committees. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Joy. A memorial service is scheduled July 7 at Gaston Oaks Baptist Church in Dallas. Music begins at 10 a.m., and the service follows at 10:15.

Richard “Dick” Wayne Senter, 81, died April 5 in San Antonio. He was pastor of First Baptist Church in Allen 27 years. Senter was born to C.B. and Thelma Jeane Senter in Van Sept. 30, 1935. He graduated from Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was president of the Baylor Chamber of Commerce during his student days and was a lifelong Baylor Bears fan. In addition to First Baptist in Allen, his other pastorates included Clariette Baptist Church in Hico and First Baptist Church in Mabank. He also was interim pastor of several churches and served 12 years as associate pastor of pastoral care and senior adults at Churchill Baptist Church in San Antonio until his retirement at age 80. He served many years on the board of International Crusades and was president of Dick Senter Ministries, which has supported global missions efforts more than 20 years. He was preceded in death by his sister, Dorothy Lynn Senter. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Judy; a daughter, Susan Senter of Plano; son Scott and daughter-in-law Lori of San Antonio; and four grandchildren.

Howard Bryan Allen, 81, of New Braunfels, died March 29. He was born June 11,1935, in Waurika, Okla. He attended Oklahoma Baptist University and was a U.S. Army veteran. He worked many years as an accountant for the State of Texas. He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Patricia; their infant son, Emmett Miles; and his sister, Martha Faye Hoover. He is survived by sons, Ross Douglas Allen of Fischer and Bryan Preston Allen and wife, Carla, of Austin; daughter Amy Diane Cottrell and husband, Matthew, of New Braunfels; two granddaughters and one grandson; brother Louie R, Allen and wife, Suellen, of Bethany, Okla.; and brother, Isaac K. Allen and his wife, Delores, of Norman, Okla.

Harold Boyd Barber, 87, and Margaret Jo Robinson Barber, 82, lived together, served God together and died together March 29. The Barbers were members of First Baptist Church in New Braunfels. Their service included building mission churches, hosting a weekly Bible study in their home, working in the church kitchen, volunteering at the local food bank, visiting residents in nursing homes and distributing Bibles with The Gideons International. They were preceded in death by his sister, Evelena Barber, and her sister, Joyce Samples. They are survived by her siblings and their spouses, Nola and Andy Morrison, and Greg and Janis Robinson; daughters and their spouses, Charlotte Diane Barber and Archie Sheppard, and Elizabeth and Gib Watt; five grandchildren and their spouses.

Murray William Barrett, 66, of New Braunfels died March 29 when an oncoming truck collided with the van he was driving from a senior adult retreat. He was born Feb. 15, 1951, in Dallas. After graduating from Southwest Texas State University, he served in the United States Marine Corps. For many years, he taught middle school math. He taught fifth and sixth grade Sunday school at First Baptist Church in New Braunfels and worked with the AWANA program. He was involved in the senior adult choir and volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters. He is survived by his wife, Dianne, and their four children, Matthew, Jenn, Russell and Cassie.

Addie Maurine Schmeltekopf, 84, of New Braunfels died March 29. She was born Nov. 15, 1932 in Hamilton. She and James Schmeltekopf Sr. married in 1960 and moved to New Braunfels in 1966. She studied bookkeeping and accounting at Nixon Business College in Austin. After a few bookkeeping jobs around the San Antonio area, she joined Ditch Witch of Central Texas in 1975 and worked there more than 25 years. She served God throughout her life by teaching Bible study classes and singing in the choir. She was an accomplished cook, baker and seamstress who ministered to younger women through her church-based quilting club. She was preceded in death by husband, James Sr.; a brother, Bruce Kelly and wife Margie; a sister, Mary Lois Nickell; brothers-in-law, Jesse Harden and Jack Turner; and sister-in-law, Gayle Kelly. She is survived by her five children: Peggy Grantham and husband, John, of Tallahassee, Fla.; Martha Jennings and husband, Billy, of Newark; Weldon Wright and wife, Billie, of Snyder; James Jr. and wife, Nadine, of New Braunfels; Donna Clark and husband, Gary, of Dripping Springs; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; five great-great grandchildren; sisters Nena Harden, Myrtle Turner, Carrol Kelly; and brothers Cecil Kelly and wife Ruth, R.B. Kelly, and Harrol Kelly and wife Ann; and brother-in-law, Wayne Nickell.

C. David Matthews, former Texas Baptist pastor, died March 11 in Bradenton, Fla. He was 76. Matthews was born in Fort Worth and graduated from Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was former pastor of Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas, Seventh and James Baptist Church in Waco and First Baptist Church in Sanger. He also served churches in Altus, Okla.; Greenville, S.C.; and Orlando, Fla. He wrote and published sermons and liturgies, created six published sacred music compositions and was president of Gold Label Publications. He was married to Susan Matthews. He is survived by his step-daughter, Catherine Fryback of Los Angeles, Calif.; son, Kyle Matthews of Greenville, S.C.; daughter, Kerri Boyette of Hillsborough, N.C.; sister, Kay M. Bond of Waco; and four grandchildren.

Ralph Smith, retired pastor and denominational leader, died March 11 in Austin at age 85. Smith was born March 19, 1931, and grew up in Hot Springs, Ark., where he made a profession of faith in Christ at age 8. He initially attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, planning to become a lawyer, but he transferred to Ouachita Baptist University to prepare for the pastorate. He went on to earn a doctorate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. After serving at First Baptist Church in Rosenburg, he accepted a call to become pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin. During his 36 years there, the congregation grew from about 1,000 members to more than 12,000. He later was instrumental in starting Austin Baptist Church. He was elected president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas in 1974 and 1975. He served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference, as a regent at Baylor University, as chair of the SBC Home Mission Board and as chair of the board of trustees of Southwestern Seminary. He also was a chaplain of the Texas House of Representatives. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bess Noble Smith. He is survived by daughter Diane Smith Love and her husband, Bill; son Wallace Smith and his wife, Lanette; and son Peyton Smith and his wife, Beth; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Patricia Ann Long, 81, died Sept. 16 in San Antonio. She was born Oct. 2, 1934, near Troup to William Peter and Una Mae Colwell. She graduated from Denton High School and earned her undergraduate degree in library science from the University of North Texas. She married William H. Long on July 6, 1956, and began a 60-year journey as a pastor’s wife—singing, playing the piano, teaching Sunday school, coordinating Vacation Bible School, directing preschool ministry and making countless casseroles and loaves of banana bread. During 52 years at Northeast Baptist Church in San Antonio, she taught every age, from preschool to adults. She is survived by her husband, William; son, Mark Long of Houston; daughters, Leigh Ann Whisler of San Antonio and Laura Roach of Red Oak; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandsons.

Vester T. Hughes Jr., an attorney and philanthropist deeply involved in Texas Baptist life, died Jan. 29 at age 88 in Dallas. He was born May 24, 1928 to Vester T. Hughes and Mary Ellen Tisdale Hughes in San Angelo and grew up in Mertzon. He graduated valedictorian of his class at Kentucky Military Institute, began his undergraduate studies at Baylor University, completed his bachelor’s degree at Rice University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1952. He served as a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Tom C. Clark until he entered the military, serving as an officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the U.S. Army stationed in Paris, France. During his long career in private practice as a tax attorney, he argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, successfully lobbied Congress to amend federal tax laws on several occasions, and throughout his career frequently was called upon by staff members of the U.S. Treasury Department and Congress for his views on tax policy and pending legislation. He was a deacon at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. He received the Torch of Conscience Award from the American Jewish Congress’ southwest region in 1996 and the Russell H. Perry Free Enterprise Award in 2012 from Dallas Baptist University, where he served as a trustee from 1968 to 1977. Hughes served on the boards of numerous charitable organizations, including the Communities Foundation of Texas and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children. His sister, Elizabeth Hughes Pool, preceded him in death.

Richard Allen Spencer, longtime Baptist Student Union director at the University of Texas in Austin, died Jan. 29 at age 72. Spencer born in Wichita Falls Feb.13, 1944, and grew up in Nocona. He earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics and physics at Midwestern University, where he became involved with the Baptist Student Union. He became a follower of Jesus Christ and began his lifelong professional and spiritual journey. He also met Vicki Ann Ryan at the BSU, and they married Aug. 24, 1968. He earned his Ph.D. in philosophy with a concentration in New Testament at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served as BSU director in Odessa and Weatherford before accepting the position as BSU director and religion professor at the University of Texas in Austin, where he worked 45 years. He also served numerous Central Texas churches as interim pastor. Spencer is survived by his wife, Vicki; son, Ryan; daughter, Kristi Altshuler; four grandchildren; and five siblings—Martha May, Marilyn Spitsnaugle, Olivia Spencer, M.E. Spencer and Bill Spencer. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 4 at Woodlawn Baptist Church in Austin. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Rick Spencer Staff Development Trust, which supports the intern program at the Baptist Student Ministry in Austin. Checks can be mailed to Texas Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Attention: Cindy Zoller, 7557 Rambler Road, Dallas, TX 75231. To donate online, click here. When asked to select a fund, choose “Other” and type in “Rick Spencer Staff Development Trust.”  

Alma Ruth Lyon, longtime Baptist missionary, died Jan. 24 in Waco at age 93. She was born on April 9, 1923, in San Antonio to Alma and Henry Madden. She and her husband, Roy, served 32 years with the Southern Baptist Convention Foreign Mission Board. At their 1984 retirement service, he recalled surviving two mob attacks and several plane crashes during their years in Mexico and Venezuela. They also worked for the mission board at the Spanish Baptist Publishing House in El Paso. She was preceded in death by her husband; daughters, Nancy Little and Suzie Cameron; and her brother, Henry Madden Jr. She is survived by her sons, Roy, Robert and Jim; daughters, Michelle Canada and Betty de Torres; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

David Hudson Whitson, retired missionary and pastor, died Jan. 2 at age 86. Whitson was born Aug. 13, 1930, in Bankston, Ala. He left home to serve in the U.S. Navy during the Korean conflict. While he was stationed in Hawaii as a radar operator, he met his future wife, Betty Ann Clark. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard Payne University and a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. While he attended seminary, he was pastor of First Baptist Church in Covington and later served as associate pastor at Highland Baptist Church in Dallas. The Whitsons were appointed as Southern Baptist missionaries in 1962 and served 34 years in Tanzania. Their son, Clark, died while they were on furlough in Cleburne in 1976. After retiring from the International Mission Board, he became pastor of North Dallas Baptist Church in Dallas and later served on staff at First Baptist Church in Kaufman. He also worked in hospital chaplaincy. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Betty Ann; sons, Mike, Drew and Scott; daughter, Keren; 16 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Richard Perry Ellis, retired pastor, missionary and evangelist, died Jan. 16 in Lewisville. He was 84. Ellis was born in San Antonio Aug. 19, 1932, to Neal William and Foncy Perry Ellis. He spent his formative years in Virginia, where his father was a naval chaplain. After attending Mars Hill University in North Carolina, he completed his bachelor’s degree at Baylor University and earned a master of divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. He completed further graduate study at Temple University in Philadelphia and was a research scholar at Oxford University in England three years. He married Robbie Johnson Aug. 19, 1955. Ellis was pastor of Baptist churches in Texas, Virginia, Maryland and Florida. He preached more than 1,000 evangelistic crusades around the world, including the major cities of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Brazil. The Ellises served as Southern Baptist missionaries to Brazil from 1970 to 1984. At that time, he was director of urban evangelism for the Brazilian Baptist Convention, a Brazilian representative to the Baptist World Alliance and a professor at the Sao Paulo Baptist Theological Seminary. While there, he also directed the Sao Paulo Billy Graham Crusade and later was a delegate to the Billy Graham Evangelism Conferences in Lausanne, Berlin and Amsterdam. He was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 50 years, Robbie. He is survived by his daughter, Autumn Ellis Ross and her husband, A. Larry Ross; sons, Richard Perry Ellis Jr. and his wife, Rebecca, and Neal Johnson Ellis and his wife, Beth; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandson.