LELA B. (MOONEY) SWIFT
- Funeral services for Mrs. Lela Britton Swift, age 93, were held Thursday, August 30, 2007, 3:00 PM in the chapel of Pafford Funeral Home in Scotts Hill with Bro. William Duke and Bro. Tony Roach officiating. Interment followed in Cedar Grove Cemetery near Sardis. Mrs. Swift died late Tuesday in Parsons. She was born March 1, 1914 in Henderson County to the late Ivey and Virgie Mooney. She was a homemaker and the oldest member of Cedar Grove Pentecostal Church. She was preceded in death by two husbands, Dennis Britton and Ernest Haywood Swift; son, Robert Britton; grandchild, Jimmy Moody. Survivors include her three daughters, Lois (J.W.) Moody, Clois Jean Britton, and Brenda (Bill) Blair; two brothers, Roy and Grady Mooney; two sisters, Dorothy Ross and Ruth Scott all of Sardis; two grandchildren, Lisa Tatum and Tony Britton; six great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren.
Decatur County Chronicle
ROMULUS S. SWIFT
- a worthy superannuated member of the Memphis Conference, died at his home in Scotts Hill, Henderson County TN on Monday April 29, 1889. He had been sorely afflicted with partial paralysis the past five years, which hindered him very materially in his lifework - preaching the gospel of the Son of God - in which he delighted and gloried, knowing that it was the "power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.". he was born in Orange County N.C. July 13, 1818, and at an early age was brought by his uncle to Giles County TN where he was brought up, and at the age of 19 years embraced religion at a camp-meeting at Prospect, and one year after joined the Methodist Church. At the age of 21 years he was happily married to Sarah S. Paine, and moved to Dyer County TN and, being an active, efficient, and aggressive member of the Church, he was licensed to exhort by Rev. Thos. J. Lowry. He was efficient and useful as an exhorter, and was soon licensed to preach by John Randle. He remained in Dyer County about 2 years excersing his gifts as a local preacher, then returned to Giles County and traveled as a supply on a Shoal Circuit two years; then moved to Henderson County TN, and was employed as a supply on the Decaturville Circuit. He joined the Memphis Conference, which convened at Jackson, Oct 15, 1856; was admitted into full connection at Benton Tenn. Nov. 10, 1858; was ordained .... by Bishop Paine, at Somerville, Tenn., Oct. 29, 1854 and elder by Bishop Pierce, at Aberdeen, Miss., Nov. 11, 1860. Brothe Swift was an active and faithful traveling preacher more than 35 years; was frequently placed on hard circuits, but he always went to his charge, whether good or bad, without complaint, trusting in God for success and support. He was a successful preacher in winning souls to Christ. His style of preaching was earnest and impressive. Multitudes were often held spell-bound and moved to tears and often shouts were common whilehe was preaching. His sermons were strong, and gave
no uncertain sound. He, like the grand old apostle, preached Jesus Christ and him crucified. He preached a free and full salvation from all sin. The universality of the atonement he preached with power and demonstration. Redemption was a favorite theme with him, and his discourses on the resurrection of the body were such as to inspire and thrill the children of God with joy. R.S. Swift was a popular preacher, especially .... the .... refined of all Christian ... or denominations. He was not a bigot, .... Christian, and had a kind word and a warm, loving heart for all God's people, and could say ... and conscientiously. "Whosoever doeth the will of my Father, the same is my brother, sister and mother." And when he was stricken down with paralysis December 23, 1882, he rejoiced that he was then released from earth, as he thought, and would soon be with Christ in his "Father's house" and after many days of affliction, and he was told that he would not die ...... being an invalid, and not being able to preach the unsearchable riches of the gospel of Christ. He served as Chaplain in the Thirty-first Regiment Tennessee Volunteers, C.S.A.; was taken prisoner an dcarried to Alton IL and when released returned home and started again and at once into the itinerant ministry, and was actively engaged until Dec. 23, 1882, when he was as above stated, stricken with paralysis, with which he suffered until a few weeks before his death, when he had an additional stroke, from which he never recovered. So on Monday, April 29, he fell on sleep, and went home to God, leaving his blessed old wife who had with him stood the storm incident to the traveling preacher more than 35 years; also seven children to grieve for him and a large number of grandchildren. We "sorrow not as those who have no hope; for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so also them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him,". W.A. Cook... Saltillo Tenn, May 4, 1889
Contributed by Mary Elizabeth Partin