Rowland S. Pruette
WINSTON SALEM, N.C.—Rowland Shaw Pruette, 87, died Sept. 7, 2008.
He was born on June 12, 1921 in Wadesboro, the son of Rowland Shaw Pruette Sr. and Elizabeth Hancock Pruette.
In the summer of 1942, during Summer School at Wake Forest College, he met, and one year later married, Mary Virginia Price of Mount Olive.
Mr. Pruette is a graduate of Wadesboro High School, Wake Forest College and Duke University Divinity School.
He also studied at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem in the summer of 1971.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II as an infantryman in North Africa and in combat in Italy.
After the war he was ordained and held pastorates at Booneville Baptist Church, Cullowhee Baptist Church, and Murfreesboro Baptist Church. While at Cullowhee he was also Baptist Student Union director.
After serving as pastor of Murfreesboro Baptist Church he became a professor of religion at Chowan College where he taught for 19 years.
In retirement, he did interim pastorates at a number of churches in North Carolina and Virginia, eventually settling in Winston-Salem where he and Mary V. moved to Brookridge Retirement Community and joined First Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Mary V. Pruette; children, David Rowland Pruette and wife Sandy Pruette of Farmville, N.C., Mary Beth Parker and husband Bob Parker of Winston-Salem; grandchildren, Maria Pruette of Farmville, Anne Parker Butler and husband Rhett Butler of Raleigh, N.C., Spencer Parker and wife Claire Parker of Roanoke, Austin Parker of Wilmington and his great-grandchild, Mary Cecilia Parker; his brother, Frank Pruette and wife Peggy of Sanford N.C.; and sisters Betsy Bost of Charlotte, N.C. and Peggy Mangum of Faison, N.C.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Murfreesboro Baptist Church, 200 W. Main Street, Murfreesboro, NC 27855 or the Pruette Scholarship at Chowan University, P.O. Box 1848, Murfreesboro, N.C. 27855.
The memorial service was held at Murfreesboro Baptist Church on Tuesday.
Garrett Funeral Home-Ashley Chapel, Ahoskie, N.C., served the Pruette family.