William Paul Sitton, age 92, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, January 14, 2017, at Walking Horse Meadows, surrounded by his loving family.
Funeral service will be on Wednesday, January 18, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at the Neal-Tarpley-Parchman Chapel. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 17, 2017, from 3:00-7:00 p.m. and Wednesday, January 18, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at the funeral home. Rev. Michael Oliver will officiate, and burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery.
Paul was born to Louis Broyles Sitton and Bess Victoria (Lambdin) Sitton, on July 9, 1924, in Van, West Virginia. He was the fourth of eight children born to this family. He graduated from Van High School, Van, West Virginia in 1942, and joined the Army in August 1943. He served in the 814th MP Company, 6th Army, in New Guinea and the Philippine Islands, leaving service as a 1st Sergeant in April 1946. He and his Military Police Company served as escort for General Yamashita when the Japanese surrendered to General Wainwright in Baguio, Philippines. He thoroughly enjoyed his time in the service and loved talking about that period of his life.
He met a local girl, Wilma Jean Pauley, after returning from World War II, and they married on May 17, 1947. He worked in the coal mines a few years, but felt God’s call to the ministry, and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1951 to attend Free Will Baptist Bible College. After two years, he transferred to George Peabody College and graduated with a B.A. in August 1954. He got his M.A. from Austin Peay State College in August 1956. In 1974, he further achieved Rank 1 in Education.
Paul taught school for thirty years in the Dependent School System at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He taught third and fourth grades and loved helping many youngsters navigate their way through his favorite subject, math. He was a great role model for military children who had parents deployed or in other difficult situations. Even after students left his classroom, he often got letters from them or their parents, updating him on their progress and achievements.
He also was a bi-vocational minister for 50 years, serving mostly rural churches in Tennessee, and pouring his heart and soul into their growth and discipleship. He was a great Bible teacher and took delight in seeing his parishioners develop into soul-winners and avid Bible students. He immersed himself into each church’s community. He visited folks in their homes and in hospitals, he celebrated their births and weddings, and he buried their loved ones. One friend said, “He even knew every dog in our community”. Another said that he ministered to five generations of her family. Every church he pastored engaged in a building program to enlarge their facilities. He made a lasting impact, especially on six churches he served over the years. They were Rock Springs Free Will Baptist Church in Charlotte, TN; Philadelphia FWB Church in Detroit, MI; Pardue Memorial FWB Church in Clarksville, TN; Stoney Point FWB Church in Vanleer, TN; Carlisle FWB Church in Dover, TN; and Brandons Chapel FWB Church in Bumpus Mills, TN. He was currently a member of Rock Springs FWB Church in Charlotte, TN.
Paul and Wilma were a wonderful couple, married 68 years, living over 60 of those years in Clarksville, and helping whenever and wherever they were needed by family, friends, and neighbors. Even after they were no longer actively pastoring, they continued to minister to people as long as they were able. They moved to Walking Horse Meadows in July 2013, and were there together until she died on November 15, 2015. He continued to live at Walking Horse and has missed her terribly and looked forward to seeing her again. Although he is leaving a hole in our hearts, it’s hard to begrudge him what we think he wanted most, and that was to be with Wilma again.
He will be greatly missed by those who love him. He is survived by a daughter, Jane (Gerry) Gilman, son, Ed (Jennifer) Sitton, four grandchildren, Ben (Crystal) Carroll, Jessica (Jason) Anglea, Amanda (Barry) Markin, and Julie (Clark) Young; and four great-grandchildren, Carson and Mallory Carroll, and Henry and William Markin. He also is survived by two sisters, Charlotte (Bob) Gray, of Van, West Virginia and Betty Lundy of Palm Harbor, Florida.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Louis Broyles Sitton and Bess Victoria Sitton; two sisters, Lucille Kerby and Nadine Sitton; and three brothers, Horace, Charlie, and Gene Sitton. He was also preceded by his beloved wife, Wilma Jean Sitton, just fourteen months ago.
Pallbearers will be Ben Carroll, Barry Markin, Jason Anglea, Clark Young, Mike Spratt, Tim Spratt, and P.K. Spratt. Honorary pallbearers will be his fellow Free Will Baptist ministers.
The family is grateful for the wonderful care he and Wilma received at Walking Horse Meadows over the past three-and-a-half years. Thank you, AseraCare, for gently attending him his last week. And we thank Dr. Constance Johnson for her loving, tender care of Paul and Wilma the last ten years, during the most difficult period of their lives; she was a God-send and an absolute treasure for our family.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Welch College, 3606 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37205.
Arrangements entrusted to Neal-Tarpley-Parchman Funeral Home, 1510 Madison Street, Clarksville, TN 37040.