The life of Rev. LeRoy Stanton was celebrated at First United Methodist Church in Madisonville on Jan. 8, 2009. LeRoy passed away the previous Monday morning, Jan. 5, at his home in his favorite chair while drinking coffee, smoking his pipe, and working a puzzle.
LeRoy was born on April 5, 1925, in The Door of Hope, a charity hospital in Columbia, S.C. His childhood was spent at the Carolina Orphan Home in Columbia, where he "had the best teacher in the world, Ms. Monteith." Many of LeRoy's sermons included anecdotes of his time at the orphan home and lessons he learned there. In fact, it was here he first heard the phrase "good gumption" when being chastised by Mr. Bedenbaugh, the housemother's husband. LeRoy had shown no good gumption after being dragged through the cornfield behind a mule that had been stung by a bee! "The Gospel of Good Gumption" would come to be the title of numerous messages, as well as a book that LeRoy dedicated simply "to God."
In 1942, LeRoy dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Marines at the age of 17; and he ultimately participated in World War II's major South Pacific battles - Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, Okinawa - and the occupation of Nagasaki, Japan. He rarely spoke of his wartime experiences but did say that mail-call day was always difficult because he never received a letter in the four years he spent overseas.
Upon LeRoy's honorable discharge, he returned to Columbia and enrolled in the University of South Carolina. Refusing college assistance from the government, he sold soap door-to-door and worked in a meat packing plant at night to pay his own way. Living at the downtown YMCA, LeRoy earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. He then briefly attended Emory in pursuit of a law degree before receiving the "call to preach." He entered Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., and served four small country churches, where the locals adopted him as their own and paid him for his work in the tobacco fields.
LeRoy followed fellow Duke graduates to work in the Texas Conference, where he briefly served the Methodist congregation in Joaquin. After his marriage to Frances Fowler on Sept. 28, 1957, the two were assigned to start a new church in Baytown. They did just that, founding St. Paul's Methodist Church. The two also started their family when children Cindy and Marvin were born within 14 months of each other.
In addition to Baytown, LeRoy and Frances lived and worked in Pasadena, Madisonville, Bay City, Palestine and Bridge City. Upon their retirement in 1988, they returned to Madisonville and spent their remaining years together being very active in the community and schools. Frances served on the school board and LeRoy was mayor for a time. He emphasized the "Magnetism of Madisonville" and won state monies to help fund the revitalization of Lake Madison. The ballpark facilities were especially significant to LeRoy because it was there where he and several others started the youth soccer league and girls' softball program.
LeRoy and Frances were fortunate to have traveled most all of the 50 states; they took several cruises and toured Europe and the Holy Land. In their later years, they enjoyed trips to the horse races with friends. As Frances's health worsened in 2000, LeRoy was her constant and loving caregiver, keeping her at home until her death in February of 2003.
LeRoy described himself as "a spiritual cheerleader," and he continued to write uplifting messages until his death. His published works include "We Can Be Better People," "The Gospel of Good Gumption" and "The Door of Hope." His favorite manuscript, which had been declined in recent years, was Jesus & Christianity. But he had great hope for "Ants, Doodlebugs, and Me," a children's book edited by dear family friend Glenda Blair, and "Beneath the Cornerstones of Christianity," a working manuscript that sits on his desk today.
LeRoy and Frances are survived by their children and their families, Cindy and Kenny Harris of San Antonio, and grandson Emmanuel Carter of Madisonville; Marvin and Bubba Stanton of Madisonville and their children, Anna and Brett; and Stacy and Cliff Collard of College Station. Memorials may be made to the Son Shine Outreach Center in Madisonville or to the Carolina Children's Home at 3201 Trenholm Rd., Columbia, SC, 29204.
LeRoy was born on April 5, 1925, in The Door of Hope, a charity hospital in Columbia, S.C. His childhood was spent at the Carolina Orphan Home in Columbia, where he "had the best teacher in the world, Ms. Monteith." Many of LeRoy's sermons included anecdotes of his time at the orphan home and lessons he learned there. In fact, it was here he first heard the phrase "good gumption" when being chastised by Mr. Bedenbaugh, the housemother's husband. LeRoy had shown no good gumption after being dragged through the cornfield behind a mule that had been stung by a bee! "The Gospel of Good Gumption" would come to be the title of numerous messages, as well as a book that LeRoy dedicated simply "to God."
In 1942, LeRoy dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Marines at the age of 17; and he ultimately participated in World War II's major South Pacific battles - Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, Okinawa - and the occupation of Nagasaki, Japan. He rarely spoke of his wartime experiences but did say that mail-call day was always difficult because he never received a letter in the four years he spent overseas.
Upon LeRoy's honorable discharge, he returned to Columbia and enrolled in the University of South Carolina. Refusing college assistance from the government, he sold soap door-to-door and worked in a meat packing plant at night to pay his own way. Living at the downtown YMCA, LeRoy earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. He then briefly attended Emory in pursuit of a law degree before receiving the "call to preach." He entered Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., and served four small country churches, where the locals adopted him as their own and paid him for his work in the tobacco fields.
LeRoy followed fellow Duke graduates to work in the Texas Conference, where he briefly served the Methodist congregation in Joaquin. After his marriage to Frances Fowler on Sept. 28, 1957, the two were assigned to start a new church in Baytown. They did just that, founding St. Paul's Methodist Church. The two also started their family when children Cindy and Marvin were born within 14 months of each other.
In addition to Baytown, LeRoy and Frances lived and worked in Pasadena, Madisonville, Bay City, Palestine and Bridge City. Upon their retirement in 1988, they returned to Madisonville and spent their remaining years together being very active in the community and schools. Frances served on the school board and LeRoy was mayor for a time. He emphasized the "Magnetism of Madisonville" and won state monies to help fund the revitalization of Lake Madison. The ballpark facilities were especially significant to LeRoy because it was there where he and several others started the youth soccer league and girls' softball program.
LeRoy and Frances were fortunate to have traveled most all of the 50 states; they took several cruises and toured Europe and the Holy Land. In their later years, they enjoyed trips to the horse races with friends. As Frances's health worsened in 2000, LeRoy was her constant and loving caregiver, keeping her at home until her death in February of 2003.
LeRoy described himself as "a spiritual cheerleader," and he continued to write uplifting messages until his death. His published works include "We Can Be Better People," "The Gospel of Good Gumption" and "The Door of Hope." His favorite manuscript, which had been declined in recent years, was Jesus & Christianity. But he had great hope for "Ants, Doodlebugs, and Me," a children's book edited by dear family friend Glenda Blair, and "Beneath the Cornerstones of Christianity," a working manuscript that sits on his desk today.
LeRoy and Frances are survived by their children and their families, Cindy and Kenny Harris of San Antonio, and grandson Emmanuel Carter of Madisonville; Marvin and Bubba Stanton of Madisonville and their children, Anna and Brett; and Stacy and Cliff Collard of College Station. Memorials may be made to the Son Shine Outreach Center in Madisonville or to the Carolina Children's Home at 3201 Trenholm Rd., Columbia, SC, 29204.
The life of Rev. LeRoy Stanton was celebrated at First United Methodist Church in Madisonville on Jan. 8, 2009. LeRoy passed away the previous Monday morning, Jan. 5, at his home in his favorite chair while drinking coffee, smoking his pipe, and working a puzzle.
LeRoy was born on April 5, 1925, in The Door of Hope, a charity hospital in Columbia, S.C. His childhood was spent at the Carolina Orphan Home in Columbia, where he "had the best teacher in the world, Ms. Monteith." Many of LeRoy's sermons included anecdotes of his time at the orphan home and lessons he learned there. In fact, it was here he first heard the phrase "good gumption" when being chastised by Mr. Bedenbaugh, the housemother's husband. LeRoy had shown no good gumption after being dragged through the cornfield behind a mule that had been stung by a bee! "The Gospel of Good Gumption" would come to be the title of numerous messages, as well as a book that LeRoy dedicated simply "to God."
In 1942, LeRoy dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Marines at the age of 17; and he ultimately participated in World War II's major South Pacific battles - Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, Okinawa - and the occupation of Nagasaki, Japan. He rarely spoke of his wartime experiences but did say that mail-call day was always difficult because he never received a letter in the four years he spent overseas.
Upon LeRoy's honorable discharge, he returned to Columbia and enrolled in the University of South Carolina. Refusing college assistance from the government, he sold soap door-to-door and worked in a meat packing plant at night to pay his own way. Living at the downtown YMCA, LeRoy earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. He then briefly attended Emory in pursuit of a law degree before receiving the "call to preach." He entered Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., and served four small country churches, where the locals adopted him as their own and paid him for his work in the tobacco fields.
LeRoy followed fellow Duke graduates to work in the Texas Conference, where he briefly served the Methodist congregation in Joaquin. After his marriage to Frances Fowler on Sept. 28, 1957, the two were assigned to start a new church in Baytown. They did just that, founding St. Paul's Methodist Church. The two also started their family when children Cindy and Marvin were born within 14 months of each other.
In addition to Baytown, LeRoy and Frances lived and worked in Pasadena, Madisonville, Bay City, Palestine and Bridge City. Upon their retirement in 1988, they returned to Madisonville and spent their remaining years together being very active in the community and schools. Frances served on the school board and LeRoy was mayor for a time. He emphasized the "Magnetism of Madisonville" and won state monies to help fund the revitalization of Lake Madison. The ballpark facilities were especially significant to LeRoy because it was there where he and several others started the youth soccer league and girls' softball program.
LeRoy and Frances were fortunate to have traveled most all of the 50 states; they took several cruises and toured Europe and the Holy Land. In their later years, they enjoyed trips to the horse races with friends. As Frances's health worsened in 2000, LeRoy was her constant and loving caregiver, keeping her at home until her death in February of 2003.
LeRoy described himself as "a spiritual cheerleader," and he continued to write uplifting messages until his death. His published works include "We Can Be Better People," "The Gospel of Good Gumption" and "The Door of Hope." His favorite manuscript, which had been declined in recent years, was Jesus & Christianity. But he had great hope for "Ants, Doodlebugs, and Me," a children's book edited by dear family friend Glenda Blair, and "Beneath the Cornerstones of Christianity," a working manuscript that sits on his desk today.
LeRoy and Frances are survived by their children and their families, Cindy and Kenny Harris of San Antonio, and grandson Emmanuel Carter of Madisonville; Marvin and Bubba Stanton of Madisonville and their children, Anna and Brett; and Stacy and Cliff Collard of College Station. Memorials may be made to the Son Shine Outreach Center in Madisonville or to the Carolina Children's Home at 3201 Trenholm Rd., Columbia, SC, 29204.
LeRoy was born on April 5, 1925, in The Door of Hope, a charity hospital in Columbia, S.C. His childhood was spent at the Carolina Orphan Home in Columbia, where he "had the best teacher in the world, Ms. Monteith." Many of LeRoy's sermons included anecdotes of his time at the orphan home and lessons he learned there. In fact, it was here he first heard the phrase "good gumption" when being chastised by Mr. Bedenbaugh, the housemother's husband. LeRoy had shown no good gumption after being dragged through the cornfield behind a mule that had been stung by a bee! "The Gospel of Good Gumption" would come to be the title of numerous messages, as well as a book that LeRoy dedicated simply "to God."
In 1942, LeRoy dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Marines at the age of 17; and he ultimately participated in World War II's major South Pacific battles - Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, Okinawa - and the occupation of Nagasaki, Japan. He rarely spoke of his wartime experiences but did say that mail-call day was always difficult because he never received a letter in the four years he spent overseas.
Upon LeRoy's honorable discharge, he returned to Columbia and enrolled in the University of South Carolina. Refusing college assistance from the government, he sold soap door-to-door and worked in a meat packing plant at night to pay his own way. Living at the downtown YMCA, LeRoy earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. He then briefly attended Emory in pursuit of a law degree before receiving the "call to preach." He entered Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., and served four small country churches, where the locals adopted him as their own and paid him for his work in the tobacco fields.
LeRoy followed fellow Duke graduates to work in the Texas Conference, where he briefly served the Methodist congregation in Joaquin. After his marriage to Frances Fowler on Sept. 28, 1957, the two were assigned to start a new church in Baytown. They did just that, founding St. Paul's Methodist Church. The two also started their family when children Cindy and Marvin were born within 14 months of each other.
In addition to Baytown, LeRoy and Frances lived and worked in Pasadena, Madisonville, Bay City, Palestine and Bridge City. Upon their retirement in 1988, they returned to Madisonville and spent their remaining years together being very active in the community and schools. Frances served on the school board and LeRoy was mayor for a time. He emphasized the "Magnetism of Madisonville" and won state monies to help fund the revitalization of Lake Madison. The ballpark facilities were especially significant to LeRoy because it was there where he and several others started the youth soccer league and girls' softball program.
LeRoy and Frances were fortunate to have traveled most all of the 50 states; they took several cruises and toured Europe and the Holy Land. In their later years, they enjoyed trips to the horse races with friends. As Frances's health worsened in 2000, LeRoy was her constant and loving caregiver, keeping her at home until her death in February of 2003.
LeRoy described himself as "a spiritual cheerleader," and he continued to write uplifting messages until his death. His published works include "We Can Be Better People," "The Gospel of Good Gumption" and "The Door of Hope." His favorite manuscript, which had been declined in recent years, was Jesus & Christianity. But he had great hope for "Ants, Doodlebugs, and Me," a children's book edited by dear family friend Glenda Blair, and "Beneath the Cornerstones of Christianity," a working manuscript that sits on his desk today.
LeRoy and Frances are survived by their children and their families, Cindy and Kenny Harris of San Antonio, and grandson Emmanuel Carter of Madisonville; Marvin and Bubba Stanton of Madisonville and their children, Anna and Brett; and Stacy and Cliff Collard of College Station. Memorials may be made to the Son Shine Outreach Center in Madisonville or to the Carolina Children's Home at 3201 Trenholm Rd., Columbia, SC, 29204.
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