Rev. Jacob David Rector Obituary
Jacob David Rector
ONE OF THE OLDEST, IF NOT THE OLDEST NATIVE BARTON COUNTIANS DIES. HE WAS REV. JAKE RECTOR WHO WAS BORN IN THE ROUND PRAIRIE COMMUNITY 84 YEARS AGO - ASIDE FROM THE CHAOTIC AND LAWLESS PERIOD DURING THE CIVIL WAR, HE SPENT HIS WHOLE LIFE IN THE COUNTRY. - HE MADE HIS LIVING ON THE FARM AND PREACHED BECAUSE HE LOVED TO PROCLAIM TO THE PEOPLE HIS MESSAGE OF FAITH.
In the death of Rev. Jake Rector at his home in the Round Prairie neighborhood Sunday, Barton County lost one of her oldest if not her oldest native son. Rev. Rector was born in the Round Prairie neighborhood in 1856 or 84 years ago. His parents because of the chaos and lawlessness of this border region during the Civil War were compelled to move to Arkansas but they returned to their ravaged farm at the close of the strife. For perhaps 60 years Jake as all of the old timers affectionately called him, preached in Barton County pulpits. He spoke fluently and easily and though his opportunity for education as he grew up in this early borderland were meager, he had a good command of language and was well informed and was a great student of the Bible. He made his living on the farm. He was a life long Baptist. He will go down with the late Ben Carrico as one of the northeast Barton County’s pioneer preachers who proclaimed their faith because they loved it and felt powerfully that they had a message for their neighbors, one of glad tidings and a great day
Submitted by Phillip Rector on January 18, 2002.