A patriarch of the Second Cumberland Presbyterian Church has been "called from labor to reward." Dr. William l. Fowlkes, a resident of Union City, Tennessee and member of New Hopewell Presbytery, died on Friday, September 18, 1981 and was funeralized on Sunday, September 20.

Dr. Fowlkes "was nearly ninety-six," according to his son and only immediate survivor, Mr. William L. Fowlkes, Jr., of Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Fowlkes' wife, Mrs. Cassie M. Fowlkes, had preceded him in death five years earlier.

Dr. Fowlkes was Moderator of the General Assembly in 1930 and 1931. He had served on a variety of denominational Boards and committees. Employed as the Evangelist for some years, he always enjoyed preaching, having remarked on a number of occasions in his senior years, "I have not yet preached my best sermon." He was the noted parliamentarian of the church, having been schooled in the law of the church. His service to the churches in Tennessee and Kentucky was insurmountable and noteworthy.

In eulogizing this great leader of the church, the Reverend Roosevelt Baugh, Moderator of both the General Assembly and New Hopewell presbytery, likened the quality of the deceased's life to many of the great biblical characters. Demonstrating a remarkable understanding and appreciation of the life of Dr. Fowlkes in the eulogy, Rev. Baugh discussed the many great contributions Dr. Fowlkes had made to the denomination.
[Source: The Cumberland Flag, October 1981, page 2]