By N.J. Golding
James Dausey Wroten, Sr., was born in Prentiss County, Mississippi, on July 24, 1885, of the marriage of Elisha Carroll Wroten and Roxy Narcissa Crabb Wroten. He died at Greenville, Washington County, Mississippi, on November 11, 1963, having attained the age of 78 years. His funeral was conducted at St. Luke's Methodist Church, Jackson, Mississippi, and his interment was at Lakewood Memorial Park in Hinds County, Mississippi.
His widow is the former Miss Birdie Grey Steen, their marriage ceremony having been conducted by is Presiding Elder, The Reverend H.S. Spragins, at the First Baptist Church, Jackson, Mississippi, on September 5, 1918.
Of their marriage six children were born, namely: Ruth Steen Wroten (Mrs. William Lewis Crouch, of Jackson, Mississippi); James Dausey Wroten, Jr., who resides at Jackson, Mississippi; Francis Marion Wroten (Mrs. Everett Perdue Johnson, of Montgomery, Alabama); Carroll Edward Wroten, who died in infancy; Joseph Eason Wroten, who resides in Greenville, Mississippi, and John Alexander Wroten, who died at the age of twenty-one. He is survived also by ten grandchildren.
He attended the public schools of Prentiss County, Mississippi, attended the preparatory school at Millsaps College, graduated from Millsaps College (where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree), and attended the Chandler School of Theology at Emory University. In 1945 he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity by Millsaps College. He served fourteen years as a Trustee of Grenada College and fifteen years as a Trustee of Millsaps College. His widow and all his surviving children are graduates of Millsaps College.
Brother Wroten was licensed to preach as a Methodist local preacher in the spring of 1908 and served four years as a supply pastor at Duck Hill while attending Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi. It was his custom to ride the Illinois Central train from Jackson to Duck Hill and horseback to his preaching places in the Duck Hill community. While serving as a supply local preacher he was elected and ordained Deacon at the 1911 Annual Conference at Macon. He was admitted on trial at the 1912 Annual Conference at Greenwood, and was admitted into full connection at the Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South held at Starkville, Mississippi, in 1914. Brother Wroten was elected and ordained Elder at the 1917 Annual Conference at Oxford. His superannuation came at the 1958 Annual Conference in Greenville after 46 years in the effective relationship to the conference.
While a probationer in the class of the second year Brother Wroten served the Tunica-Robinsonville charge in 1913-1914. His charges and other relationships to the Conference from the time of his admission to full connection until his death were as follows: Benoit-Beulah, Ripley-Blue Mountain, Ripley, Moorhead, Batesville, New Albany First, Indianola, Water Valley First, Presiding Elder of Corinth District, Columbus First, District Superintendent of Greenville District, Louisville First, District Superintendent of Cleveland District, all of the foregoing having been prior to retirement; and Doddsville-Linn, Greenville (Bethel), and Glen Allan as a retired supply.
Brother Wroten was a delegate from the North Mississippi Conference to the Central Conference of 1934, 1938, and 1948. He led his delegation to the 1938 Conference. He was also a delegate to the Uniting Conference held at Kansas City, Missouri, in 1938. At various times during his membership in the North Mississippi Conference he served as Chairman of the Board of Missions, Board of Education and of the World Service and Finance Commission.
Aside from his pastoral duties, Brother Wroten was always active in community betterment. Soon after the Boy Scout movement came to this country he organized and served as the first Scoutmaster of a Troop at Benoit, which was the pioneer unit in what is now the Delta Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. He joined the Rotary Club while serving as pastor at Water Valley and served as the President of the Louisville Rotary Club in 1955-1956. He was a Knights Templar Work Rite Mason, a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner. He was also a member of the Eastern Star.
The real measure of a man's worth is best measured in three fields of relationships: his loyalties; his highest devotion and dedication. Gauged by these standards Dausey Wroten ranks high.
Because he was the friend of God, and God was his Friend, his friendships knew no meets or bounds. He became the friend to all. Whether in sorrow or joy, on the heights or in the valley, in the darkness of midnight or the glow of high noon, his friendship was manifested to all who would receive it.
His loyalties were to his home, family, community, and friends. This is too sacred ground to tread upon. Suffice it to say that he manifested the finest loyalty known to man in these areas.
His deepest devotion and dedication was to his Lord and to His church. Here was the outpouring of a lofty and trained and dedicated soul. How well he wrought is told in achievements of the churches and districts he served, as well as in the conference as a whole.
He was a good man, sympathetic pastor, a preacher who exalted Christ, an administrator of real ability. But best of all, he was a sinner saved by grace. As such he served his Lord with fidelity and faithfulness. And we the final summons came, he was ready.
"So I looked up to God,
And while I held my breath
I saw Him slowly nod,
And knew as I had never known aught else.
With certainty sublime and passionate,
Shot through and through
With sheer unutterable bliss
I knew
There was no death but this,
God's kiss.
And then the waking to an Everlasting Love."
-- Studdert Kennedy