Rev. Rufus Braxton Cuthbertson: Obituary

Rev. Rufus Braxton Cuthbertson, 96, of Cleveland, Georgia passed away at his home on September 23, 2016.  Rufus was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on July 3, 1920 to Euphemia and Rufus Cuthbertson.  He grew up in Gastonia, North Carolina and graduated from high school in Lowell, North Carolina.  At the age of 16, he attended Brevard College for one year, and then transferred to Lenoir Rhyne in Hickory where he earned a bachelor of arts degree.  From there, he attended Lutheran Theological  Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina and earned a bachelor of divinity and a master’s degree in sacred theology.

Rev. Cuthbertson, an ordained Lutheran minister (retired), served congregations in Hamlet, New Bern and Stanley, North Carolina; College Park, Georgia; and Silver Springs Shores, Florida.  In between, he served six years on the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Board of Social Ministry in Manhattan, New York, advocating on behalf of the church for civil rights and other social matters of concern to Christians.  He was present at the historic, final speech delivered by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his devotion to his faith and the civil rights of those who needed a strong, steady and visionary voice is a large part of his legacy.

He later came out of retirement to pastor Christ the King Lutheran Church in Cumming, Georgia, begun in his daughter’s living room.  He was named “Pastor Emeritus” of that well-established congregation.  His work over the course of the years has touched untold numbers of lives and earned him the respect of all who have known him.

His greatest accomplishment and joy was his family, and a lifetime filled with love, respect and making happy memories.  He is survived by his cherished wife of 71 years, Dorothy Jean Wandel Cuthbertson of Cleveland, Georgia, and four children:  Jean Elizabeth (Beth) of Cleveland, Georgia; Dorothy Euphemia (Dottie) of Cumming, Georgia; Charles Paul Cuthbertson of Panama City Beach, Florida; and Philip Martin Cuthbertson of Atlanta, Georgia.  His legacy also includes sons-in-laws, a daughter-in-law, 12 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and 17 great-great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Cumming, Georgia on Sunday, October 9 at 3:30pm.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to Lutheran World Hunger By Mail:

Make checks payable to ELCA World Hunger and send to:

ELCA Gift Processing Center

P.O. Box 1809

Merrifield, VA 22116-8009

 

Online:

www.elca.org/hunger/donate

 

Online condolences may be made at www.banisterfuneralhome.net.

 

Banister Funeral Home of Dahlonega, GA is in charge of the arrangements.