WILLIAM RUFUS HASSELL


1872-1949
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Trenton, Tennessee was the home for 30 years of William Rufus Hassell, one of the most noted and outstanding preachers of the early Restoration Movement in West Tennessee. He was a peer of John R. Williams, J. L. Holland, and Joe Ratcliff. When Williams died in Hornbeak on September 5, 1927, his funeral was preached by Hassell and Ratcliff. All four of these pioneer preachers spread the gospel in most of the counties of west Tennessee and Kentucky. Hassell spent most of his preaching years and in establishing congregations and the strengthening churches in the 30 , Tennessee counties of Gibson, Obion, Lake and Weakley.

Hassell was converted by H N. Mann in Hickman County but the later moved to Hohenwald in Lewis County. He began to preach minister at the age of 25 and continued for 43 years until forced to retire because of poor health. I visited him the at his farm home during the 1940's when he was bedfast and in dire financial circumstances. His wife, Lou Ellen Beasley, whom he married in 1891, at the age of 18 years, died in 1937 and L. L. Brigance preached her funeral in Trenton. Brother Hassell sent to Brigance by Happel Hunt, the funeral director, two five dollar bills for the funeral services. Brother Brigance returned the money to Hassell in a letter in which he wrote:

"You have had so much sickness, suffering, sorrow and death and have been at so great expense and unable for so long to do your usual work and receive your usual income that I feel like it is my duty to help you this much to bear your burdens. Badly as I need it, I just can't feel right to accept the money."

A congregation of the Restoration Movement was established in Milan in 1905. The congregation had joined the digressive element of the Christian Church by 1914 and had affiliated with the Tennessee Missionary Society and introduced mechanical instruments of music into the worship. A group separated from the Christian Church and organized a church of Christ. A small frame building was erected on Main Street in 1922 and W. R. Hassell became the first regular minister.

W. R. Hassell was born in 1872 at Lyles, Tennessee, and died on January 31, 1949, in a nursing home in Pittsburg Landing. His funeral was conducted at the church of Christ in Trenton by L. L. Brigance and W. C. Hall. Hassell's body was buried beside that of his wife's in the Trenton Woodland (Oakland) Cemetery. Their only surviving children are Wesley W. Hassell of Rutherford, TN, and Mrs. James (Bessie) McClure, of Trenton.

J. E. Williams, minister of the Ridgeley (TN) Church of Christ, where Hassell had preached many years wrote at the time of his death: "He was a profound student of the Bible, kind in manner, but forceful in the proclamation of the truth and uncompromising with error. He was neither ashamed nor afraid to declare the testimony of the Lord."

Many church historians give Hassell, Williams, and Ratcliff full credit for influencing A. G. Freed, N. B. Hardeman, and L. L. Brigance to leave the "organ church," resign from their positions with the Georgia Robertson Christian College and establish the Henderson church of Christ in 1903. It was a great experience for us to revisit the Trenton church, recall the contributions of W. R. Hassell and stand beside his grave after a half century has passed.

(Editor's note: My Out Of My Memory column in last month's issue was about L. L. Brigance. What brother Doran wrote in the foregoing about brother Brigance returning the money to brother Hassell confirms even more my feeling about what a good Christian he was. I well remember the day brother Brigance went to speak at brother Hassell's funeral. He told us about it in class soon after he returned. I appreciate very much brother Doran's writing the foregoing excellent church history and the good story about W. R. Hassell.)

The World Evangelist, Jan. 1991, 4.

FUNERAL--Services for W. R. HASSELL, widely known minister of the Church of Christ were held Wednesday at Trenton. He was 77. He preached in this county several years and had lived near Trenton for the past 30 years.

CROCKETT COUNTY SENTINEL, VOLUME 76, NUMBER 41, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1949, BELLS, TENNESSEE
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Oakland

William R. Hassell (1872-1949) is buried in the Oakland Cemetery in Trenton, Tenn.