Dr. Farris Farmer Moore

The Reverend Dr. Farris Farmer Moore, 101, died Friday, June 3, 2011, at Golden Living Center in Springfield following a brief illness. He would have celebrated his 102nd birthday on July 21. Funeral services will be held Sunday, June 5, 2011 at 2pm at the First United Methodist Church of Springfield with Reverend Jeff Fryer and Dr. Fred Hembree officiating. A private burial will follow for family only. Visitation will be held at Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Springfield on Saturday, June 4, 2011 from 4-8pm and again Sunday afternoon at the church from 1pm until the hour of service. He was the third of six children born to Millard Winfield and Mary Farmer Moore of Robertson County, Tennessee. He leaves a daughter, Lavonne, and a son, Farris Jr; three grandchildren, Gregory Wells, Pamela Hopkins, and Bradley Wells; and six great-grandchildren, Geoffrey Wells, Adelaide Hopkins, Graham Wells, Ashley Wells, Victoria Hopkins, and James Wells. His beloved wife of 71 years, Virginia Josephine Glover Moore, predeceased him in July of 2000. Dr. and Mrs. Moore had just two children of their own, but when circumstances demanded, they stepped in to raise three of their grandchildren and the child of another relative. He attended the University of Tennessee in 1938, received his B.Sc. degree from (then) Tennessee Polytechnic Institute in 1941 (where he was honored in his senior yearbook as one of four outstanding students that year), studied at (then) Scarritt College in 1941-42, was awarded his B.Div. at Vanderbilt University in 1946, and received his Dr.Div. from Tennessee Wesleyan College in 1960. He loved to relate how he financed his studies at Vanderbilt with the income derived from a hundred chickens and one milk cow. Dr. Moore was licensed to preach in 1935, admitted as a probationary pastor in 1941, ordained Deacon in 1943, and became a full-time Elder in 1944. From his first local church appointment in 1935 to Crossville Mission (where he received a salary of $435 a year) to his final local church appointment in 1970, he served almost every type of congregation from rural to urban and suburban, small to large. He served as pastor to Methodist churches in the Crossville circuit in 1935-37, at Gainesboro in 1937-41, the Lawrenceburg circuit in 1941-42, Hermitage in 1942-44, Waverly in 1944-48, Tullahoma in 1948-57, at Belmont Methodist in Nashville in 1959-69, and Andrew Price Methodist in Donelson in 1970-73, all in Tennessee. He also served a variety of appointments in the Middle Tennessee Conference of the Methodist Church, including Nashville District Superintendent in 1957-59, Director of the Fiscal Office and finally, Director of Development for the McKendree Village retirement facility. He officially retired in 1980 but continued to respond to requests to preach revivals and homecomings, and was in great demand to officiate at funerals and other special occasions. Dr. Moore dedicated most of his nearly 102 years of life to helping others in the finest spirit of Christian service. He was renowned for his sense of humor, his ability to recall the past, and his unique way of making the word of God relevant to all. He was a true man of God, a man of the very highest character, and a person who loved and helped everyone because thats what gave him the greatest pleasure and the most satisfaction. He lived exactly the life he preached from the pulpit for over 45 years. The family respectfully requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations in Dr. Moores honor be made to Springfield First United Methodist Church. Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Springfield is in charge of these arrangements. AUSTIN & BELL FUNERAL HOME- 509 WALNUT STREET, SPRINGFIELD, TN (615) 384-1000

Dr. Farris Farmer Moore

July 21, 1909 - June 3, 2011