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Submitted: 10/17/21 • Approved: 10/18/21 • Last Updated: 10/21/21 • R1396544-G0-S3
LIEUTENANT COLONELUS Army
Korea
April 18, 1924 - November 9, 2015
Bronze Star Medal
OBIT
Mason E Bondurant,91, of Little Rock died on November 9,2015 .Mason was born on April 18, 1924 in Ensley, Alabama, the son of Robert Lee and O'Dahlee Bondurant. His parents and his sister Bettye Strange preceded him in death. He was a graduate of Howard College (now Samford University) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He married Margaret Montgomery in Hartselle, Alabama on June 4, 1946.
He began preaching when he was fifteen and was ordained at nineteen. He loved to tell the story that he went to the Birmingham Jail to preach and that he had a captive audience. Mason and Margaret were in the Seminary together and their first churches were small ones in Oklahoma. Mason decided to join the Army when the Korean Conflict began. He served as a Chaplain and had a jeep that he drove along 50-100 miles of the front line to preach to any and all servicemen. One man had a deep need to be saved and wanted to be baptized. It was freezing weather but Mason knew this man was in desperate need of some feeling of safety. He baptized this man in an icy river. Before Mason left Korea he was given a General promotion to Captain.
When he returned from Korea he was assigned to Fort Chaffee in Arkansas. There he was presented The Bronze Star for his dedication to serving on the frontlines. He became pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Fort Smith, his next church was First Baptist in Dumas, and his third pastorate in Arkansas was First Baptist Jacksonville. During this time he also remained a Chaplain in the Army Reserves, retiring as a Lt. Colonel. After over thirty years serving as a pastor, he and Margaret decided to become Foreign Missionaries. They were assigned to Venezuela but were unable to get Visas so they served first in Quito, Ecuador and then later in Maracaibo and Caracas in Venezuela. After being at home for a short time, they felt the call to serve again and went to Senegal, West Africa.
They came home again and Mason was interim pastor of many churches in central Arkansas. He and Margaret were a wonderful team. One church nick named them Barn Rat because the name is not an easy one. Another church gave him a plaque with a rabbit because during his sermons he would often tell a story that he called chasing rabbits. His last pastorate was an Immanuel Baptist mission, retiring at 85. He will be remembered fondly by many as the preacher in the cowboy hat.
He is survived by his loving wife Margaret, four children Paula Melody (Steve) of Fayetteville, John Bondurant (Debbie) of St Louis, Mo, Philip Bondurant (Amanda)of Fayetteville and Joanna Wilson (Steve) of Cabot.
Nine grandchildren Meredith Melody- Hubbell (Andrew) of Little Rock; Isaac Bondurant( Jennifer) of St. Louis, MO. Hannah Bondurant of Durham, N.C., and Daniel Bondurant of St Louis; Paul Bondurant of Fayetteville, Samuel Bondurant of College Station, TX, and Sarah Bondurant of Fayetteville; Alicia Birmingham(Patrick)of Jacksonville and Zak Wilson of Cabot
Seven great grandchildren Emma Kate and Evelyn Hubbell, Jonathan, Caleb, and David Bondurant, Ray and Meara Birmingham.
Funeral Service will be at Immanuel Baptist Church in the Chapel at 2:00 P.M., Friday, November 13, 2015. Burial will follow at Chapel Hill Memorial Park 1504 N JP Wright Loop Rd., Jacksonville, AR at 4:00 P.M. Family greeting will be at Roller-Chenal Funeral Home from 6:00 P.M. -8:00 P.M., Thursday, November 12, 2015. Memorials may be made to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering c/o Immanuel Baptist Church 501 N Shackelford Little Rock AR 72211
Contributed on 10/17/21 by eagle12953
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Record #: 1396544