Obituaries

Sid Carswell

Photo of Sid Carswell
SID CARSWELL was born Aug. 25, 1931 the youngest child of Major William K. Carswell, USA Ret. and Nina Peters Carswell in Augusta Georgia. He grew up in Albany, Ga. where he graduated from high school. Upon graduation from high school, he first attended Georgia Southwestern Junior College before graduating from Mercer University with a bachelor of laws degree. Rather than pursue a legal career he was called to the ministry and attended and graduated from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary then located in Berkley, California. While in seminary as senior class president, he met and later married the class secretary, Ruth Holland. They were married on June 8, 1956 in a small ceremony in the campus chapel. He and Ruth spent the next years pastoring two churches in California and producing a family, in order, David Carswell, Carla Carswell now Beard, Marcia Carswell and Kevin Carswell. In 1963 they were appointed as missionaries to Brasil by what is now the IMB of the Southern Baptist Convention and in August of that year they moved to South Brasil for a year in language school to learn Portuguese. They then moved to the city of Manaus 1000 miles up the Amazon River. In 1967 they moved 100 miles east to the town of Itacoatiara where they served until Ruth's health necessitated moving back to the United States. Settling in Arkansas (Ruth's home state) Sid spent the next 13 years pastoring Crystal Hill Baptist Church in western Pulaski County. When he left Crystal Hill, he joined the staff at Arkansas Children's Hospital where he spent the next 18 and a half years as the weekend chaplain from which he retired about three years ago. Sid is preceded in death by both parents, his wife of 54 years Ruth Holland Carswell, four older brothers and an older sister. He is survived by his son David Carswell, daughter Carla Beard, and her husband Robert, daughter Marcia Carswell and son Kevin Carswell and his wife Nyeer. Nine grandchildren Sean Carswell, Ricardo Carswell, Alice Carswell Carrocio, Hannah Beard, Abby Beard, Rebecca Beard, Sally Beard, Nina Carswell and Anna Carswell Sullivan; two great-granddaughters, Lorelai Carrocio and Holland Carrocio. He is remembered fondly by countless friends all over the world. Memorial service will be held on Wednesday the 12th of August at 7 p.m. at the Summit Church located at 6600 Crystal Hill Rd., North Little Rock, Ark. 72118. The burial service will be private at the families private plot in Cleburne County Arkansas, on Thursday morning following. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Missions fund of The Summit Church. Sign an online guest book at www.husonfuneralhome.com.

Published August 9, 2015

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