Dr. Laud O. Vaught

Jim Rush Funeral Homes 220 Wildwood Avenue, S.E. 2600 North Ocoee Street Cleveland, TN 37311 Phone 423-472-4555 Fax 423-472-2012Jim Rush Funeral Homes 220 Wildwood Avenue, S.E. 2600 North Ocoee Street Cleveland, TN 37311 Phone 423-472-4555 Fax 423-472-2012January 21, 2015Dr. Laud O Vaught, age 89, a resident of Cleveland, passed away Wednesday in a local health care facility. Dr. Vaught was the son of the late Mary L. Harless Vaught and Laud L. Vaught. His sisters, Vida Vaught Grainger, Elizabeth Vaught Coates, Isabelle Vaught Via and Adina Vaught Smith and his brother, Elmer Vaught who was killed in Germany during WWII also preceded him in death. Dr. Vaught was a WWII Veteran serving in the Army Air Corp. His ministry spanned more than 50 years starting as Pastor in West Virginia and then to North Carolina. Along with his wife Jewell, who said “If God calls you he calls me” moved to Minot, North Dakota to teach at the Bible School there called Northwest Bible College. There he entered into the Leadership for the school by becoming Dean of Students, Vice President and then he served a 17 year term as the School’s President. In 1980 they moved to Cleveland to begin serving at Lee University. He became Academic Dean at Lee College and served under 4 Presidents. Dr. Vaught was instrumental in getting the Education Department at Lee fully accredited. He loved to read and write and he authored 3 books over the years including, Focus on the Christian Family, God’s Plan for the World, A Survey of the Old Testament and most recently, Psalms: A Thousand Years of Hebrew History. He received numerous awards and recognitions over the years including, honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from Lee College, Doctor of Philosophy in Education Degree from the University of North Dakota, the Distinguished Citizen’s award from the city of Minot, North Dakota and the International Peace Gardener Award by the Governor of North Dakota and the Distinguished Educator Award for the Church of God. He was considered the “Pioneer of Higher Education for the Church of God”. Along with his wife, their travels took them to all 50 states and some 17 foreign countries. He taught under the auspices of the English Language Institute of China at the University of Shanghai in Jading. He also taught at the Haun Theological Seminary in South Korea and he taught Church Planting in the Ukraine. Dr. Vaught was a member of the North Cleveland Church of God.Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Jewell L. Dennis Vaught of Cleveland, his daughters, Melinda (Norton) Braunstein and her husband Jack of Cleveland, Denice Vaught Wanner and her husband Tim of Minot, North Dakota, his sons, Laud L. Vaught and his wife Pam of Cleveland, Dennis Dwight Vaught and his wife Jennifer of Charleston, Illinois, his grandchildren, Aimee Mills and her husband Jeremy of Charlotte, North Carolina, Sarah Song and her husband Sophal of Siem Reap, Cambodia, Rebecca Brown and her husband Samuel of Killeen, Texas, Eric Wanner and his wife Krystal, Evan Wanner and Stephi Wanner all of Minot, North Dakota, Ariel Sven, Moriah Sven and Adam Agronomoff all of Charleston, Illinois, Kaylee Vaught, Madison Vaught and Laud Christian Pressley Vaught all of Cleveland, his great grandchildren, Avery Mills, Max Oswald Song, Jack and Titus Brown and born January 23, 2015, Dylan Laud Wanner. His brother, Everett Daniel Dwight Vaught and his wife Martha of Lizella, Georgia and several nieces and nephews also survive.The Remembrance of Life Service will be conducted Monday evening, January 26, 2015 at 6:00 from the Dixon Chapel of the North Cleveland Church of God with Dr. Jerald Daffe, Dr. Paul Conn and Pastor Mitch Maloney officiating. Graveside services and Interment will be conducted on Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 2:30 P. M. from the Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens in Princeton, West Virginia. Military honors will be given. Jack Braunstein, Eric Wanner, Evan Wanner, Tim Wanner and Christian Vaught serving as casket bearers. Honorary Casket Bearers will be the retired ministers and the Senior Adult Fellowship (Peacemakers) of the North Cleveland Church of God. The family request that in lieu of flowers, Memorials be made to the Laud O. Vaught and Jewell Vaught Scholarship fund in C/O Lee University. Checks can be written to and mailed to Lee University Central Gifts, P. O. Box 3450, Cleveland, Tennessee 37320-3450. Please include on the memo line the scholarship name. You can also call 423-614-8310 or 1-800-614-8000 and ask for Central Gifts for other options. The family will receive friends from 3:00 until 6:00 Monday at the Dixon Chapel at the North Cleveland Church of God. The North Ocoee Chapel of the Jim Rush Funeral Homes has charge of the arrangements. You may share your condolences and your memories with the Vaught family at www.jimrushfuneralhomes.com.Read Obituary