November 10 marks 20 years since the passing of Rev. Garland Sentell. His dear wife, Alice, passed away on New Year’s Eve in 2002. They both are missed and were such a great couple.

Preacher Sentell and Mrs. Sentell were longtime friends of my late grandparents, since the 1930’s, before either couple married, and later he was their Pastor, when my mother and her siblings were growing up, at Pickens Mill Baptist Church (later renamed East Pickens Baptist Church). (After Preacher Sentell left Pickens Mill Baptist Church, to pastor another church in another town, my grandparents returned to Mountain Grove Baptist Church, where they remained active members until their passing.)

The Sentells kept in touch with my grandparents and family through the years, and he conducted weddings and funerals. Preacher and Mrs. Sentell were well respected by our family.

Not only did Preacher Sentell conduct weddings and funerals for our family, but he did so for so many throughout our county, as he was widely known and respected throughout the area. 

One wedding he was to conduct, we came upon unexpectedly. In the early 1990’s, a friend of my mother’s took us to Pretty Place (Fred W. Symmes Chapel), as he wanted to show us the chapel and its mountain views, and it was the first time that either of us had been there. Once we arrived, we realized that a wedding was to take place that day at Pretty Place, but it had not yet begun. Preacher Sentell was there to officiate the wedding, and the groom was there, and the guests were all there, but everyone was waiting for the bride and her mother to arrive. Preacher Sentell said that the bride and her mother had gotten lost.

Mrs. Sentell passed away on New Year’s Eve of 2002, and her funeral service was held a few days later, in January. It was a cold day, and I remember Preacher Sentell, at the cemetery following the service at Jones Avenue Baptist Church, wearing his signature long dark coat and hat. 

Later in 2003, Preacher Sentell was in attendance as East Pickens Baptist Church held a special service when the church relocated to its present location, and I wrote a story, for The Pickens Sentinel, about the service.

In March of 2004, Preacher Sentell came when my uncle, one of my mother’s brothers, was dying. Preacher Sentell had been his Pastor when my uncle was a boy, and then Preacher Sentell officiated at his wedding when my uncle was 23,. and then, Preacher Sentell helped conduct my uncle’s funeral service. 

Another preacher who helped conduct my uncle’s funeral service, Rev. Roger Todd, had known my uncle since high school, and he also worked for our newspaper, The Pickens Sentinel, where I served as the Editor. Preacher Todd gave me an audio cassette tape of two sermon messages when Preacher Sentell preached at his church. In one of the sermon messages, Preacher Sentell talked about heaven. I treasured the recordings then, when the cassette tape was given to me, and even more so once Preacher Sentell passed away. I wish I had more of his sermons recorded. I made a copy of the cassette tape and gave it to Preacher Sentell’s son when Preacher Sentell passed away, in November of 2004.

On what would turn out to be Preacher Sentell’s last birthday here on earth, June 19, 2004, he signed his name in a Bible of mine, and wrote a scripture verse, and added, “God bless you is my prayer.” I’ll cherish that forever. On that day, he told me that he could always remember my grandmother’s birthday, because it was two days before his. (Preacher Sentell’s birthday was also the birthday of my grandmother’s father. She passed away in 2013 on her father’s birthday and Preacher Sentell’s birthday.) On his birthday, in June of 2004, Preacher Sentell also said that he kept a prayer list and that he prayed for my grandparents and our family.

In September of 2004, Preacher Sentell conducted the funeral service for a lady who was the mother of my fellow church member, Louise, and also the grandmother of one of my past co-workers at The Sentinel, Angie. I went to the funeral service for Louise and Angie, not knowing that Preacher Sentell would be the one to conduct the service. It was the last funeral service I attended that Preacher Sentell conducted. We didn’t know then that, only two months later, Preacher Sentell would be the one for whom a funeral service would be held.

I have visited the gravesites for Preacher Sentell and Mrs. Sentell often. Their graves are not far from the graves of my beloved grandparents. The photograph below is one I took of the Sentells’ gravesites.

Remembering Preacher Sentell and Mrs. Sentell, who were special to, and respected by, our family and who touched many lives in Pickens County. I look forward to seeing them again one day.