Joe Earl Trull

Joe was born on December 2, 1935, in Oklahoma City, Ok to Eulah Edna Hobbs Trull and Ellis Rufner Trull. Joe was the oldest of 3 children born to the family. He graduated from Southeast High School where he met his sweetheart, Audra Madding. He attended Oklahoma Baptist University, and they married once she graduated during his sophomore year of college. A year later, their first child, Cheryl, was born. Joe felt the call to the ministry in high school and pursued seminary following college graduation at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. While attending, Audra worked, and Joe pastored churches part-time while finishing his degrees. In 1963, he graduated with a Doctorate of Theology in Christian Ethics. Their 2nd child, Timothy, was born during this time. After finishing his degree, Joe and Audra moved to Roosevelt, Oklahoma where he pastored the First Baptist Church. Their 3rd child, Cynthia, was born during their time there. Following this pastorate, Joe continued pastoring throughout Texas in: Austin at Crestview Baptist Church, Garland at Calvary Baptist Church, and El Paso at First Baptist Church. He pastored Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia before serving as a professor of Christian Ethics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (1985 to 2000). Joe and Audra retired to Wimberly, Texas, and once again, Joe served as pastor of Driftwood Baptist Church near their home. Throughout the years, he and Audra served and participated in many mission trips to Mexico, Central America, and Barbados.

Joe enjoyed his time preaching and teaching the word of God along with writing several books including, The Seven Last Words of the Risen Christ, Introduction to Christian Ethics, Walking in the Way, and Professors Can Preach: Sermons from Leavell Chapel. Once retired in Wimberley, Texas, he became Editor of the Christian Ethics Today Journal.

Joe and Audra moved to Denton, Texas in 2005 to be closer to family due to Audra’s health challenges. They loved the churches and families they served throughout the years. Retirement brought many happy memories with friends and family!

Audra preceded Joe in death in November 2016. He married his 2nd wife, Mary Rickenbaker of Lake Wylie in 2018 and she survives him. He is also survived by his brother, Don Trull of Houston, Texas, and his 3 children: Cheryl Trull Burns and her spouse William C. Burns, II of Lewisville Texas; Timothy Joseph Trull and his wife Meg Klein-Trull of Columbia, Missouri; and Cynthia Layne Trull Greenleaf and spouse, William A. Greenleaf III of Melbourne, Florida. He leaves his 8 grandchildren: William Burns, III, Connor Trull Burns, Heather Burns, Brooke Burns Kuehne, Molly Trull, Janey Trull, Eric Beal, and Madison Beal. Joe is also survived by 6 great-grandsons: Liam, Kayden, Dawson, Landon, Hudson, and Jensen.

Joe lived in Lake Wylie the last 7 years and became close to Mary’s family including her 3 daughters Elizabeth Carlisle and husband, Tom; Debi Pruitt and Terry; and Jana Teitloff and Tim.

Throughout the years, Joe loved spending time with family and traveling across the world. He loved to fish and spent over forty summers traveling to Red River, New Mexico, where he taught his children and grandchildren to catch trout. Joe was a wonderful father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who never met a stranger and had a great sense of humor. We’ll miss his warmth and generosity, his story telling, his magic tricks and even his pranks. Joe will be missed by all of his family, former congregants, and friends!

Online condolences may be shared at www.McEwenPinevilleChapel.com.