Rev. Harold Dean Orr

Harold graduated from May High School, in May, Texas with the class of 1945. After graduation he worked in Dallas for a few years when he began to feel a calling to become a preacher. Harold attended classes at Howard Payne College in Brownwood and later moved to Fort Worth, Texas where he completed his degree at Texas Wesleyan. While studying there he was given opportunities to preach in several small churches. He then began to study Theology at Texas Christian University (TCU) under the leadership of a Methodist pastor.

In 1960 Harold met Doris Marie Bennett in the library at TCU. Doris was young lady who was studying for her Masters Degree in Counseling at TCU. Doris had been a missionary in Angola, Africa and a loving bond was formed.

Harold Dean Orr and Doris Marie Bennett exchanged vows of marriage December 21, 1961. They were blessed with two children. Their son, Glen Curtis Orr, was born October 25, 1963. Their daughter, Mary Kathleen Orr, was born January 31, 1967. Glen married Karen White on December 1, 1990. Mary married Cade Coldren on January 5, 1991. That was a busy month for the Orr’s. Harold and Doris were also blessed with five grandchildren, Callie, Sarah and Austin Orr, and Ethan and Miranda Coldren.

In 1965, Harold received his office as Elder in the Methodist Church under Bishop W. Kenneth Pope in Fort Worth, Texas. Harold and Doris moved that year and he began preaching in the Southwest Texas Conference. Harold remained in this conference for his entire ministry. He has served in a number of churches in this conference. He spent five years each in Sterling City, La Feria, and El Campo. His last church before retirement was Haynie Chapel, in Garfield, Texas, where he spent four years. He retired from Haynie Chapel when he turned 65.

Harold and Doris then moved to Bastrop in 1993 and from 1995 to 1999 he was asked to preach in Cedar Creek. The regular pastor held only 3 Sunday services each month. Harold preached in his place one Sunday a month for those four years. Harold was also invited several times to preach in the Assembly of God Church.

On August 1, 2003, the District Superintendent asked Harold to be the preacher for the United Methodist Church in Winchester, a small Texas town 23 miles from Bastrop. The church had five members when Harold started. Membership climbed to 28 and regular attendance on average was about 40. On a few occasions the attendance reached the 70’s. Harold and Doris stayed there for six and a half years until 2009 on Harold’s 81st birthday.

Harold and Doris have taken their turns in teaching an adult Sunday school class at First United Methodist Church in Bastrop. He always enjoyed the opportunity to preach in the 3 services there when invited to.

Many lives have been touched by a humble United Methodist Pastor who began his first appointment in 1954 in churches throughout the Central Texas Conference.

Visitation for Rev. Harold Orr will be from 7:00pm to 8:30pm Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at Marrs-Jones-Newby Funeral Home in Bastrop, Texas. The Funeral Service will be 10:00am Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at the First United Methodist Church in Bastrop, Texas. Burial will follow the service at Fairview Cemetery in Bastrop.

Arrangements under the direction of Marrs-Jones-Newby Funeral Home, Bastrop, TX.