Rev. George Frank Gude

REV. GEORGE FRANK (G.F.) GUDE — Like many of you, I remember Rev. Gude. He WAS Macedonia Baptist Church when I was growing up. With the bits and pieces many of you have and the bits and pieces I am assembling from public records, let’s put together a biography of Rev. Gude. Some of you preachers and longtime church goers — Macedonia, Miller’s Chapel, Mt. Pleasant — probably have stories to add flesh to these bones, so to speak.

When did he leave farming to become a preacher? What led him to ministry? What was his path? How did he happen to come to Rockdale County? When was he a Morehouse student? What stories did he have of that period? What challenges did he overcome and how? What did he do for fun?

He was the son of Andrew J. “Jake” Gude Sr. and Dora A. Ross Gude. Jake had been born in the 1870s; Dora was about five years younger than he. They apparently married around 1898, when he was 23 and she was 18 — or thereabouts. There were no birth certificates in those days, so ages were good guesses unless birthdates had been recorded in family Bibles or, depending upon the denomination, in church records. Jake’s last name was sometimes recorded as “Goode”; it is unclear when the family adopted the spelling “Gude.” The 1880 census shows a three-year-old Jake Goode living in the Patrick community of Putnam County with his parents and siblings. His parents — who became Rev. Gude’s grandparents — were Prince and Mariah Goode.

Jake and Dora’s son George Frank — our Rev. Gude — recorded that his birth took place on June 25, 1905, in the Apollo section of Putnam County. He used that date when he registered for the World War II draft, and he used it a few years later when he applied for a Social Security card. From various records I see that his siblings included Samuel, who was born around 1907; Willie, who was born around 1910; Andrew Jake Jr., who was born around 1916; Margaret, who was born around 1917; Nothie (sp?), a girl who was born around 1918; and Julia Mae, who was born around 1922. His parents and five of his siblings lived around Monticello in Jasper County at the time of the 1930 census. George would have been about 25 years old and no longer lived at home. I have found no records of him until the World War II draft card. At that time he farmed for a James Aubry Lancoster (maybe Lancaster?) around Shady Dale in Jasper County. He was married by then to Mattie Ola. He printed his name: George Frank Gude. In 1947, when he applied for a Social Security card, he was working for John Lancaster. He signed his name: G. F. Gude.

Mattie was his second wife. His first wife, Daisy, died of encephalitis at the age of 31 on Dec. 24, 1938, in Jasper County.

His children included Thelma (Westberry); Aileen (Tolen); Nathaniel, Frederick, Willie Kate (Ellis), Brenda (Dancy), who survived him; and George Jr., Frank, Eveline and Gene, who preceded him in death. He was buried in the Mt. Gilead cemetery in Eatonton, Putnam County. That is where his parents and his wife Mattie Ola are also buried.

At the time of his death in 2002, two of his sisters were alive, but have since died: Margaret Smith in 2003 and Julia Mae Derricho in 2013. Both lived in Shady Dale. As of his death, Rev. Gude also had 100 grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren. Among that multitude — and among the countless ministers he ordained — we just might be able to put together a more complete story of Rev. G. F. Gude.

Submitted by E. R. Shipp, September 17, 2017 to the Black Heritage of Rockdale County Facebook page

He was pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church from October 1955-October 17, 1993; thirty-eight years. He was named Pastor Emeritus for the remainder of his life. Under his leadership, a number of ministries were started; 13 Deacons were ordained and he licensed six ministers. The ministers were: (1979) the late Calvin Forte, Kerwin Scott, Clarence Shipp; (1985) Chris Shipp ; (1988) Lorain Nolley; (1990) the late Eugene Harris. Here are a few pictures.

Submitted by Norma Shipp, October 1, 2017 to the Black Heritage of Rockdale County Facebook page