Jackson minister receives Fulenwider award

The Rev. Sam Roethemeyer is pastor at Emanuel United Church of Christ.

For a man so tall and popular, the Rev. Sam Roethemeyer appeared oddly unassuming Monday night.

Unassuming, but comfortable.

Roethemeyer accepted the R.A. Fulenwider Meritorious Community Service Award Monday night, an award given annually at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce banquet.

The pastor of Emanuel United Church of Christ has ministered to countless grieving families in his 17 years in Jackson. He's performed who-knows-how-many weddings. He's volunteered for numerous committees, attended hundreds of sporting events, rooted for thousands of Jackson Indian athletes and band members and helped feed a multitude hungry people through the Ministerial Alliance food pantry.

He has become an institution in the city, one of the town's most recognizable and endearing people.

"This man has touched the lives of almost everyone in this community," said Patsy Johnson, the winner of last year's Fulenwider Award, who introduced Roethemeyer Monday night. "I don't know when he has time to preach."

Roethemeyer, true to his profession, has a way with words. He gave both the invocation and benediction at the banquet. For the benediction, he drew inspiration from the evening's keynote speaker, KFVS12 program director Mark Little. Little talked about how the Jackson community can share real people's real stories with the television station.

At the end of the banquet, Roethemeyer encouraged the 250 "real" people to make a real difference in their community.

"It's quite an honor," Roethemeyer said after the event. "It's been quite a joy to work in this community. I've felt comfortable here from day one."

The Fulenwider Award was one of several awards given Monday night.

Central States Coca-Cola, which grew from the old Milde bottling company that was housed in uptown Jackson for years across from the courthouse, was named Business of the Year. The local distributor serves 17 counties and 9,000 square miles and employs more than 90 people.

New Lenco Corp., an uptown manufacturer of welding accessories was named Industry of the Year. It has been in business 46 years.

And Jackson dentist T. Wayne Lewis was honored for small business of the year for his office, which employs 13 people. Lewis has spent 38 of his 40 years as a dentist in Jackson.

bmiller@semissourian.com

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