Former Ripley resident and co-founder of Ohio Valley Manor, Lowell Mason, was born August 14, 1937 in Knoxville, Tennessee. He passed away peacefully at home on April 22, 2023. His parents were Lewis P. Mason and Delia F. mason, who were students at Johnson Bible College at Kimberling Heights, Tennessee. Lowell Mason was an only child.

In 1942, at the age of five, Lowell, with the Mason family moved from Odessa, Missouri to the State of Michigan where Lewis accepted the pastorate of the Pine Run Church of Christ at Clio, Michigan. That same year, Lowell was enrolled in the Pine Run grade school and later finished high school at the Clio High School as a member of the class of 1955. Lowell always considered Clio and Pine Run as hometowns. Lowell always liked to be known as: “One of the Pine Run Boys.”

At the age of nine, Lowell became a member of the Children’s Bible Hour radio broadcast out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. This program was heard internationally, and Lowell has always said that this was where his ministry really began. Lowell sang on that program until he was 15-years-old. Through this radio outreach, Lowell was invited to sing at hundreds of churches throughout the United States and Canada. He liked to talk about how his mother and dad would put him on a greyhound bus, send his someplace where he would be met by some preacher who would take him to some church where he would sing, then the preacher would put him back on a bus, and send him back home in time to go to school on Monday morning.

At the age of 16, Lowell joined the Cecil Todd evangelist team out of Joplin, Missouri. This team later formed the Christian Evangelizers Association, which in turn established the Revival Fires Ministries, which became a worldwide, multifaceted ministry, including areawide Revival Crusades, which have been recognized as some of the largest Crusades in the history of the “Restoration Movement.” Probably the most remembered part of the Revival Fires Ministry was the weekly Television program, which was seen on 154 television stations throughout the United States. Lowell was music director, and soloist for Revival Fires, and served as its vice-president for many years.

In 1963, Lowell married Judith Ann Jones of Ripley, Ohio. Lowell and Judy have four children. Kelly Grace McClintock and husband Brad (deceased) of Hot Springs, Arkansas; Kathy mason of Webb City, Missouri; Lowell D. Mason 2 (“Duke”) and Wife Stephanie of Webb City, Missouri; and Kristy Ann Bemis and husband Darren of San Antonio, Texas.

Lowell and Judy have ten grandchildren: Kayleigh Tandy and husband Chris, Cory Emmert and wife Sheree, Jude McClintock, Malarie Bemis, Alyssa Bemis, Lauren Carter and husband Jacob, Katherine Carson and husband Daniel, Devlin Bemis, Raulie Bemis, and Khloe Bemis. They have seven great grandchildren: Carter Tandy, Colby Tandy, Emaleigh Tandy, Colton Emmert, Baylee Emmert, Bentley Emmert, and Dakota Carson.

Lowell attended Manhattan Christian College in Manhattan, Kansas and later received his Doctor of Divinity degree, which is an honorary degree, from Kerala Christian College, for excellence in world missions. He was a senior pastor at the Christian church in Robinson, Kansas, while attending college and also pastored at the Arbela Church of Christ near Millington, Michigan while his father was on a one-year sabbatical leave from the church pastorate due to serious health problems.

In joint cooperation with Evangelist, Cecil Todd, and the Revival Fires Ministries, Lowell assisted in providing over four million Bibles to Russia.

Lowell conducted over 1,500 Gospel music concerts at the world headquarters of Precious Moments in Carthage, Missouri.

At one time he was a licensed insurance agent with Mutual of Omaha, a licensed real estate agent with Gold Star Realty in Jefferson, Missouri and with the Bob Roy agency in Carl Junction, Missouri, and he was a licensed auctioneer. Lowell was founder and first vice president of the Christian Church, Church of Christ, Retirement Pension Trust based in Joplin, Missouri.

He also was co-founder and first vice president of Ohio Valley Manor Nursing home in Ripley, Ohio, which became the largest employer in Brown County Ohio, exceeded only by the public school system of that county.

Lowell and Judy formed “Operation We Care” as a 501c3 tax exempt corporation which as, with the help of H.E.H. Ministries, delivered several million meals to people in poverty, and with the help of funding from I.D.E.S., many churches and individuals, has also been able to act as rapid responders in feeding thousands of victims of natural disasters, throughout the United States. Lowell was also co-founder and first vice-president of Helping Hands Ministries of Carl Junction, Missouri.

Lowell was named “Man of the Year” in the city of Orell, Russia, because of charitable contributions to orphans in that city.

Lowell has been a husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, gospel singer, recording artist, evangelist, soul winner, missionary, business man, deacon, and elder in his home church, radio announcer, avid deer hunter, fisherman, race car owner/operator, and will historically be remembered in “The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement” and in the “2013 Guinness World Book of Records.”

The visitation was held on Friday, April 28, 2023 at the Carl Junction Christian Church in Carl Junction, Missouri. The celebration service was held on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at the Carl Junction Christian Church in Carl Junction, Missouri.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to one of the following ministries:

Revival Fires Ministry

P.O. Box 1008

Branson West, MO 65737

Kiamichi Mountain Christian Mission

www.kiamichimission.org

Kairos Benevolence Fund

www.kairosbenevolencefund.org

https://www.parkermortuary.com/obituary/lowell-mason