Dr. Charles Elwood Sheffield Jr. was born April 23, 1931. His biological mother was Mildred Sheffield (Sailor). She died one day before her 21st birthday of Scarlett fever and during childbirth. His father, Charles Sheffield Sr remarried a woman named Helen Cobb. They raised Charles Jr. in New Jersey along with his brother and sisters. When he turned 18, he joined the army and was in boot camp in New Jersey. When he finished boot camp, he was stationed at Brooke Army Medical Center learning to be a medic. The Korean War had just started, and he was deployed to Korea for a year as a medic in the MASH hospitals. After a year, he came back and was stationed in San Antonio at the hospital. He was going to church at Beacon Hill Baptist Church. There he met the love of his life, Patricia “Patty” Duke and, after only six weeks of courtship, they married. He was then stationed in Germany where they lived together for several months. He was in the army from 1949-1955. After the Army, they went back to San Antonio where he read water meters for the city. He earned $150 a month. He went to college and received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Corpus Christi. He was a history major. Charles knew he wanted to be a pastor.
The first church he pastored was in Choate, Texas. They were there a year and a half and then moved back to New Jersey where he taught elementary school. He taught 4th and 5th grade and preached at the First Baptist Church of Newport. They were there for a year. Then they moved back to San Antonio and then to Aransas Pass, Texas.
They Lived in Colorado for about five years where he pastored at Bible Baptist Church in Colorado Springs. In 1977 they moved to Coleman, Texas where he became the pastor of Concho Baptist Church. While at Concho Baptist, he received his Master of Theology from Arlington Bible Seminary. He would later become a part time professor there helping the next generation of pastors spread the gospel while working on his doctorate. He retired from Concho Baptist but remained in Coleman where he continued to help preach at various churches. He was a pastor for over 60 years. Patty and Charles were married 68 years before Patty’s death in 2020.
Charles spent his entire life helping others. He preached God’s word to thousands of people in his lifetime, planting the seeds and leading people to God. He never wavered in his faith and love for God. He was not afraid of death because he knew that this life and physical body were temporary. He knew his real life started after death.
Charles is preceded in death by his wife, Patty Sheffield, his son Randy Sheffield of Coleman, daughter Sally Graham of Coleman, Son in law Chuck Nixon of Gallup, Nes Mexico, granddaughter Mandy Nixon Parker of Phoenix, Arizona, and sister Caroline Snedeker.
He is survived by his brother, Donnie Sheffield, sisters Margaret Dare and Joan Bell of New Jersey, daughter Susan Nixon of Gallup, New Mexico, grandchildren, Jason Weger and wife Christy, Jennifer Sheffield-Hiadre and husband Eiyad, Jamie Sheffield, Jana Sheffield, Patty Nixon, Ashley Sheffield, and Khendra Bell. He is also survived by multiple great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild.
Charles passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, at Holiday Hill Nursing Home with his grandson by his side.
Family and friends are invited to a visitation at 10:00 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 6, 2024, at Stevens Funeral Home Chapel, 400 W. Pecan Street, in Coleman. A private family interment will follow in the Mt. View Cemetery. Services are entrusted to Stevens Funeral Home in Coleman.
The family requests with gratitude the memorial contributions be made in memory of Charles to the Coleman Senior Center Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 785, Coleman, Texas 76834.
We invite you to share fond memories and words of comfort and condolence with the Sheffield family by signing the virtual guestbook on Charle’s tribute page at www.stevensfuneralhome.com. Stevens Funeral Home is honored to serve the Sheffield family.