Louis Jesse Douthitt was a well known Church of Christ minister and nephew of the famous Douthitt Brothers. (Boone, Ira, and Cecil). He obtained fame himself through his ministry and kindness.
Louis Jesse Douthitt was born prematurely on May 11, 1921 in Wingo,Ky. He was the second of 4 children born to Noah and Ruth Douthitt. He was the oldest surviving child as an older brother had been born prematurely and died the day after being born. Douthitt grew up in Sedalia, Kentucky and graduated from Sedalia High School in 1939. He went on to graduate from Murray State University with a Degree in Business.
Douthitt enlisted into the Army Air Corps shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He was stationed at Eglin Field Army Air Base in Eglin Field, Florida where he obtained the rank of Tech Sargeant. On October 1, 1942, he married his childhood sweetheart, Reba Martin. Three children resulted from the marriage.
After retiring from the military, Douthitt took a job as an insurance agent with National Life. In 1963 he was hired at Herrin Church of Christ in Herrin, Ill. He would not accept payment and always put his check for the ministry back into the collection plate. During this time Herrin obtained a new building, and this became Douthitt's precedent. Every church he accepted ministry at always built a new building because of the growth that occured. He later moved to Paducah, Kentucky where he accepted a position as the minister at Milburn Church of Christ. Like before, Milburn built a new building during his ministry. He retired from the ministry in the 1980's but continued to preach when requested. He also continued to perform wedding ceremonies.
Douthitt also worked as a Certified Public Accountant. He was known to fill out income tax forms for the elderly and low income free of charge. During this time, he overcame many physical handicaps and tragedies. In 1966, he was walking beside a railroad track in Paducah to go see a client when a train came by. There was a loose board sticking out of one of the cars and Douthitt was hit by it. His right hand went under the train while trying to break his fall and two fingers were severed. The skinned was stripped from his middle finger. The hand was reconstructed and he learned to manuever it enough to where he could continue to use it to write and fill out forms.
During this time, Douthitt also began to suffer from back problems and went through back surgery not long after. He was still able to bounce back. Even when he began having hearing problems, he continued to work. He retired in the 1980's but continued to do volunteer work filling out tax returns for the elderly and low income at no charge. In 1984, his grandson, Jonathan Louis Douthitt, was killed when a train struck his school bus in Port St. Lucie Florida. Douthitt was still able to bounce back even from this tragedy.
In 1988, he moved to Murray, Kentucky and did volunteer tax work at 9th and Glendale Church of Christ until his death.
Douthitt went through open heart surgery in 1993. He made a full recovery. In his later life he also suffered a mini stroke in the 1990's, but recovered. On May 29, 2004, his wife awoke in ther middle of the night to find him sitting up in bed. He had suffered a massive stroke and was rushed to the hospital in Murray. There was nothing that could be done for him and he was rushed to Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky. He died 8 hours after having the stroke, 18 days after celebrating his 83rd birthday. He was buried in Wingo Cemetery in Wingo, Ky.
THE LINEAGE:
(Louis Jesse Douthis was married to Reba Dean Martin. Reba was the daughter of William Luther and Ollie Esther Pritchard Martin and granddaughter of John Wesley and Dora Mae Bridges Pritchard. Dora Mae was the third child of James C. and Mary Calhoun Bridges. James C. was the sixth child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges. William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges. Mary Thomas was the fifth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)
