Fred L. Roth Jr.

Fred L. Roth Jr. passed away on Saturday, December 4, 2021. He is now absent from the body and present with the Lord in Heaven. Fred was born to the late Fred L Roth Sr. and Effie Hyde Roth in St. Elmo. He accepted Christ as his personal Savior at the age of nine and was baptized at the age of 12, at St. Elmo Baptist Church. He attended Central High School, Edmondson School of Business, and the University of Tennessee, where he earned a BA degree in Business Administration. Fred served his country in the U.S. Navy during WWII aboard the Aircraft Carrier, the USS Intrepid. He was employed by Armour & Co. for 32 years and at Cudahy Foods for 4 years as a controller. He worked at Chattanooga Paper and Woodenware for 4 years and the Walker Co. Board of Education for 10 years as the Business Manager, before retiring. Fred was called into the Church Music Ministry at Second Baptist Church, Greenville MS, in 1953, and has served in this capacity for more than 67 years. Fred served as the organist in various churches including Lookout Baptist in High Point, GA, St. Elmo Baptist, First Baptist of Blackwell, OK, Boynton Baptist, Fairview Baptist, and Highland Park Baptist. He always played to bring praise, honor, glory, and majesty to our Risen Savior. Fred was ordained as a Deacon in 1964 at First Baptist Church of Blackwell, Oklahoma, and was Deacon Emeritus and Treasurer of Lookout Baptist Church. He served on the boards of the Walker Co. ED FCU, Marsh House, Walker County American Red Cross, and Coulter Memorial Cemetery in Kensington. Fred also taught Federal and State Income Tax at Tennessee Temple University and was a member of the American Legion Post #217, Chickamauga, the LaFayette Rotary Club, Cumberland Hiking Club, the American Society of Public Accounts, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Nature Conservancy, the Smithsonian Institute, Lookout Baptist Church, and the High Point Improvement Club. He was the owner and operator of Roth’s Business and Tax Service for more than 50 years. Fred was a lifelong hiker, having hiked the Appalachian Trail, over a period of 50 years, with his good friend David Fulmer. He also hiked the Milford track in New Zealand with Ken Andrews and loved to hike the slopes of Lookout Mountain, especially “The Glen” with his dad before his passing. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, of 59 years, Lenora W. Roth. Together they promised God if He blessed them with children, they would raise them in a home dedicated to God. Their life verse was Isaiah 41:10 and favorite hymn was “Higher Ground”. Fred was also preceded in death by his son, David A. Roth, sisters, Louise Roth Reed and Dorothy A. Roth, brother-in-law, Thomas L. Reed, and nephew, Steven E. Reed. He is survived by his loving children, Jeffry L. (Clarice) Roth, Jennefer Roth (Robert) Payne, Alicyne Burns Roth, grandchildren, Jamie Roth, Joshua Roth, Matthew (Elizabeth) Payne, April (Taylor) Rives, Andrew (Kenzie) Payne, great grandchildren, Oliver, Misa, Emma, Eliza, Samantha, Kathryn, Noah, Landen, and Landon, step-granddaughters, Heather Mims, Jane Vandergriff, and Meghan Petty and great nephew, Tom Reed. A celebration will be held at 12:00 noon on Saturday, December 11, 2021, at Lookout Baptist Church, with Pastor Terry Burns officiating. Interment will follow in Coulter Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Friday and Saturday from 10:00 am until the funeral time at the church. In lieu of flowers please make memorial contributions to Lookout Baptist Church or the Walker County Historical Society in Fred’s name. Arrangements by Wilson Funeral Home-J. Avery Bryan Chapel, Chickamauga.