Troublesome Creek Times, Wednesday, April 11, 2007--Page 1

IVAN AMBURGEY WAS MINISTER AND LEADER

Photo submitted by J B Francis

Knott County lost one of their beloved ministers and community leaders, when Ivan J. Amburgey of Pine Top passed away on Monday after a long illness. Ivan, Moderator and Pastor of the Reynolds Fork Old Regular Baptist Church, was a prominent member of the religious and business community here in Knott County for the past thirty years.
Ivan J. Amburgey, born in Knott County, Ky.; was the son of Creed F. and Louzona Mullins Amburgey. Ivan spent his early childhood surround by his parents and his siblings: Stella, Virgil, Colleen, Oberene, Louise, Verna Mae, Flossie and Sidney Willis on their farm. His love of Music started at an early age. Buying his first guitar around the age of twelve, Ivan told author Loyal Jones (Faith & Meaning in the Southern Uplands, pg. 192)"Golly, I think I was born singing. I remember singing when I was a baby. When I used to sing regular country songs, I'd sin them different. I'd change the tune, or I'd change the tempo on it. "Moving from his beloved home in the mountains of Eastern Ky., Ivan and his wife, Maywood Martin, who were married on February 26, 1949, soon found themselves in Michigan and then eventually in Cleveland, Ohio.
During the day, Ivan worked for Continental Can Company, but his nights were devoted to his music. Considered one of Cleveland's top singers, Ivan and his band played along side of Hank Williams, Kenny Rogers, Dottie West, George Jones and Johnny Cash and performed at the Democratic Convention in front of thousands.
On the first day of September 1963, Ivan's life changed forever when he joined the church. He is quoted in Jeff  Titon's interview for Brown University and the Smithsonian Institute's study on the Old Regular Baptist: "When the minister announced the door of the church to be open to receive members by an experience in Baptism; I felt the moving in of something great. A lot of people don't believe in dreams, but I do. I
asked God in much prayer and much meditating on it, if I was really a called ministers, a called man of God and one night, I dreamed one of the beautiful dreams. He showed me a dream; put me in a huge congregation preaching. I said, God, I'll never doubt again."
For 43 and one half years, Ivan preached the gospel throughout the United Sates. Conducted an estimated 3,000 funerals, hundreds of marriage ceremonies and preaching more than 5,000 sermons, Ivan touched thousands with his voice and the gift that God had given him. Ivan served as Assistant Moderator at Pleasant View, Moderator at the Lily of the Valley Church, and when his family returned to Knott County in 1977, Assistant Moderator at Little Dove (24 years). He was the Moderator of the Reynolds Fork Old Regular Baptist Church at the time of his passing
and a long-time member of the Board of Trustees for the Indian Bottom
Association.
Ivan is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Maywood, daughters Theresa Lynn Grimes of Ashland, Kentucky and Susan Ann Hicks of Pine Top, Son-in-laws, Scott Grimes of Ashland, Kentucky and Phillip M. Hicks of Pine Top, Ky. Four grandchildren when he loved with his whole heart: Austin Phillip Hicks; Autumn Suzanne Hicks of Nashville, Tenn.; Jacqueline Smith of Louisville, Kentucky and Steven Grimes of Ashland, Ky. Ivan is also survived by Austin's wife, Crystal, Autumn's fiancé, Micah Cavender, and Jacqueline's husband, Duncan Smith; Brothers Oberene Amburgey of Cleveland, Ohio, and Sidney Willis Amburgey of Pine Top, Ky., and sisters Louise Hylton of Cleveland, Ohio, and Flossie Burgess of Tehachapi, California. Ivan J. Amburgey will forever be remember as a community leader, beloved Pastor and Moderator, devoted husband, father and grand-peepa. Funeral services for Ivan J. Amburgey will be held at the Hindman Funeral Services Chapel. Tuesday--Visitation at 6 p.m. with services at 7 p.m. The celebration of the life of Elder Ivan J. Amburgey through music and the beloved gospel of his Lord Jesus Christ will be held Thursday, April 12, at 1 p.m. with Ivan's son-in-law Phillip M. Hicks, Assistant Moderator of the Reynolds Fork Old Regular Baptist Church, Elwood Cornett, Moderator of the Indian Bottom Association and Charles (Chuck) Keesee, a long-time friend and Pastor of Midway Baptist Church officiating.