Rev. Benjamin Ormand II

BREVARD -- Rev. Benjamin Ormand II entered the Church Triumphant on Monday, March 10, 2003.
Rev. Ormand was born in Gastonia on July 17, 1913, the son of Benjamin Franklin Ormand and Carrie Burke Ormand, former residents of Gastonia and Kings Mountain. During his childhood, Rev. Ormand was called "B.F" or "B". In college he was given the name "Flash" but today is known as "Ben".
Ben had a remarkable record a Boy Scout and Scouter. He earned the rank of Eagle and while in college was an assistant scoutmaster in Cornelius. He helped organize the first scout troop in Lost City, W.Va., and was the Scoutmaster. During World War II he was Scoutmaster of two troops at the same time (Chadbourn and Bladenboro). He served as district chairman in North South Carolina and was vice president of the Pee Dee Area Council when he was awarded The Silver Beaver.
Rev. Ormand thoroughly enjoyed fishing and hunting and all kinds of sports, especially baseball. He pitched a no-hit no-run game for Union Seminary in 1936.
After graduating from Davidson College in 1934 and union Theological Seminary in 1937, he accepted a call from three small churches in West Virginia (Lost City, Pine Ridge and Wardensville). He later served the following churches: Crozet, Va., 1939-1942, Chadbourn and Bladenboro 1942-1950, Marion, SC, 1950-1955, Brevard 1955-1965 and First Church, Laurens, SC 1965-1969. He was the first executive of Pee Dee Prebytery (1969-1979). Ben exchanged pulpits and manse with the Re. David Smith of the Warrender Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the summer of 1958 and his family accompanied him.
When he retired he returned to Brevard. In retirement he served as Interim minister at Mills River Church and highlands Presbyterian Church in Highlands.
King College, Bristol, Tenn., conferred the Doctor of Divinity degree upon him in 1959. The Alumni Association of Davidson College presented him an Award of Appreciation in 1999 for his faithful and exemplary service to the college. He served as historian and genealogist of the Ormand clan for 44 years. In 1996 the session of the Brevard Davidson River Presbyerchurch Church honored Dr. Ormand by designating a new addition as the Ben Ormand Administration Wing. Ben was chairman of the bicentennial committee for the year 2000 and wrote a history of the church. He was author of three books, "Ormand History and Descendants of James Ormand Sr. 1669-1766". A History and Some Tales of Camp Carolina" and "A History of the Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church 1798-2000".
His first wife, Mary Kathleen Walker Ormand of Lost City, W.Va., died in 1981. They had two sons, Ben F. Ormand III of Laurinburg and Ted D. Ormand of Lenoir; two granddaughters. Mrs. Kimberly O. Ormand Craig of Kannapolis and Mrs. Jessica O. Villarreal of Boone; three grandsons, Ben F. Ormand IV of Redondo Beach, Calif., Robert Mitchell Ormand of Charlotte and Adam Ormand of Lenoir; two great-grandsons, Isaac Villarreal of Boone and Zane Harrison Craig of Kannapolis; and one great-granddaughter, Kathleen Helen Ormand of Redondo Beach, Calif.
In 1982 Ben married Frances Randolph Ferrell of Brevard. She and first husband, Frank Ferrell, had one son, Randy Ferrell of Brevard, and two daughters, mrs. Eleanor F. Mercier of Littleton, Colo., and mrs. Betsy F. Vawser of Aurora, Colo; two stepgranddaughters, Mrs. Robin Glaeser of Seattle and Mrs. Laura Stewart of Denver; and one stepgrandson, Jamie Mercier of Denver.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church. The service will conducted by the pastors, the Rev. Keith Thompson the Rev. Mike Kennerly, and associate, the Rev. Ron Gilmer.
The family requests no flowers but memorials may be made to the memorial fund of Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St., Brevard, NC 28712 or to your favorite charity or TCH Hospice, PO Box 2440, Brevard, NC 28712
Moore Funeral home is in charge of the arrangements.