Estella Grace Hull

Pastor Estella Hull, age 83, of Bastrop, Texas retired Evangelist and Pastor of Joyful Harvest Church, Topeka, Kansas, went home to be with her Savior, Jesus Christ Thursday, September 18,2025, at home in Bastrop. Pastor Estelle was born on September 29, 1941, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Samuel Marcus McDowell Sr., and Virginia Ruth Boettner.

At the young age of five years, she gave her life to Jesus, and was filled with the Holy Spirit while attending Living Waters camp meeting services. Her family relocated to Wichita, Kansas in 1949 She graduated from Wichita, High School East.

Under the direction of several ministry mentors, Estelle became very interested in puppets and it was during this time that she realized her call to the ministry, she became a very accomplished ventriloquist, and with her hundreds of puppet friends she used her gift as a story teller to minister to the hearts of hundreds of thousands of children.

In 1961, she met the love of her life and lifelong ministry partner, James E, Hull. They were married on September 29, 1962.

On February 28, 1964, they welcomed their first daughter, Tena Rae, and their second daughter, Nanette Rachelle was born April 4, 1967. During the early years of their ministry, they were directors for the second-grade department at Central Assembly of God, and actively served in the Children’s department and with her aunt, Twila Mae Saltzman during Vacation Bible School.

Pastor Estelle served in several churches in various ministry capacities. Youth pastor, Children’s pastor, and Assistant Pastor. In 1969 Pastors Jim and Estelle accepted their first assignment as senior pastors of the First Assemblies of God church in Wellsville, Kansas. After several years, the young family began traveling in fulltime ministry as Children’s Evangelist, holding weekly services in churches throughout Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri. In 1976, they accepted the senior pastor position in Kensington, Kansas. In 1983 they moved to Topeks, Kansas and together they pioneered Joyful Harvest Church. They ministered faithfully in Topeka for 29 years, ministering and feeding the community, both spiritually and physically through the Way Station food distribution ministry.

Pastor Estelle retired in 2012 and moved to Bastrop, Texas to remain close to family. She began attending Bastrop Christian Outreach Center where she thoroughly enjoyed participating in Children’s Ministry, and through teaching classes in the church’s Believer’s academy.

Pastor Estelle is survived by her daughters Tena Williams, Bastrop, Texas, and Nanette Frasier, and her husband Miles, Bastrop, Texas, spiritual son and daughter Kevin and Heather Tyler, Mt Vernon, Indiana, spiritual son, Charlie Akin, Giddings, Texas. Grandchildren, Brooke Collinsworth, and her husband H.J., Brittany Moyer, and her husband Colton, Isaiah, Hannah, Abigail, and Esther Frasier, Benjamin Rizk, Elias Rizk and His wife Tori, Katelynn Bain, Great grandchildren, Zion, Zoe, Grace, Arrowynn, Leah, Travis, Korbin, and Teagen. Brother, Marc McDowell, and Sister-in-law Melva. Nephew (who’s a BIG deal) Matthew McDowell, and niece, Joelle Lively, Bastrop, Texas.

Pastor Estelle was proceeded in death by the love of her life, her husband of 62 years, James Hull. her parents, Samuel and Virginia McDowell, her In laws Emer and Ruth Hull, her brother-in- law, and sister-in-law, David and Joyce Huil, and her niece, Morgan Elizabeth McDowell.

Pastor Estelle’s services will be held on Monday, September 29, 2025, Marrs, Jones, Newby funeral home. family visitation 12:00 - 1:00 pm, Christian services at 1:00 pm, graveside internment at Fairview Cemetery.