The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-07-13
Rev. R. N. Fits Lived Among Us
For 20 Years; Retires
To Oxford:


ter who has retired after A years
of preaching and will make his
home in Oxford. Incidentally it is
on the Oxford circuit that P. D.
Midget. III has been assigned his
first work in the ministry. Mr..
Midget is from Hyde County, and
is of Dare County ancestry in
which counties Mr.. Fits spent
many years.
Regarding his retirement his
home paper, the Oxford Ledger,
carried a lengthy article last week,
parts of which we reprint here:
The Rev. R. N. Fits, who retired
June % from active ministry on
the Oxford Methodist Circuit, lived
\ for 90 years on or near the Outer
Banks of the North Carolina coast,
! where the fishing is good, but
fishing is not for him. And now,
after A years as a pastor, he
rather expects to remain occupied
! with the Lords work in evangelis-
tic fields.
i "I've often wondered if that was
the reason I was kept there so
long," he said. The Rev. Mr.. Fits,
who was retired two years ago, but
retained on active service, explain
ed that he always felt he was too
busy to fish or hunt. A look at his
record support that feeling.
During the first of his two as
signments at Shallotte, he was ask
ed to take on the extra duty of
teaching school. The year before
he went there, the boys were so
mean the teacher quit, leaving the
community without a school. On
his way to the first day of teach
ing, a committeeman stopped and
asked what was under his arm.
1t was a Bible.
"This is my persuader," he re-
Piled.
4 Preacher, you better get an
arm full Of switches" the commit
teeman said.
But the persuader worked. When
school closed for the summer, some
of the students cried because they
were sorry the term was over.
While he taught school at Shall
lotte, his fourth assignment, he
preached in seven churches.
Shallotte holds memories, for his
eldest living daughter was born
there, and during his second as
signment there 16 years later. she
graduated from the high school.
Students he had taught Is years
before, then prominent in business,
medicine and other fields, came
back and thanked him for his in
fluence on their lives.
Born in Warren County
The Rev. Mr.. Fits was born in
. Warren County on October 81,
1881, one of family of nine chill
dren. He actually began his min
istry at the age of 80, having
worked as machinist before 60
ing to college. 1t was not that he
disliked being a machinist, he said,
but that he felt the pressure of the
call to the ministry.
Changing his course in life, he
entered Trinity Park Preparatory
School in Durham. From there he
went to Trinity College, gradual
ing in 1912. Four years of cores
pondence study through Emory
University, Ca, earned him his
theological degree. He preached
regularly while pursuing this de-
gree, having begun preaching in
his senior year at Trinity.
Twenty Coastal Years
The 20 years spent on and near
the coastal regions of the state.
the Rev. Mr.. Fits termed Every
pleasant" and called the people in
those areas 'most hospitable."
On Hatteras Island, the people to
this day still observe Old Christ
mas early in January, retaining
pure old English customs, manner
of speech and thought. They are
hard working and serious minded
people, he said. Roadways built
recently to join the outer banks to
the mainland, have opened up ave-
nues to tourists and the inhabit-
ants, and are fostering changing
of their ideas and brogue.
| A chronological listing of his
different charges includes Swan
| Quarter in Hyde County, Hallsboro,
SCOTS Hill, Shallotte, Vanceboro,
], Dare Circuit, Kinnakeet, Ocracoke,
back to Shallotte, Robbinsville,
Stonewall, Seven Springs, Mar
shallberg and Oxford, all in East
ern North Carolina.
4. Mr.. Fits has been in Oxford for
four years, and was at the other
places from one to five years each.
Home Acquired In City
i The house at BOT Grove Street
!. now belongs to the Fittses. He
! bought it and has added q room.
Mr.. Fits said he and his wife like