The Reverend David Rudolph Barnett, 92, of McLeansboro, Illinois, and an honorably retired member of North Central Presbytery died December 26, 2020. He was best know as Rudy.

Rudy was born to a the Reverend Joseph Otto Barnett and Augusta Wiedeman Barnett April 3, 1928, in Equality, Gallitan County, Illinois. Rudy was educated in the public schools in Harrisburg, Illinois. He married Cecille Jeanne June 22, 1952. They had a daughter, Loretta Jeanne, in 1959. Rudy worked in the banking and insurance industries for most of his adult life. He was a proud Scottish Rite Mason.

Rudy’s father, Joseph, was a minister in the Methodist Church. Rudy was baptized by the Reverend Carl D. Mitchell and joined Dorris Heights Methodist Church in Harrisburg in July 1945. He then attended McKendree College, a Methodist institution, in Lebanon, Illinois.

It seems likely, Rudy was ordained in the Methodist Church around 1951. He served four Methodist Churches in Illinois as pastor between 1951 and 1957: Pleasant Grove in McLeansboro, First Methodist in Dahlgren, Tate’s Chapel in Galatia, and First Methodist in Maumie. In 1958, Rudy began preaching at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Galatia. He also supplied Union Chapel CPC in Galatia.

In the spring of 1959, Rudy came under the care of Ewing-McLin Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He was licensed at the fall meeting in 1959 and ordained in 1960. The Reverend Frank Griffith preached the ordination sermon and the Reverend J.G. Whitsides delivered the charge.

Rudy continued his pastorate at Union Chapel until 1970. He then accepted a call to Lebanon North Cumberland Presbyterian Church near Fairfield, Illinois, where he stayed until 1975. He pastored Dale Charge United Methodist Church from 1975 to 1980. Then, for 22 years, Rudy served the Village Cumberland Presbyterian Church near Norris City, Illinois. Village, founded in 1819 is often referred to as “Old Village” and reputed to be the oldest Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Illinois. The congregation transferred membership from North Central Presbytery to Covenant Presbytery October 16, 2012.