The history of The Church of The Good Shepherd, cont.

The health of The Rev. James Vaulx seemed to be failing, and The Rev. Charles Carrol Parsons served as Priest-In-Charge from 1871 until July 1872. During his ministry at the Mission of the Good Shepherd the communicants submitted "Articles of Association of the Church of the Good Shepherd" to the Diocese of Tennessee, and they were accepted with The Church of The Good Shepherd being elevated to status of a parish, Easter Monday, April 1, 1872.

The yellow fever epidemics were catastrophic. By the time the yellow fever epidemic had concluded in Fall 1879, out of the 19,000 people remaining in Memphis, 17,600 suffered from yellow fever and of these 17,600 there were recorded 5,650 deaths.

From the period of August 1872 until 1880, The Church of The Good Shepherd was under the pastoral direction of several priests, due to the severity of the yellow fever epidemic:

The Rev. P.S. Ruth, August 1872- August 19, 1874.
The Rev. T.C. Tupper, September 1874-May 12, 1875.
The Rev. Virginus O. Gee, October 1, 1875- September 30, 1878.
The Rev. A.J. Yeater, April 1879- April 1880.
The Rev. George Moore, May 2, 1880- Easter 1881. <next>