Reverend Jarell Tharp '59

“I had lost my ring a number of times before but it had always turned up. This time I was resigned to the fact that my ring was gone forever. Another chapter in my life closed.” This was the thought that Reverend Jarrell Tharp ’59 of Powell, Wyoming, had after losing his McMurry ring on a recent camping trip. Little did he know that two weeks later someone would find his ring at the North Fork of the Shoshone River campsite.

Two weeks later, Roger and Linda Price also of Powell, Wyoming found the ring. The ring was so worn that they could only make out the words “Abilene”, the class year 1959, and “JLT”, Rev. Tharp’s initials, on the inside of the ring. In an attempt to return the ring to its rightful owner, the Price’s daughter searched the internet and concluded that the ring was from McMurry University. From there they contacted McMurry Alumni Director Greeley Myers who searched the records of 1959 graduates and matched the initials “JLT” to Rev. Tharp. Greeley put Rev. Tharp in contact with the Price family and everyone involved was surprised to learn that they lived in the same town of Powell. The ring was returned to Rev. Tharp when Roger Price hand delivered it to Rev. Tharp’s door.

Rev. Tharp graduated from McMurry in 1959 with a B.A. degree in Religious Education and a minor in English. He was a member of the Circuit Riders Club and served as a Student Pastor for most of his McMurry career. “When I attended McMurry it was a college, it was very small. I liked that. I appreciate the education McMurry gave me. Educating a West Texas farm boy was no easy task.” Rev. Tharp attended T.C.U. Brite College for one year and transferred to Perkins School of Theology. He finished seminary in 1963 and served churches in Texline, Overton, and O’Donnell in the Northwest Texas Annual conference. Rev. Tharp then transferred to the Yellowstone Conference where he served until his retirement in 1995. He has two children, Lisa in Spokane, Washington and Steve in Victor, Idaho and four grandchildren. Rev. Tharp enjoys his days of retirement with his wife, Nelloyd, of 56 years, photography and their camp experiences.