Clifton Robert Vandiver

Clifton (Tip) Robert Vandiver, age 90, of Sturgis, KY and formerly of Saint Charles, KY passed away on Thursday, February 8, 2024 at his residence. Bro. Clifton was born on June 2, 1933 to the late Jesse Robert Vandiver and Artie Justine Smith Vandiver. On August 10, 1949, he married the love of his life, Mary Lou Jackson, when she was 14 years old and he was 16 years old. God blessed them with many happy years together and they celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary on August 10, 2023. Bro. Clifton and Mary Lou were the parents of four daughters, Olene, Freda, Rhonda and Kathy.

Clifton was an avid fisherman.  He made his own hoop nets that he used to catch fish from the Ohio River.  Papa Bill Chambliss, Clifton’s mentor, led him to Christ decades ago and was the one who taught Clifton to make his own nets.  Clifton was a very capable hunter and brought home quail, pheasants, rabbits and squirrels to the family meal table.  He also owned and enjoyed training bird dogs. Clifton loved to travel and visited all 50 states and fished in as many states as possible.  He was blessed to visit the Holy Land on two different occasions.

Bro. Vandiver loved music and could play the guitar, the piano and the harmonica.  He also tuned pianos and enjoyed singing in gospel quartets and taught shaped note singing in singing schools.  God inspired Bro. Vandiver to write the music and lyrics for many songs and he wrote tunes for lyrics that had been written by other people.   

At the age of 19, he began working in the coal mines and learned to operate every piece of equipment before he retired in 1979. He would want to be remembered most for his love of the Lord.  He was a General Baptist preacher for 56 years and shared the gospel with his whole heart.  He pastored seven churches in Western Kentucky and held numerous tent revivals.   He will always be remembered as a wonderful family man and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.  He was an inspiration to many and loved witnessing to anyone who would listen to him share about our wonderful Savior.

Bro. Vandiver is survived by two daughters ~ Freda Gale Tilley of Newburgh, IN and Kathy Marie (Dennis) McDaniel of Sturgis, KY; two sisters ~ Janice Love of Sturgis, KY and Sharon Hugo of Easley, SC; two brothers ~ Ralph (Brenda) Vandiver of Dawson Springs, KY and Jack (Carolyn) Vandiver of Houston, TX; ten grandchildren; twenty-one great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved wife of 74 years ~ Mary Lou Vandiver; two daughters ~ Rhonda June Brown and Mary Olene Betts; a grandson ~ Christopher Thomas Mattingly; three sisters ~ Carmon Franklin, Hilda (Von) Camplin and Sheila Burns; four brothers ~ Houston (Buck) Vandiver, Lewis Vandiver, Gerriel Vandiver and Steve Vandiver.

Visitation for Bro. Clifton Robert Vandiver will be Sunday, February 11, 2024 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM and on Monday, February12, 2024 from 10:00 AM until the funeral hour at 2:00 PM at Beshear Funeral Home, Dawson Springs, KY with Bro. Matt Hoover, Bro. Mayer VanBussum and Bro. Billy Hatfield officiating. Burial will follow at Gilland Ridge Cemetery in Saint Charles, KY.

Pallbearers will be: Dennis McDaniel, David Adamson, Rodney Adamson, Jonas Hunziker, Jeff Rossio and Roy Byler.