Rev. Rayla Stewart Hogue passed away Friday, October 14, 2016, just before 6:00 am. Rev. Hogue was at her home in Clarksburg on hospice after a six month battle with colon cancer.
Rayla was born Rayla Kay Stewart on April 14, 1955, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to parents Raymond and Naomi Stewart, who preceded her in death.
She was raised in Dexter until she left home for college in 1973. She met her husband, James, in January, 1977 and they were married after graduation from Southwest Missouri State University on May 19, 1978.
Rayla was preceded in death by a sister, Suzanne.
She is survived by her husband, James V., of the home in Clarksburg, one son, James S., and his wife, Maria, also of Clarksburg, one sister, Lillian Snavely of Ozark, Missouri, as well as six nieces and nephews and numerous other family and friends.
Rayla graduated from SMSU on May 12, 1978 with a B.S. in education, majoring in music performance. She attained a Masters of Arts in Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1991 and a Masters of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary in 2006. Rayla was ordained by the St. Louis Association of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ in 2014 and served St. John’s United Church of Christ and Chamois United Methodist Church. She also served in several positions within the conference and on the Committee on Ministry of the Eastern Association, where she held her clergy standing.
Prior to ordination, Rayla had been a companion and partner to her husband, serving in numerous settings in the Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church, before finding a home in the United Church of Christ. It was finally in the UCC that she found the support and encouragement to move into ordination and her true calling, her own pastorate. They served in Missouri, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado and she had grown to love her adopted home in the southern Rockies, but returned to Missouri to care for her parents prior to their deaths.
Rayla had an accomplished history as a vocalist, having been the featured vocalist with the Denver Symphony, the Symphony Orchestra of Albuquerque, and many church related venues. Her musical style was eclectic, including music ranging from classic to blues to jazz to folk to rock.
Rayla will be missed by her husband, son, and daughter-in-law. She will be interred in Dexter, next to her sister and parents, in a private ceremony.
There will be a memorial celebration of her life at St. John’s UCC in Chamois, Missouri, at 3:30 pm on Sunday, October 23, 2016. Rev. Jeffery Hammonds and Rev. Dr. Ginny Brown Daniel will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Missouri Midwest Conference of United Church of Christ Vitality Covenant Ministry at 475 E. Lockwood Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63119.
