Rev. Cass Vincent

Rev. Cass Vincent, 93, of Rockingham, passed away Tuesday, August 19, 2014 at the V.A. Medical Center in Durham following a lengthy illness. Rev. Vincent was born Casmir Vincent Pruszynski on April 5, 1921 in Minneapolis, MN, to Polish immigrants Frank and Anna Przywozna Pruszynski. He left home in 1936 to work for the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1940 he traveled to Canada to join the Polish Navy, in exile, and served with Polish forces stationed on the south coast of England until transferring to the US Navy in 1943. While in the Polish Navy, he met his wife to be, Margaret Ball, who was serving concurrently with the Royal Air Force. Following the war Casmir and Margaret moved to the United States where, in 1946, he changed his name to Cass Vincent. Rev. Vincent began studies in 1954 at Simpson Bible College and then began post graduate studies in 1965 at Golden Gate Theological Seminary. He was ordained to the ministry in 1966 in Reedsport, Oregon. Fluent in the Polish language, he served as a missionary to the Polish people in San Francisco, CA, Minneapolis, MN and Chicago, IL and was a general missionary, establishing both a Seaman’s Center at the Port of Indiana and a Trucker’s Ministry at the Cross-Roads Truck Stop and a missionary for the Southern Home Mission Board in Indiana. In 1978, he relocated to Rockingham to serve as Director of Missions for the Pee Dee Baptist Association. Following his retirement in 1983, he filled various local pulpits over the next 20+ years, including Cordova Baptist Church, which is where he maintained his membership. He also served as Chaplain for AmVets Post 316. Cass was preceded in death by his wife Margaret in 2002 and by his second wife, Eunnie Bess in 2011. Surviving are his son, C. Paul Vincent and wife Nancy of Keene, NH; a sister, Adeline Kinman of Chicago, IL; a first cousin, Aleksandra Biala of Poland; and various nieces and nephews. Graveside services will be held at 11am Saturday at Richmond County Memorial Park with Rev. Charlie Tyler officiating. Military Honors will be rendered by AmVets, Post 316. The family will see friends from 6 to 8 pm Friday at Carter Funeral Home in Rockingham.