The Rev. Gene Moses, a 1952 De Soto High School gradudate, will be inducted into the De Soto School District Hall of Fame on Saturday evening.
The induction ceremony, which is open to the public, will be at 7 p.m. in the high school theater, 815 Amvets Drive, in De Soto. Seating at the event will allow for social distancing.
Prior to the ceremony a private, by-invitation-only dinner will be held in the high school gym.
Rod Cable, a member of the district Hall of Fame Committee, said Moses deserves the honor because he can be counted on to volunteer his time for public causes.
“He is ‘Mr. Community,’” Cable said. “It’s been that way for 20 or 30 years. Gene has always been available at any celebration or gathering to do the prayer or speak. Even if there’s no prayer, he’s there to support the community.”
Moses, 87, said he appreciates the recognition.
“Of course, it’s a great honor,” he said. “The Hall of Fame is, basically, for people who’ve graduated from De Soto High School and gone on to achievements in different fields and served the community.”
Moses fondly remembers his time as an athlete at De Soto High.
“I played football and was in track,” he said. “I was a right guard (on the Dragon football team). My senior year, a young man got hurt and I played wide receiver. That’s quite a switch. I had a good time out there.”
Moses, who was the pastor of the First Church of God (now named Community Church of God) in De Soto for 30 years, was appointed to the De Soto School District Board of Education in 2001 and went on to be re-elected several times before retiring from the board in March 2020.
He has volunteered with a number of other civic or community service organizations, including De Soto Contact, the De Soto Food Pantry, the De Soto Rotary Club, the De Soto Ministerial Alliance, the De Soto Cemetery Board, PRIDE (People Really Interested in De Soto’s Environment), the De Soto Park Board and the Jefferson County Community Partnership.
Moses said volunteering his time to those causes has fit in with his duties as a preacher.
“I think your commitment to God is helping others,” he said. “I’d like to express my appreciation to the people of De Soto who have been willing to get involved.”
Moses also thanks De Soto School District officials for adding him to the district Hall of Fame.
“I appreciate the school and the committee for giving me this honor and the Board of Education, which had to vote on it,” he said.
Moses and his wife, Margie, live in De Soto and have one daughter and one grandchild.