Rosalind Jurhee Philpot, 1939-2021

Rosalind Jurhee Philpot of Dallas, Texas, an International Mission Board missionary emeritus who shared the gospel among American Affinity Peoples in Mexico and Costa Rica, died May 30, 2021. She was 81. 

Philpot was born July 20, 1939, in Childress, Texas, to the late Alton and Lucille Sheffield.  She graduated from high school in Fresno, California, and later attended Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas. She met James Morgan Philpot while home during a Christmas break and they were married in 1961. 

Philpot wrote when seeking missionary appointment that she had surrendered to full-time Christian service during college. A couple of months after their marriage, she wrote, Jim did the same. Because Jim was an agriculture major, the couple did not know how they might serve. But they wrote the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) and learned that there might be a place for them as agricultural missionaries.  

In 1967, the Foreign Mission Board appointed the Philpots as Southern Baptist representative to Mexico. In 1985, Jim was serving as chairman of the organization of 102 Southern Baptist representatives in Mexico when he was shot and killed by two men in a car that had just sideswiped him.  

Jurhee eventually returned to serve in Mexico and later Costa Rica. Over the years she served as home support, church planter and language-school coordinator.  

Upon her retirement and return to Dallas she worked at the Town North (Semones Family) YMCA in their guest services department from 2007 to 2018. She actively participated with the Esther Sunday School Class at Park Cities Baptist Church. 

According to her family, Philpot loved to entertain and was an avid cook and host. No one went home hungry or without attempting, and failing, to beat her at a game of cards, they wrote. Later in life, they said, she became an avid traveler fulfilling her dream of visiting the world’s great cities. 

Philpot was also preceded in death by her son, Jamie Philpot. She is survived by daughters Jodi Arguello (Javier), Jennifer Philpot (partner Antony Siggers) and Jill Beavers (Curtis); brother Hugh Sheffield; and nine grandchildren. 

A memorial service and celebration of life was held June 11, 2021, at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home, Dallas, with burial later at Cherry Hill (Arkansas) Cemetery.  

Donations in her memory may be given to International Mission Board.

Read an obituary and reflections from her daughters here.