She copied the recipe from a newspaper or magazine when her husband was a student at New Orleans Baptist Seminary and she was a nursing student at the Southern Baptist Hospital.
That has been a while back.
Now they are retired – the Rev. Lonnie Shull and his wife, Hazel – after 50 years of serving churches in South Carolina, and Hazel is sharing the recipe with us.
The road to the ministry began a long time ago. As a young boy, Rev. Shull didn’t attend church, but began going with friends to First Baptist of West Columbia and continued through high school. He went to seminary in New Orleans and was a part-time pastor in the area. After returning to South Carolina, he served three churches part-time at the same time – at Oak Grove in Pelion, in Florence, and at Harmony.
He also served Leesville First Baptist, Liberty First Baptist, was at Northside in West Columbia for 15 years, then in Plant City, Fla. The Shulls were at Fairview Baptist in Greer for 10 years. His last pastorate, from which he retired after nine years, was at First Baptist in West Columbia – the same he had attended as a teenager.
During these pastorates, Hazel Shull was an active wife of her pastor husband. She loves music and was often part of the church choirs.
She was also busy rearing three sons. The oldest, Lon Shull III, and his wife, Lynn, live in Mt. Pleasant, where he is an attorney. He serves as choir director for Charleston First Baptist. They have a daughter, Margaret. The second son, Tim, and his wife, Gloria, live in Chapin. He is pastor of River Springs Baptist Church. They have two children, Jared and Hannah. The youngest of the three Shull sons is Andrew, who has been pastor of Woodruff First Baptist for 16 years. He is unmarried.
When not busy with three sons and a pastor’s wife duties, Hazel also had her own career. She is a nurse and worked part-time all through their ministry. She is retired now and has more time for reading, which she enjoys.
The Shulls now live in Springdale, near West Columbia, and have maintained their membership at First Baptist Church there. They both enjoy traveling – she more than he, because he has part-time responsibilities with the Baptist Foundation in the state’s Midlands. He also serves as a supply pastor when needed.
This jambalaya recipe is a good one and about standard, although there are as many ways of making jambalaya as there are making vegetable soup or meatloaf. Hazel says another can of tomatoes or perhaps a can of tomato sauce can be added if you like a more tomato taste. Usually she serves the jambalaya in bowls accompanied with a green, mixed salad and hot bread. If the jambalaya sits awhile, it will become thick enough to serves on a plate, but the traditional way is in a bowl.
Everybody at my lunch table liked the dish, and I made a promise to cook it again soon. I think you will want to add this to your collection as a dish to serve on a cool day. We wish the Shulls success and happiness in their retirement and thank Hazel for sharing her recipe. Make this early Sunday morning and enjoy it after church on a cloudy, rainy day for … Sunday Dinner.
Bayou Jambalaya
2 5-ounce cans shrimp, or 1/2 pound cleaned and cooked fresh shrimp
1 10-ounce can oysters, undrained
6 slices bacon, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 cup onion, chopped
¾ cup celery, diced
½ green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup okra, cut up
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1-lb. can tomatoes
1½ cups water
1 cup rice, uncooked
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon thyme
⅛ teaspoon paprika
1 small bay leaf
2 to 3 dashes liquid hot pepper sauce
Fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon bits from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onion, celery, green pepper and garlic to bacon drippings; cook slowly until vegetables are tender, no brown.
Add tomatoes, okra, water, rice and seasonings; mix. Cover and simmer gently 20 minutes. Add undrained oysters and bacon bits. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes longer until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Mix in shrimp and heat. Serves 6.