South Carolina Obituary and Death Notices Collection

GenealogyBuff.com - South Carolina Obituary Collection - Various Locations - 629

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Date: Friday, 15 November 2024, at 5:22 a.m.

South Carolina, U.S., Births, 1915-1920

LEVAN DRINKARD
BISHOPVILLE - Funeral services for Levan Thomas (Van) Drinkard, 36, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006, at Forest Hills Baptist Church in Hartsville. The Revs. John C. Smith, Jim Murray and Carl Watts will officiate. Burial will be in the St. Matthew Methodist Church cemetery, directed by Norton Funeral Home, Bishopville Chapel. Visitation will be this evening, Aug. 18, from 6 to 8 at the funeral home.

Mr. Drinkard, who died Aug. 16, was born in Florence a son of Tommy and Kathy Thompson Drinkard. He was a graduate of John Wesley Academy and Bob Jones University. He was employed with Galey & Lord as a computer analyst.

Surviving are his parents of Bishopville; sisters, Melissa (Andy) Martin of Bishopville, Sarajake (Steve) Barefoot of Hartsville; paternal grandparents, James and Ila Drinkard of Hartsville; three nephews; and one niece. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Sory and Dell Thompson.

Memorials may be made to Helping Hands Hospice, 202 Second Street, Hartsville, SC 29550.

MARK O'NEAL
SOCIETY HILL - Funeral services for Mark Carroll O'Neal, 52, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006, at the Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Mark Huckabee and Robert Paquette will officiate, with burial in Antioch Baptist Church cemetery. The family will receive friends tonight, Aug. 18, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, 1652 Mt. Olivet Church Rd., Patrick, SC 29584.

Mr. O'Neal died Wednesday, Aug. 16. Born in Darlington County, he was a son of Esma Stewart O'Neal and the late Robert Hudson O'Neal Sr. He was a lifetime farmer with O'Neal Farms, an artisan in his own right, enjoyed antiques, a nature enthusiast and known as Santa Claus at Christmas.

Surviving are his son, Mark O'Neal Jr. of Patrick; sisters, Iris (Jimmy) Tyler and Sarah O. Teal, all of Hartsville; brothers, Bobby (Mary Outlaw) O'Neal of Hartsville, John (Janice) O'Neal of Society Hill; and loving companion, Gail Hussey of Society Hill.

CHARLES STEPHENSON
Funeral services for Charles E. Stephenson, 63, were held 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006, at Second Baptist Church. Burial followed services in Sandy Bluff United Methodist Church cemetery located in Bishopville, directed by Young & Young Funeral Home of Hartsville.

Mr. Stephenson, died Sunday, Aug. 13, at Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center after an illness. He was born in Darlington County, a son of the late Johnnie and Marie Belvin Stephenson. He received his education in the public schools in the area and was a graduate of Butler High School. Mr. Stephenson was a member of Ebenezer United Methodist Church and served on the Trustee Committee and Usher Board.

Surviving are his wife, Sally Holloman Stephenson of Hartsville; three sons, Charlie (Jackie) Stephenson of Charlotte, N.C., Tony (Bridget) Stephenson of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Ronnie (Cynthia) Stephenson of Ocala, Fla.; seven sisters, Selma Prescott of Camden, Fronzia (Truman) Pooler and Lillie Stephenson both of Lamar, Patsy Scott of Fayetteville, N.C., Mary Murray of Lydia, Pastor Blondell (James) Miller and Hattie Stephenson, both of Hartsville; two brothers, Eldridge (Lillie Mae) Stevenson of Hartsville and George (Patricia) Stephenson of Fayetteville, N.C.; three sisters-in-law, Lucille Thomas of Bishopville, Dorothy (Samuel) McCleod of Virginia, Beach, Va., and Francis Jones of Chester; eight grandchildren; six aunts, a host of nieces, nephews and other close relatives and friends.

MILLARD McDONALD
LYDIA - Graveside services for Millard Murdick McDonald, 90, were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13, 2006, at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church. The Rev. Terry Martin officiated with burial in the church cemetery, directed by Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, PO Box 56, Lydia, SC 29079.

Mr. McDonald, widow of Sara Taylor McDonald, died Friday, Aug. 11. Born in Ruby, he was a son of the late John Angus and Grace Crowley McDonald. He was a member of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church and was the bell ringer. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was retired from Union Carbide. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and gardening.

Surviving are his son and daughter-in-law, Ronnie and Tanya McDonald of Hartsville; sisters, Margaret Griggs of Columbia, Katherine Alred of Eastover; brother, Pete McDonald of Hartsville; granddaughters, Barbi McDonald of Florence, Jennifer McDonald of Coward.

JAMES JOHNSON
LYDIA - Funeral services for James Johnson, 31, were held 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21, 2006, at Harold L. & Dorothy J. Young Memorial Chapel. Burial followed services in the New Bethel Baptist Church cemetery, directed by Young & Young Funeral Home.

Mr. Johnson died Wednesday, Aug. 16, after an illness. He was born in Lee County, a son of Louise Rivers and the late Elray McCutheon. He received his education in the Darlington County public school system and was a Hartsville High School graduate. He was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church.

Surviving other than his mother, Louise Rivers of Sumter, are his adopted parents, Malachi (Rosa) Dargan of Lydia; a wife, Crystal Johnson of Sumter; five children, Cereise Noell Johnson, Esme' Lenore Johnson and Eriel Jeanette Johnson, all of Sumter, and Erica Mae Johnson and Quaintavious Johnson, both of Albany, Ga.; a paternal grandmother, Rebecca Thomas of Florence; four sisters, Pamela Rivers, Vanessa Rivers and LaBrer Rivers, all of Sumter and Carolyn Miles of Jacksonville, Tenn.; five brothers, Michael (Shonette) Dargan and David (Tori) Dargan, both of Lydia, Issac (Greselda) Dargan of Tyler, Texas, Edward Dargan of Dallas, Texas, Leroy Miles of Tennessee, and Jack of Florence; 14 aunts, seven uncles; a host of nieces, nephews and other close relatives and friends.

MARY M. HANCOCK
BISHOPVILLE - Funeral services for Mary Maxcy Hancock, 93, were held at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21, 2006, in the Community Bible Church with the Rev. Jerry Peacock officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery, directed by Hancock-Elmore-Hill Funeral Home.

Mrs. Hancock, widow of Waddy Laneau Hancock, died Friday, Aug. 18, at Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center. Born in Lee County, she was a daughter of the late William A. Maxcy and the late Ida D. Capell Maxcy. Mrs. Hancock was retried from Bishopville Manufacturing Company and was a member of Community Bible Church.

Survivors include two sons, John A. Hancock (Myrtle) of Darlington and Elbert L. Hancock (Carolyn) of Hartsville; two sisters, Ethel Griffin of Camden and Carrie Lou Ardis of Lexington; five grandchildren, Beth Morgan (Dean) , Barbara West (Roger) , Arlene Ham (Barry) , Reggie Hancock (Debbie) , and Robin Pollard (Rox) ; and six great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Hancock was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Mary E. Hancock; one sister, Elizabeth Trapp; and three brothers, Harry Maxcy, Hazel Maxcy and Whit Britton.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: Community Bible Church, 5711 Red Hill Rd., Camden, SC 29020.

BERNICE ENGELBERT
Funeral services for Bernice Hall Engelbert, 59, will be held at 4 p.m. today, Aug. 23, 2006, at Liberty Hill Baptist Church. The Revs. Jim Beck and Billy Campbell will officiate with burial in the church cemetery, directed by Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Liberty Hill Baptist Church, 3224 Liberty Hill Rd., Hartsville, SC 29550.

Mrs. Engelbert died Sunday, Aug. 20. Born in Hartsville, she was a daughter of the late Will and Bertha Gainey Hall. Surviving are her husband, Guenter Engelbert of Hartsville; sons and daughters-in-law, Donnie and Jennifer Engelbert, Freddie and Danielle Engelbert, Teddie Engelbert, all of Hartsville; granddaughters, Jena Engelbert and Taylor Engelbert. She was preceded in death by her brother, Ernest Hall.

FRANK MELTON SR.
Graveside services for E. Frank Melton Sr., 63, who died Aug. 21, will be today, Aug. 23, 2006, at 3 p.m. at the Westview Memorial Park with full military honors, directed by Norton Funeral Home. The Rev. Mark Huckabee and Eddie Watford will officiate.

Frank was born in Hartsville, a son of Eugene H. (Buck) Melton and the late Christine Usher Melton. He was retired from the U.S. Air Force after 20 years of service and also retired from Progress Energy. He was very involved in the Old Darlington District Chapter of the South Carolina Genealogical Society and the Hartsville Genealogical Research Library, where he served as web master. Surviving are his wife, Brenda Kelley Melton of Hartsville; his father of Hartsville; son, Gene (Gina) Melton Jr. of Hartsville; daughters, Lisa Melton (Scotty) Beasley of Hartsville, Christine Virginia (Kenneth) Stewart of Kennesaw, Ga.; brothers, Dennis and Danny Melton of Hartsville; nine grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the ODDC, PO Box 175, Hartsville, SC 29551.

SUSANA HERRINGTON
Funeral services for Susana Herrington, 92, were held at 12 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006, at Jerusalem Baptist Church. Burial followed services in Greenlawn cemetery, directed by Young & Young Funeral Home.

Mrs. Herrington died Saturday, Aug. 12, after an illness. She was born in Lee County, a daughter of the late Lafayette and Lillie Wilson Aaron. She received her education in the public schools in the area and was a longtime member of Jerusalem Baptist Church.

Surviving are five grandchildren; four sisters, Edna Perkins and Willia Aaron, both of Washington, D.C., Willie Mae Aaron and Duddie Mae DeWitt, both of Hartsville; three special nieces, Norma Aaron of Washington, D.C., Pennie Nicholson and Deloris Holloman, both of Hartsville; one sister-in-law, Lillian Herrington of Sumter; and a host of other closer relatives and friends.

JOSEPH 'JB' GAINEY
LAMAR - Funeral services for Joseph B. 'JB' Gainey, 65, will be at 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006, at Newman Swamp United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Magnolia cemetery, directed by Norton Funeral Home, Hartsville Chapel. Visitation will be this evening from 6 to 8 at the funeral home.

Mr. Gainey, who died Aug. 21, was born in Chesterfield County, a son of Geneva Dixon Gainey and the late Woodrow W. Gainey Sr. He was a member of Newman Swamp United Methodist Church, retired from Sonoco Products Co. after 44 years of service and a member of the Old Timers Club. He coached American Legion Baseball in Hartsville, Darlington and Timmonsville and Pony League baseball in Hartsville. He coached Dixie Youth Baseball, Lamar High School baseball, midget football and Lamar High School football. He was an announcer for Lamar High School football for 27 years, and received an award as the official Voice of the Silver Foxes. He was a state certified high school baseball umpire for 20 years.

Surviving are his wife, Roma Gainey of Lamar; son, Joseph Scottie (Cheryl) Gainey and grandson, Jordan Gainey, both of Leesburg, Fla.; his mother of Kannapolis, N.C.; brothers, Carroll Gainey of Lamar, Larry Gainey of Kannapolis, N.C., Dennis Gainey of Mt. Pleasant, N.C.; sisters, Juanita and Sandra Gainey, Cathy Beaver of Kannapolis, N.C.

He was preceded in death by brothers, Woodrow Gainey Jr. and Clarence Gainey.

TOMMY M. THOMPSON JR.
T.J. Thompson left this troubled world to walk in peace with his Lord Jesus Christ. Born on June 20, 1976, in Springfield, Mo.; he attended St. John's High School in Darlington and Mosley High School in Panama City, Fla. He also was in the U.S. Army for four years serving in Okinawa, Japan, and Darmstat, Germany. The remainder of his short life was spent in service to his God. He traveled to Germany, Africa and Turkey to share his message of hope, love and salvation to all who would listen. We who are left to celebrate his life are his mother and stepfather, Faith and J.R. Fowler of Panama City, Fla.; stepsister and friend, Nicki Thompson and Carlos Kennedy of Holualoa, Hawaii; stepsister and brother-in-law Melissa and David Crosby; niece and nephew, Cloe and Spencer Crosby, all of Cartersville, Ga.; maternal grandparents Ronnie and Peggy Funderburke of Hartsville; uncle and aunt, Ed and Rebecca Funderburke of Southport, N.C.; uncle, Dale Funderburke of Hartsville; father, Tommy M. Thompson Sr.; paternal grandfather, M.C. Thompson; and uncle, Dennis M. Thompson, all of Florence; along with numerous cousins, friends and classmates. T.J.'s body will be taken back to his home town of Darlington, where memorial services will be held on Thursday evening, Aug. 24, 2006, at 7 p.m. at the Faith Baptist Church on Faith Road, Darlington. His ashes will then be taken to the mountains of North Carolina, where he will be released into the hands of God. In lieu of flowers, T.J. would want donations to be sent to this favorite mission which he supported throughout his life: Amazing Grace Gospel International, the Rev. Issac and Grace Akorli of Ghana, Africa.

LAURA H. HOWELL
DARLINGTON - Funeral services for Laura Hursey Howell, 75, were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006, at First Baptist Church with interment following in Darlington County Memorial Gardens, officiated by the Rev. Kendall Williams and directed by Belk Funeral Home.

Mrs. Howell, widow of Irby Howell, died Saturday Aug. 19, at her residence. She was born in Darlington County, daughter of the late Ben W. and Marie Jordan Hursey. Laura retired from Dixie Cup after 25 years of service and was later a nursing assistant for 20 years and touched the lives of many residents of the Darlington area. In the tradition of the Hurseys, she was a storyteller extraordinaire. Mrs. Howell loved the Lord and was a member of First Baptist Church of Darlington since childhood. She was a devoted mother and friend, she will be missed by many.

Surviving are two daughters and a son-in-law, Laura Marie 'Ree' and Guy Threlkeld of Gastonia, N.C., Nancy Blackmon of Florence, grandchildren, Stacy Osnato, David Locklair, Susie Threlkeld, Ashley Howell; four great-grandchildren; three brothers, Ben (Connie) Hursey Jr. of Titusville, Fla., B. Edward (Christine) Hursey of Darlington, Clifton (Jan) Hursey of Florence, and a sister, Marion Hursey Kelly of Florence. Laura was preceded in death by two sisters, Elsie Grace Hursey, Irene (Richard) Moody and a brother Lawrence (Lela Dixon) Hursey.

WILLIS 'WILLIE' WILLIAMS
DARLINGTON - Funeral services for Master Sgt. (Ret.) Willis 'Willie' Williams, 66, were held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20, 2006, at Temple Free Will Baptist Church, officiated by the Rev. Todd Parrish and directed by Belk Funeral Home. Interment followed in Grove Hill cemetery with military honors.

Mr. Williams, died in a local hospital Thursday, Aug. 17. He was born in Elliott County, Ky., son of the late Albert and Missouri Johnson Williams. He served his country with the United States Army, active duty and then in the 51st M.P. Battalion in the Army National Guard. He then served in the Air National Guard as a master sergeant during Desert Storm before retiring. Mr. Williams had retired from Sonoco Paper Products. He was instrumental in the formation of Darlington County EMS and was an EMT, a member of the Sonoco Fire Department, the Darlington Firemen Rescue Squad and was a member of Temple Free Will Baptist Church.

Surviving are his wife Billie Ann Williams of Darlington; two sons, Michael W. Williams and James 'Jamie' Williams, both of Darlington; one grandson, Zachary Williams of Darlington; brothers, Wilbert (Adelle) Williams, Glen Williams both of Isonville, Ky., M. C. Coker of Waycross, Ga., John (Helen) Coker, Pee Wee (Libby) Coker, Raymond Coker, Steve (Crystal) Coker, all of Darlington, Rex (Delilah) Coker of Dyersburg, Tenn., and Jack (Bobbie Jean) Coker of Olanta; sisters, Jean (Ed) Baker, Deanie Boorman, both of Columbus, Ohio, Jackie (M.C.) Coker of Waycross, Ga., and Virginia (Charles) Edwards of Darlington.

Memorials are suggested to Temple Free Will Baptist Church Building Fund, PO Box 287, Darlington, SC 29540.

HARDY OLIVER SR.
COLUMBIA - Graveside services for Caldwell Hardy Oliver Sr., 95, will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug 24, 2006, at Magnolia cemetery. Fr. Michael Ridgill will officiate with burial in Magnolia cemetery, directed by Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 4 to 7 tonight, Aug. 23, at the home of his son, Dr. Hardy Oliver Jr., at 408 Cove View Point, Lake Murray.

Mr. Oliver was born Nov. 20, 1910, at the Norfolk, Va., home of his grandfather, Caldwell Hardy, a prominent Norfolk banker, and grew up in the Shandon section of Columbia. He was the son of Sewall Kemble Oliver and Lucy Hardy Oliver, and grandson of Charles Kemble Oliver, president of the Columbia Mill Co. He had an older brother, Sewall Kemble Oliver Jr., and a younger sister, Lucy Hines Brooks. He graduated from Mercersburg Academy, Yale University, and the Yale University School of Architecture.

Mr. Oliver was an architect by profession and an artist in watercolor and oil painting by avocation. His pen-and-ink drawings of historic Columbia buildings were published in 'Sketches of Columbia.' He started the practice of architecture in Hartsville, where he met and married his first wife of 56 years, Eleanor McKinnon, in 1936. He subsequently operated his own architectural firm in Columbia in the late 1930s and 1945-1955. During World War II, he was employed by the Army Engineers in Charleston, and in the 'secret city' of Oak Ridge, Tenn., where the uranium material for the atomic bomb was produced. He was cited by Defense Secretary Henry Stimson for his contribution to the Manhattan Project. After the war, he resumed his practice in Columbia, served as president of the S.C. Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and designed many schools, churches and other public buildings and private residences throughout South Carolina, including his design of the Lawton Music Building at Eleanor's alma mater, Coker College in Hartsville. His work on the Lawton Building led to his work 1955-1972 as a staff architect at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he personally designed the University Band Building and served as local architectural liaison between the university administration and the outside architectural firms, throughout the United States, hired to design new buildings, as the university expanded to an enrollment of 30, 000 students. One of his significant achievements was a $7 million project which doubled the size of the Student Union Building. He and Eleanor were active members of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Champaign for many years.

In 1977, he retired to Hartsville with Eleanor until her death in 1993. He subsequently married a fellow artist, Mary Beth Stokes, and moved to an Episcopal retirement home in Atlanta. Some months after Mary Beth's severe memory loss caused her involuntary relocation to the infirmary wing of the home, he was persuaded to return to Columbia in 2004 to be closer to family, and resided at the S.C. Episcopal Home at Still Hopes (www.sceh.org) in West Columbia. During his retirement in Hartsville, he and Eleanor were members of St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church and, on his return to Columbia, he rejoined Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, and sister. Surviving are his second wife; two sons, Dr. Caldwell Hardy Oliver Jr., and wife, Ann, of Columbia, and Milton McKinnon Oliver and wife, Joan, of Canton, Mass.; six grandchildren, Katherine, Margaret, Tom, John, James and Lindsay; and various nieces and nephews in Columbia, Camden, Irmo, Charlotte, N.C., Tarboro, N.C., Arlington, Va., and Colorado Springs, Colo.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Still Hopes or Trinity Cathedral Foundation.

JERRY RIDGES SR.
Funeral services for Jerry Ridges Sr., 60, will be held at 11 a.m. today, Aug. 23, 2006, at Nathan Temple F.B.H. Church. Burial will take place in Florence National cemetery, directed by Young & Young Funeral Home.

Mr. Ridges died Saturday, Aug. 19, at McLeod Health after an illness. He was born in Darlington County, a son of the late Clarence Bishop Jr. and Louise Ridges. He received his education in the public schools in the area and was a U.S. Army veteran. He was a member of Nathan Temple F.B.H. Church, Men's Choir, Adult Choir, janitor, Trustee Board and served as a Sunday school teacher.

Surviving are his wife, Josephine Ridges of Hartsville; five children, Antron Ridges, Jerry (Bridgette) Ridges Jr., Jarvis Ridges and Phillips Pooler, all of Hartsville, and Allera Thompson of Detroit, Mich.; a step-mother, Ola Bishop of Hartsville; one sister, Loretta (Paul) Delaine of Maryland; four brothers, Lavern (Fannie Mae) Dixon of Florence, Bobby (Rhuwanda) Ridges of Darlington; two sisters-in-law, Patricia Murray and Charlene Mead, both of Philadelphia, Pa.; four brothers-in-law, Ervin (Norman) Holmes of Baltimore, Md., Arthur Jenkins of Hartsville, Rodney Holmes and Kenny Holmes, both of Philadelphia, Pa.; five grandchildren; a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and other close relatives and friends.

MASON SMITH
Mason Smith, 30, died Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006. Funeral plans will be announced later by Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home.

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