Edna Baldwin
Retired nursing director
BUFFALO - Edna Ruth Harvey Baldwin, 76, of 189 Mudbridge Road, widow of Arthur Edward Baldwin, died Tuesday, March 19, 2002, at 3:57 p.m. in Wallace Thomson Hospital.
Mrs. Baldwin was born in Pacolet on July 2, 1925, a daughter of the late Robert Manley Harvey and May Bell Minton Harvey. She was a member of Putman Baptist Church and the Training Union class at the church. She was a 1946 graduate of the Spartanburg General Hospital School of Nursing and was retired nursing director at Wallace Thomson Hospital.
Survivors include a daughter, Ann Thompson of Columbia; two sons, Richard Baldwin of Union and Charles Baldwin of Buffalo; a sister, Estelle Rodgers of Panama City, Fla.; and five grandchildren: Travis Baldwin, Patrick Baldwin, Amanda Baldwin, B.J. Thompson and Andrea Thompson.
Funeral services will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at Putman Baptist Church conducted by the Rev. Donald Tillman and Dr. Ralph Bolin Jr. Burial will be in Union Memorial Gardens.
The body will remain at the funeral home where the family will receive friends Thursday night from 7-9 and will be placed in the church Friday at 1 p.m. to await the hour of service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Union County Cancer Service, in care of Ola Jean Kelly, 117 Fant Lane, Union, 29379.
The S.R. Holcombe Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.
William R. "Bill" Davis
Football coach
William R. "Bill" Davis died March 17, 2002 in Candler Hospital.
A native of Union, he received his BS degree from Johnson C. Smith University and his Master's from Indiana University. He was football coach at Savannah State University at the time of his death.
Surviving are: his wife, Mrs., Amy Thompson Davis, of Charlotte; a son, William R. Davis Jr. of Albany, Ga.; a daughter, Tomeka Davis and son-in-law, Radecliff Quarterman of Savannah; two sisters, Mrs. Betty Gilliam Roosevelt of Lancaster and Debra Clayton of Union.
Funeral services will be held Friday at 11 a. m. at St. Philip A.M.E. Church in Savannah.
A local funeral service will be at 12 noon Saturday at Corinth Baptist Church by the Rev. J. A. Calhoun.
The body will be placed in the church at 11 a. m.
Burial will be in St. Paul Society Cemetery.
Union Community Funeral Home is in charge of local arrangements.
Arthur Joseph Governor
Retired airline captain
BUFFALO - Arthur Joseph Governor, 78, of 308 Brooks Farm Road, died March 18, 2002.
Born in Boston, MA, he was the son of the late Joseph F. and Margaret Kennedy Governor.
A pilot for Delta Airlines for 33 years before his retirement, he served in three branches of the military, the Navy, the Air Force and the Army.
A member of the Golden Wings and a life-time member of the American Legion, he was of the Catholic faith.
Surviving are: his wife, Joan Salomone; two daughters, Mary Ann Moran of Sarasota, FL. and Janet Governor of Durham, NC.; a sister, Jean Flynn of Quincy, MA; two brothers, Richard Governor of Katy, TX and Ken Governor of NY; two stepdaughters, Renee Krokenberger of Buffalo and Dawn Tomlinson of Arcadia, FL; a step-son, Anthony Salomone of Woodbridge, NJ; four grandchildren and five step-grandchildren.
Services will be held Friday at 3 p. m. at the Chapel of Woodlawn Funeral Home, Greenville.
Visitation will be immediately following the service.
The body will be sent to Lemon Bay Funeral Home, Englewood, FL for private entombment in Gulf Pines Memorial Park.
Woodlawn Funeral Home, Greenville.
Hazel J. Leonhardt
Conso Products employee
Hazel Johnson Leonhardt, 59, of 226 Mill St., wife of Bobby Leonhardt, died Tuesday, March 19, 2002, at 2:15 p.m. in Wallace Thomson Hospital after a sudden illness.
Mrs. Leonhardt was born in Spartanburg County on July 3, 1942, a daughter of the late John T. Johnson and Nina Sherbert Johnson. She was a member of Glory Baptist Church in Buffalo and was employed with Conso Products.
Surviving in addition to her husband are two daughters and a son-in-law, Kimberly L. Brown of the home and Tammy L. and Tim Cooper of Greer; two grandchildren, Leigh Anne Brown of Union and Lee Cooper of Gaffney; three sisters, Eunice Tucker of Cross Anchor, Betty Jo Zimerman and Linda J. Chastain , both of Union; and a number of nieces and nephews. Mrs. Leonhardt was predeceased by two brothers, Robert Johnson and William O. Johnson.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at Welcome Baptist Church conducted by the Rev. Robert Jarvis and the Rev. Christopher Carr. Burial will in Union Memorial Gardens.
The body will remain at the funeral home where the family will receive friends tonight from 7-9 and will be placed in the church at 2 p.m. Thursday to await the hour of service.
The family is at the home of her sister, Linda J. Chastain, 657 Brown's Creek Road, Union.
Memorials may be made to Glory Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 178, Union, 29379.
The S.R. Holcombe Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.
Homer Murphy
World War II veteran
BUFFALO - Homer Murphy, 84, of 147 Duncan Ave., widower of Sarah West Murphy, died at his home Monday, March 18, 2002, after a sudden illness.
Mr. Murphy was born in Cross Keys on June 18, 1917, a son of the late Johnny Pierce Murphy and Lottie Wilburn Murphy. He was a member of Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church and the Duncan Masonic Lodge. He was a veteran of World War II, having served in the U.S. Army and was retired from United Merchants, Buffalo Plant, and Torrington Company, Tyger River Plant.
Survivors include a sister, Cecile Murphy Estes of Enoree; a brother, Maxie Murphy of Union; and a number of nieces and nephews. Mr. Murphy was predeceased by a sister and a brother, Evelyn M. Harrison and Merrill Murphy.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the S.R. Holcombe Funeral Chapel conducted by the Rev. Carrol W. Caldwell. Burial will be in Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Johnny Estes, Ray Estes, Wayne Hennett, Ricky Murphy, Gene Murphy and W.J. Scales.
The following are asked to assemble at the funeral chapel Wednesday at 2:45 p.m. to form the honorary escort: Members of the Duncan Masonic Lodge, members of the Randolph Whitehead Sunday School Class and Mr. and Mrs. John Finch, Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Bolin, Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Mobley and Mr. and Mrs. Gene Tollison.
The body will remain at the funeral home where the family will receive friends Wednesday from 2-3 p.m.
The family will be at their respective homes.
The S.R. Holcombe Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.
Samuel Charles Gist
Union County native
CHICAGO - Samuel Charles Gist, 68, of 7550 South Michigan St., Chicago, died in Lakeside Veterans Hospital.
Mr. Gist was born in Union County Sept. 28, 1933. He was the husband of the late Lois Kidd Gist and son of Luegene Henderson Gist of Union and the late Jason Gist.
He was a member of Bethesda Baptist Church and was retired from Finess Cleaners as a presser. He was a member of Masonic St. John Grand Lodge 54. He was a graduate of Arsa Trade College in Denmark.
Surviving in addition to his mother are a son, Anthony Kidd of Chicago; five brothers, David (Elizabeth) Gist; McArthur (Annie Pearl) Gist, James William Gist, Franklin Louis Gist and Berry Les Gist, all of Santuc; four sisters, Hattie Belle Summers of Brooklyn, N,Y,; Minnie Luegene Gist of Chicago; Annie Ruth Thomas and Dorothy (Colie) Grady, both of Santuc; and three grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Sunday at 5 p.m. at Bethesda Baptist Church by Rev. Courtney Mills. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be Saturday evening.
The family is at the home of his mother, Mrs. Luegene Gist, 1171 Berry Farm Road.
Whitney Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.
Marie Gilliam Sanders
Santuc native
Marie Gilliam Sanders, 95, of John Jeter Lane, Santuc, died Wednesday morning at Wallace Thomson Hospital after an extended illness.
Mrs. Sanders was born April 29, 1906 in Santuc.
She was the widow of Russell Sanders and a daughter of the late Will and Maggie J. Gilliam.
Survivors include a daughter, Lillie Mae Currenton of Allquippa, Pa.; two sons, Earl W. Gilliam Sr. of Buffalo and James A. Gilliam of the home; a daughter, Mrs. Nina Cleo F. Gilliam of Buffalo; 14 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Sunday at 2 p. m. at Jeter's Chapel A. M. E. Church. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
The body will be placed in the church at 1 p. m.
The family is at her home, 111 John Jeter Lane, Santuc.
Gibson & Brown Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Thomas Weldon Christopher
Law professor
GREENVILLE - Thomas Weldon Christopher, husband of Goldie Wood Christopher, died Friday, March 22, 2002, in Greenville.
He was born in Duncan in 1917, a son of the late Rev. William Arthur "Thomas" and Ruby Christopher. His family moved to Texas when he was 11 and later settled in a cotton farm community in Union County where he lived until entering college.
Educated at Washington & Lee University, class of 1939, he spent a stretch as a teacher in public schools in Virginia and later at Parker High in Greenville. A part of World War II found him in Sweetwater and Abilene, Texas, where he served as a ground instructor in the WASP program.
After the war he studied law. He received an LL.B. from the University of Alabama in 1948, an LL.M from New York University in 1950 followed by a doctorate in jurisprudence in 1957. His career in law practice and in legal education spanned more than 40 years. He served as a professor of law at Emory University Law School, and as an associate dean at the school later. He also served as a professor of law at the University of North Carolina, was dean and professor of law at the University of New Mexico, was professor of law at the University of Alabama Law School and served 10 years as a dean there. In 1981 he became director of the University of Alabama Center for Public Law and Service. He worked there until 1985.
He also served as a member of the National Advisory Food and Drug Council with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare from 1968-1970 and was vice president of the Food and Drug Law Foundation from 1974-1978.
He also published "Poems from a Carolina Farm," "Santuc," several books on food and drug law and also contributed several articles and book reviews for scholarly journals. He earned numerous honors during his career, including ODK, Order of the Coif and the Daniel Meador Outstanding Alumnus Award from the University of Alabama School of Law.
Surviving in addition to his wife are two brothers, Colonel Alfred Christopher of Goose Creek and A.J. Christopher of Cross Keys; a son, Thomas H. Christopher of Atlanta; four stepchildren: John Gambrell of Aiken, Grace Young of St. Augustine, Fla., William Gambrell of Great Falls and George Gambrell of Etobicoke, Canada; grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Mr. Christopher was predeceased by two brothers and two sisters, Brian Christopher, William Christopher, Virginia Ribble and Betty Stewart.
The family requests that memorials be sent to Augusta Heights Baptist Church in Greenville and the University of Alabama School of Law in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
A memorial service will be held Monday at 3 p.m. at Augusta Heights Baptist Church in Greenville. The family will receive friends following the memorial service. The Thomas Wood Mortuary has charge of arrangements.
