Melvin Corley
Funeral services for Mr. Melvin Corley, of Johnston, who died at Lexington Medical Center, were held Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 1 p.m. at Mine Creek Baptist Church, with the Rev. George Key officiating. Rev. Larry Raiford was eulogist.
Amos & Sons Funeral Home, Johnston, was in charge of arrangements.
Lee “Bud/Too Tall” Dinkins
Funeral services for Mr. Lee “Bud/Too Tall” Dinkins, of Johnston, were held Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 1 p.m. at Mine Creek Baptist Church in Saluda. The Rev. George Key, pastor, officiated.
Survivors include a wife, Edith Ann Dobbs Dinkins; two sons, Bryan E. Dinkins, Trenton, and Lee F. Dinkins, North Augusta; stepchildren, Teresa (Greg) Martin, Trenton, and Corey (Brandy) Dobbs, North Augusta; brothers, Charles (Deloris) Simpkins, Ridge Spring, Matthew (Yvonne) Simpkins, Aiken, and Otis Carl (Beatrice) Simpkins, Williston; two sisters, Joanne (Marion) Odom, Aiken, and Gladiola (Rev. Olin) Jesse, Warrenville; mother and father-in-law, James and Bessie Dobbs, Johnston; two special uncles, Jasper (Alice) Dinkins and Joseph (Annie) Dinkins, both of Johnston.
Amos & Sons Funeral Home, Johnston, was in charge of arrangements.
William L. “Billy” Forrest
Mr. William L. “Billy” Forrest, 60, of Hwy. 121 North in Johnston, husband of Fran Davis Forrest, died Sunday, March 28, 2010 at University Hospital in Augusta, Ga.
Graveside services were held Wednesday, March 31, at 2 p.m. at Sunset Gardens Memorial Park in Johnston. Honorary pallbearers were members of the Northside Fire Department.
Mr. Forrest was born in Columbia and was a member of Johnston First Baptist Church. He was a machinist for ASCO Valve in Aiken. He was a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War and was the former assistant chief and a member of Northside Fire Department.
In addition to his wife, survivors include a daughter, Jennifer (David) Baker, Clearwater; a son, William L. Forrest II, Missouri; a granddaughter, Abby Forrest; and a sister, Beverly (Jimmy) Webster, New Ellenton.
Memorials may be made to Northside Fire Department, 719 Hwy. 378 East, Edgefield, SC 29824.
Edgefield Mercantile Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements
Isaac Bunch
Mr. Isaac Bunch, 70, of North Augusta, died Thursday, May 26, 2011 at Select Specialty Hospital.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, May 32, at 2 p.m. at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, with the Rev. Eddie Freeman officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.
Mr. Bunch was a deacon and member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Edgefield.
Survivors include two daughters, Jacquelyn (Morris) Houston, North Augusta, and Allison Bunch, Augusta, Ga.; two sons, Joseph Bunch Sr., Greenville, and Isaac (DeSharn) Bunch, Raleigh, N.C.; four sisters, Jernoise (Thomas) Brown, Willie Mae Young, Ridgeville, Lillie Hunt, Summerville, and Georgia Robinson, East Orange, N.J.; 12 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Leola (Sam) McCain, Mary (Joseph) Houston, Betty (Johnny) Dais, North Augusta, and Julia (James) Lovett, Trenton; brothers-in-law, Roosevelt (Julia) Mims, Add (Laura) Mims and Sam Broadwater, North Augusta; goddaughters, Juliette (Todd) Byrd, Denise (Randy) Gartrell and Jeanette Harmon; and a host of other relatives.
G.L. Brightharp & Sons Mortuary, North Augusta, was in charge of arrangements.
Jesse J. Eggers
Mr. Jesse J. Eggers, 97, of Edgefield, died Sunday, May 29, 2011, at Trinity Mission Health & Rehab.
Mr. Eggers’ family has honored his wish of donating his body to the Medical College of Georgia. There will be no visitation or memorial service at this time; a private family service will be held at a later date.
Mr. Eggers was born March 19, 1914, in Mabel (Watauga County), N.C., to Conley W. Eggers and Lottie Isabelle Davis Eggers. Educated at Cove Creek High School, Sugar Grove, N.C., and Berea College, Berea, Ky., Mr. Eggers served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific in World War II. He had been a resident of Edgefield since 1945 and was a member of the Edgefield United Methodist Church. He owned and operated the Cash and Carry grocery store on the Edgefield square from 1963 to 1972 and retired from Salem Carpets in Trenton.
He was a life-long learner, passing along to his children his love of books and knowledge. He audited courses at the University of South Carolina–Aiken well into his 80s. He was also a blood donor for many years; in 1989 the American Red Cross recognized his 10-plus gallons donated.
Survivors include his daughters Jessica Harris, Edgefield, Kathy Driggers, Florida, Angela Walton, Kentucky, Donna Nichols, Maryland; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother; three sisters; and his wife of 55 years, Janie Fuller Eggers, who died in 1994.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Salkahatchie Project, c/o Edgefield UMC, PO Box 25, Edgefield SC 29824.
Joseph “Lil Joe” Gartrell Jr.
Funeral services for Mr. Joseph “Lil Joe” Gartrell Jr., of Aiken, were held Saturday, May 28, 2011 at 11 a.m. at Bland Baptist Church in Johnston, with Pastor Jimmy Cue officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Olivia Bostick Gartrell; three sons, Terrance Bostick of Aiken, Joseph Gartrell III of Columbia and Jamel Gartrell of Columbia; his parents, Joseph Gartrell Sr. and Annie Lou Bush Gartrell; his grandmother, Estelle Gartrell of Atlanta, Ga.; his mother-in-law, Elizabeth B. Scott of Aiken; three sisters, Stella Mae Gartrell of Aiken, Tracie L. Gartrell of Aiken, and Mary Bryant of Johnston; two brothers, Jimmy Lee Gartrell of Columbia, and Bruce Gartrell of Aiken; two sisters-in-law, Denise (Rob) Daniels of North Augusta, Joyce Bostick of Aiken; one brother- in-law, Jerome (Adaline) Bostick of Beech Island; five grandchildren, Teandria Campbell, Jermiez Bostick, TaNiehia Simon, Aashira Bostick and Josiah Gartrell; seven uncles; 10 aunts; and a host of nieces, nephews and other family. Lil Joe also leaves behind a very special friend, Angello Salley.
Amos & Sons Funeral Home, Johnston, was in charge of arrangements.
Edward ‘Roy’ Brown
Mr. Edward "Roy" Brown, 56, of Sunnybrook Road in Trenton, died Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011 at his residence.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m. at Jacksonville Missionary Baptist Church, with the Rev. Ralph Holloway officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.
Mr. Brown, a native of Aiken County. was a member of Jacksonville Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife, Glennice Baskett Brown, Trenton; a daughter, Tara (James) Milledge, North Augusta; three sons, Jamaal Johnson, Trenton, Tarell Johnson and Travis (LaShon) Johnson, North Augusta; three sisters, Teresa (Alfonso) Jennings, North Augusta, Gloria Brown, Ridge Spring, and Viola Brown, North Augusta; four brothers, Johnny M. (Cindy) Brown and Stanley Brown, Graniteville, Ronald McKie, Aiken, and Donald (Yvonne) McKie, Dublin, Ga.; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and other relatives.
G.L. Brightharp & Sons Mortuary, North Augusta, was in charge of arrangements.
Mary Frances Riser Gentry
Mrs. Mary Frances Riser Gentry, 74, of Sumter School Road in Ward, died Friday, Feb. 4, 2011 at her residence.
Funeral services were held Monday, Feb. 7, at 3 p.m. at Ramey Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was in Hickory Grove Advent Christian Church cemetery.
born in Saluda County and a daughter of the late Curtis Wilbur and Sula Mae Gillion Riser, Mrs. Gentry was the wife of the late Carl Lester Gentry Sr. She was a former employee of Knight Industries.
She is survived by a son, Carl Lester Gentry Jr., Ringgold, Ga.; a daughter, Peggy Gentry Farmer, Ward; three grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two brothers, Robert Riser and James Riser, both of Chappells; and three sisters, Jeanette Voiselle, Ninety Six, Mrs. Curtis (Christine) Gentry, Ward, and Linda Bomgrem, Gray Court.
She was preceded in death by a grandson, Joshua Gentry; two sisters, Effie Lee Burnett and Peggy Riser; and a brother, J.W. Riser.
Ramey Funeral Home, Saluda, was in charge of arrangements.
Luther Morgan Jr.
Funeral services for Mr. Luther “June” Morgan Jr., of Edgefield, were held Tuesday, June 8, 2011 at 2 p.m. at the Edgefield Gym.
Survivors include three daughters, Miranda (Alvin) Stone, Gretta Morgan and Christine Morgan, all of Edgefield; his mother, Sarah Johnson, Passiac N.J.; a sister, Gertrude Smallwood, Passiac, N.J.; and three grandchildren, Malik Morgan, Ryan Morgan and Marquez Stone, all of Edgefield.
Martha Nicholson Rainsford Reiser
Mrs. Martha Nicholson Rainsford Reiser, 82, died at home in Edgefield on Feb. 1, 2011.
Graveside services were held Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011 at 11 a.m. at Westover Memorial Park in Augusta, Ga.
The daughter of James Carroll Rainsford and Alice Harper Rainsford, she grew up at the family home south of Edgefield. She attended Converse College and was graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1949. After college, she worked at Merry Brothers Brick Company in Augusta, Ga., where she met her future husband, Walter Allen Reiser Jr., whom she married
in 1951. The couple first lived in Albuquerque, N.M. where her husband was stationed during the Korean War, and then moved to Columbia so that he could study law at the University of South Carolina. After his graduation, they returned to Augusta where her husband began the practice of law with the Hull Barrett firm. In the mid-1960s, Mr. Reiser was accepted into the Masters program at the Harvard University Law School, causing them to move to Cambridge, Mass. Upon the completion of his LLM, he was invited to become a member of the faculty at the Harvard Law School. While living in Cambridge, Mrs. Reiser worked at the University Marshall's Office at Harvard, where she organized visits by foreign dignitaries and other guests to the University. In 1973, Mr. Reiser accepted a position on the faculty at the University of South Carolina School of Law and the family moved to Columbia. Mrs. Reiser became a real estate agent in Columbia with the Bollin Company. After her husband’s retirement, they moved back to Edgefield, where Mrs. Reiser continued to pursue her many interests, including gardening and collecting antiques.
She is survived by two children, Walter Allen Reiser III of New York, N.Y., and June Elizabeth Reiser of Columbia; and four grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her husband who died in 2005; by her youngest child, James Rainsford Reiser who died in 1965; and by her brother, Thomas H. Rainsford, who died in 1977.
The family wishes to thank her care-givers during the last several years, particularly her lifelong friend, Sue Bell Thomas Ware Simpkins. The family asks that contributions be sent to the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 825 Greene Street, Augusta, Ga. 30901; to the Edgefield United Methodist Church, 309 Norris Street, Edgefield, SC 29824; or to any other charity of one's choice.
Edgefield Mercantile Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Frances Whedbee
Mrs. Frances Whedbee, 83, of Modoc, died Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011 at Trinity Mission Health and Rehab of Edgefield.
Graveside services were held Friday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. at Bellevue Memorial Gardens, with the Rev. John Los officiating.
She was a member of the Red Hat Society at Trinity Mission Health and Rehab of Edgefield.
She is survived by a son, James W. Whedbee of Modoc; a daughter, Barbara L. Britton of Martinez, Ga.; a sister, Diane Moss of Trussville, Ala.; four grandchildren; and four great- grandchildren.
If so desired, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 2607 Commons Blvd., Augusta, GA 30909.
Platt's Funeral Home, Evans, Ga., was in charge of arrangements.
Eva Mae Culbreath Williams
Eva Mae Culbreath Williams, 84, died Friday, Feb. 4, 2011 in Saluda Nursing Center.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 2 p.m. at the Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Johnston, conducted by Elder Willie Bell and Bishop Charles Booker. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens.
born in Saluda County, daughter of the late Walter and Carrie Goudy Culbreath, she was a member of the Church of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Johnston.
She is survived by four sons, Tommie Williams Jr., Ward, Elder Willie James Williams, Trenton, Ernest Williams, Columbia, and Elder Donald Williams, Johnston; three daughters, Ruth W. Jones, Ward, Doris W. McNeely, Atlanta, Ga., and Lesa Jones, Suitland, Md.; three brothers, Willie C. Culbreath and Willie James Culbreath, both of Ward, and Arthur Culbreath, St. Augustine, Fla.; five sisters, Helen Jerry, Ridge Spring, Mary Sewell, Denver, Colo., Con L. Dozier, Winter Garden, Fla., and Mattie B. Ross, Aiken; 11 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and other relatives.
Butler & Sons Funeral Home, Saluda, is in charge of arrangements.
Ruth Carpenter Woosley
Funeral services for Mrs. Ruth Carpenter Woosley, 99, of Trenton, were held Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011 at 2 p.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Burial was in the church cemetery.
She died peacefully surrounded by her family on Thursday, Jan. 27, at the home of her daughter, Linda Baughn in Chatsworth, Calif.
Mrs. Woosley was born Oct. 20, 1911 near Johnston. She was the daughter of Martin Gary and Lona Bell Carpenter. Her paternal grandparents were Adam E. Carpenter and Malissa Turner/Oliver. Her maternal grandparents were John William Monroe Courtney and Eliza Lenora Peterson. All of her ancestors were born and raised in the area. She moved with her family to Trenton in 1926. Mrs. Woosley was the salutatorian of the 1928-29 class at Johnston High School. She briefly attended the institution that became Furman. Her first job was working as a fashion buyer for Shulte United in Savannah, Ga. There she met Leonard Thurman Woosley. They were married
in 1938 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Mr. Woosley died in 1970 in Texas. Mrs. Woosley was a fashion buyer in Waco, Texas at Goldstein Miguel Department Store. She won many awards for her work in fashion selection. After moving back to South Carolina, she was active in the Trenton Garden Club and Ebenezer Baptist Church and was also a member of the Trenton Community Development Association.
In addition to her daughter, she is survived by a sister, Mae Carpenter Padgett; a sister-in-law, Helen Carpenter; grandchildren, James Fairhurst Baughn and Alanna Courtney Baughn married
to Bryan R. Kehl.
She was preceded in death by a sister, Evelyn C. Smith; and brothers, Roy and Paul Carpenter.
Memorials may be made to Ebenezer Baptist Church cemetery Fund, c/o Carroll Clark, P. O. Box 189, Trenton, SC 29847.
Bland Funeral home, Johnston, was in charge of arrangements.
