U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
Heppie R. Hill
1918-2003
Sumter, S. C.
Heppie Respess Hill, 84, widow of Luther Martin Hill, died Saturday, August 23, 2003 at a local nursing facility.
Born in Pike Road, N.C. she was a daughter of the late Arthur Respess and Mary Ellen Cutler Respess.
Mrs. Hill was a member of the Rivermont Church of Christ in Chester, Va.
Surviving are one son, Martin R. Hill of Minneapolis, Minn.; two daughters, Wanda Rohrer of Miami, Fla. and Cynthia H. Jolly of Sumter; three sisters and four grandchildren.
Graveside Services will be held Chester, Va.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 128 Stonemark Lane, Columbia, S.C., 29210.
Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Bernice M Hoffpauir
1928-2003
Sumter, S. C.
Bernice M. Hoffpauir, 74, died Tuesday, August 26, 2003 at the Tuomey Regional Medical Center.
Born in Waco, 
Texas, she was a daughter of the late Lloyd S. Blackmon, Sr. and the late Marie Mitten Blackmon.
Mrs. Hoffpauir was a member of Shaw Heights Baptist Church where she had previously served as a GA Director and member of the choir. She also founded the church library and served as its Media Director for 25 years. She was a retired Chief Telephone Operator for the 2020 Communications Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base. She was chosen as Regional Outstanding Technical Employee in 1978 and the Technical Information Systems Division honored her as Chief Operator of the year in 1984.
Surviving are a daughter, Terry S. Newman of Sumter; a son, Richard L. Hoffpauir of Lawton, Oklahoma; a brother, Lloyd S. Blackmon, Jr. of Oklahoma City, Ok.; two granddaughters, Shyra Marie Wilferd of Columbia and Jessica P. Wilson of Sumter; two great-grandsons, J. Bailey Wilferd of Columbia and G. Hunter Wilson of Sumter.
She was preceded in death by a grandson, Guy Courtney Jones.
Funeral services will be held at 1 P.M. Saturday at Alice Drive Baptist Church with Rev. Dr. Clay Smith officiating.
Burial will be in Zoar Community Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 P.M. Friday at the Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home and other times at the home of her daughter, 600 N. Magnolia Street.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, 400 Percival Road, Columbia, S.C. 29206 or to the American Diabetes Association, 2711 Middleburg Drive, Suite #205, Columbia, S.C. 29204.
Ralph "Hank" Wilson
1922-2003
Sumter, S. C.
Ralph Holmes “Hank” Wilson, 80, widower of Ruth “Peggy” Rivers Wilson, died Wednesday, August 27, 2003 at a local nursing center.
Born in Florence, he was the son of the late Harold “Mack” McIver Wilson and the late Emmie Haynie Wilson.
He was a lifelong resident of Sumter. He was a graduate of Sumter High School and was very active in high school sports and was received into the Sumter Sports Hall of Fame in 1994. At the beginning of World War II, he enlisted in the Navy, served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex for 30 months until the war ended in August 1945. He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, the American Legion Post #15, a life member of VFW Post #3034, Sumter Elks Club #855, the Columbia/Sumter Hunting and Fishing Club and the Mt. Vernon Coffee Club.
He retired in 1990 from Rivers-Wilson Appliance and Furniture Company having been in operation for 32 years.
Surviving are two sisters, Julia Wilson Fennell of Oswego and Mary Wilson Beckham of Columbia; two nieces, Cathy M. McElhaney of Oswego and Becky Moran of Charleston; three nephews, Haynie Beckham of Columbia, Rocky Rivers of Columbia and Mark Rivers of Atlanta, Ga.; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bruz and Celeste Rivers of Sumter.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Haynie M. Wilson
Graveside services will be held at 11 A.M. Friday in the Sumter Cemetery with Rev. Phil Jones officiating.
The family will receive friends from 5 to7 P.M. Thursday at the Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, 226 W. Liberty St., Sumter, S. C. 29150 or to a charity of one’s choice.
Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Gordon "Corky" Eugene Dennis
1929-2003
Dalzell, S. C.
Gordon “Corky” Eugene Dennis, Sr., 74, husband of Kathryn S. Dennis, died Saturday, August 30, 2003 at the Tuomey Regional Medical Center.
Born in Tampa, Florida he was a son of the late Nathan G. Dennis, Sr. and the late Alta Thieme Dennis.
Mr. Dennis was a graduate of McClenaghan High School and attended Furman University where he lettered in football. He was a member of Dalzell United Methodist Church, the VFW, and the American Legion. He was retired from the U.S. Postal Service and was a U. S. Army Korean War veteran.
Surviving are his wife of Dalzell; two sons, Gordon Dennis, Jr. of Florence, Scott M. Dennis and wife Hoa of Jacksonville, Fla.; a daughter, Bonita D. Johnson of Florence; three stepsons, Eddie Boyce of North Carolina, Ric Boyce, and Ken Boyce both of Dalzell; three step-daughters, Ginny Dority and Julie Kirven both of Sumter, and Darlene Boyce of North Carolina; three grandsons, Scott Dennis, Jr., Dusty Johnson and Devin Johnson; nine step-grandchildren, Avril Ardis, Amber Boyce, T.J. Boyce, Casey Dority, Kenny Zeigler, Troy Zeigler, Witt Dority, Blake Norton and Lake Kirven.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Shawn M. Dennis.
Funeral services will be held at 11 A.M. Tuesday in the Chapel of the Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home with the Rev. Vernon Deese and Mr. Ric Boyce officiating.
Burial will be in the Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 P.M. Monday at the Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home and other times at the home.
Memorials may be made to the Dalzell United Methodist Church Building Fund, P. O. Box 35, Dalzell, S. C. 29040.
Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Lauren Parrott Booth
1927-2004
Sumter, S. C.
Lauren Parrott Booth, 77, husband of Jean Young Booth, died Saturday, June 26, 2004 after a short illness at Providence Hospital in Columbia.
Born in Sumter on May 20, 1927, he was one of four children of the late John Philip Booth, Jr. and Hassie Parrott Booth.
Mr. Booth attended Sumter public schools and Western Military Academy and graduated from Sumter High School in 1944. After his freshman year at North Carolina State University he served in the U.S. Army during WWII. Upon his honorable discharge from the military, he enrolled at Clemson A&M College, graduating in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy. A lifelong farmer, he was still actively engaged in farming at his death as a partner in Booth Farms and was a former officer of Booth-Boyle Livestock Company.
Active in civic affairs, he served on the board of several organizations. He was past Chairman of Sumter County Council, past chairman and founding member of the Clemson University Foundatioin Seed Association, past president Sumter Young Mens Christian Association Board of Directors, past honoree as YMCA Humanitarian of the Year, past chairman of the United Way and past Chairman of the Fine Arts Council of Sumter, among others.
A lifelong member of Trinity United Methodist Church, he served in many capacities, including Chairman of the Administrative Board, a songleader for many years in the Boyle Bible Class, where he was a member.
Surviving are his wife of 53 years of Sumter; one son, Richard Lauren Booth and wife Gayle of Sumter; one brother, John Philip Booth, III of Sumter; two sisters, Hassie Booth Nelson and Bettie Ann Booth Klapthor, both of Sumter; one uncle, Herbert Carlisle Booth of Sumter; two grandchildren, Jayne Rowell Booth and Richard Lauren Parrott Booth, III.
Graveside Services will be held at 10 AM Monday in the Sumter Cemetery with Rev. Stephen Taylor officiating.
Nephews will serve as Pallbearers.
Honorary Pallbearers will be E. M. (Mac) DuBose and J.T. (Bud) Rivers, Sr., members of the Boyle Bible Class and members of the Naomi and Warner Coffee Club.
The family will receive friends at the home of his son, 224 Haynsworth St.
Memorials may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church 226 W. Liberty St. Sumter, SC 29150 or to the Sumter Family YMCA, 50 Willow Dr., Sumter, SC 29150.
Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.
Thomas Eugene Hodge
1915-2004
Thomas Eugene Hodge, 88, husband of Rosalie Hudson Hodge, died Monday, June 28, 2004 at the Tuomey Regional Medical Center.
Born in Sumter, he was a son of the late Harry Hodge and the late Belle Poplin Hodge.
Mr. Hodge was a member of Providence Baptist Church, the St. Peter’s Masonic Lodge #54, the Order of the Knights of Pythias, the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Sons of the American Revolution. He was a retired salesman with Life of Georgia Insurance Company with 17 years of service.
Mr. Hodge was previously married to the late Marie Wells Hodge and subsequently to the late Ora Flowers Hodge and currently to Rosalie Hudson Hodge who survives along with two daughters, Geraldine London and husband Bill of Chapin and Susan Hodge Davis of Seneca; a step-daughter, Ellie Rae Rowland and her husband John of Sumter; a sister, Mary Lee Lowder of Sumter; 13 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law Lois Pack Hodge of Paxville.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Beverly Hodge Smith; two brothers, Curtis Hodge and Dempsey Hodge.
Funeral services will be held at 4 P.M. Friday at Providence Baptist Church with Rev. Dr. Harold P. Greene, Jr. and Rev. John Hall officiating.
Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Jay Rowland, Lee Davis, David London, James London, Steve Smith, Shawn Smith and Scott Smith.
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The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Thursday at the Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home and other times at 5087 Home Branch Road.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 128 Stonemark Lane, Columbia, S. C. 29210.
Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.
