U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
Bertha P. Rowlette
BALTIMORE – Bertha Ann “Merlene” Pendergrass Rowlette, 52, wife of Charles B. Rowlette Sr., died Thursday, June 26, 2003, at John Hopkins University Hospital.
Born Oct. 25, 1950, in Manning, she was the daughter of Mamie Samuels Pendergrass and the late Cleveland Pendergrass Sr. She joined Cypress Fork AME Church at an early age. After moving to Baltimore she became a member of St. John Christian Community Church where she sang in the choir. She received her formal education in the public schools of Clarendon County.
Survivors, besides her husband of the home, and mother of Manning, include one son, Charles B. Rowlette Jr. of Baltimore; two daughters, Joyce M. Franklin and Shannan R. Rowlette of Baltimore; four brothers, Cleveland Pendergrass Jr. (Odell), Robert Pendergrass and Bobby Pendergrass of Baltimore, and Henry Pendergrass of Manning; five sisters, Henriette Pendergrass, Ruth Canty, Pastor Effie Pendergrass, Lorene Pendergrass and Sheila Dingle of Manning; and two grandchildren.
Services were held at 10 a.m., Saturday, July 5, at the Hayes F. Samuels Sr. Memorial Chapel, 114 N. Church St., Manning. Evangelist Celestine Townsend officiated the service.
Burial followed in the Cypress Fork AME Church Cemetery, Cypress Fork community of Alcolu.
Margaret J. Rowe
Margaret Johns Rowe, 93, widow of Ernest I. Rowe Sr., died Tuesday, July 9, 2002, in Clarendon Memorial Hospital.
Born Nov. 25, 1908, in Atlanta, Ga., she was the daughter of the late John Henry Johns, M.D. and the late Margaret Mullin Johns. She was a graduate of Winthrop College in 1930 with Honor and Distinction, where she delivered the commencement address. Mrs. Rowe taught in the S.C. public school system, was a homemaker and a member of Manning United Methodist Church, where she served on various boards and taught a ladies’ Bible class for many years, during which time the Margaret Rowe Christian Education Fund was established.
Survivors include two daughters, Marian Rowe Massey of Rock Hill and Kathleen Rowe Edwards of Griffin, Ga.; two sons, Kenneth Johns Rowe of Greensboro, N.C., and Ernest Ira Rowe Jr. of Summerton; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Services were 2 p.m. Saturday in Manning United Methodist Church with the Rev. Neal Edwards and the Rev. Debra A. S. Quilling officiating.
Burial followed in Manning Cemetery.
Ben Massey, John Massey, Allen Edwards, Jamie Rowe, Chris Jordan and Ted Ellis served as pallbearers.
Memorials may be made to Campus Crusade for Christ for grandniece Susan Swails, 33 Kings Road, Florence, S.C. 29506.
Howard D. Coker
Howard Douglas “Pompy” Coker, 65, died on July 15, 2003, at his home after an illness.
Born in Clarendon County, he was the son the late Danny R. Coker and Isla Ethel Driggers Coker. He was retired from the water and sewer construction business. Two brothers, A.R. “Jab” Coker and Cleo Coker; two sisters, Burnette Coker and Janie Lee Coker, preceded him in death.
Survivors includes his wife Gwen Coker of Turbeville; two daughters Marsha Coker of Burlington, N.C., and Dawn Coker of New Zion; one son, Howard D. “Doug” Coker Jr. of Sumter; two sisters, Virginia Coker of Lake City and Betty Lou Atkinson of New Zion; two brothers, William L. “Mutt” Coker of Alcolu and Danny D. “Lucky” Coker of Lake City; two grandchildren, Jared and Raven Coker of the home.
Services were held at 2 p.m., Thursday, July 17, at Floyd Funeral Home Chapel. Burial followed in Barrineau Pentecostal Holiness Church Cemetery.
The family would like to express sincere thanks to all family, friends and caregivers. A special thanks to Home Health of Clarendon County and Tuomey Hospital Hospice.
M. Gordon Howle, MD
GREENVILLE – M. Gordon Howle, husband of Patricia Riddle Howle, died Monday, July 14, 2003.
Born in Summerton, he was the son of the late Timmons Campbell and Waunetta Gordon Howle.
He received his bachelor degree form Furman University in 1939 after two years in LSU Medical School and received his M.D. Degree from the LSU School of Medicine in 1940. His internship was served in the Southern Baptist Hospital in New Orleans, La. from 1940-1941.
From 1941-1946, he advanced from 1st Lt. to Lt. Col. In the Medical Corps in the U.S. Army.
Dr. Howle’s family practice was in Summerton, from 1946-1953 and from 1953 to present has been in Greenville.
He was a member of First Baptist Church of Greeleyville and the Seminar Sunday School Class.
Survivors in addition to his wife, includes three daughters, Dorothy Howle Ramseur (Vardry), and Carolyn Elizabeth Howle, of Greenville and Kathryn Giles Howle of Alexandria, Va.; three grandsons, Vandry Dixon Ramseur, Gordon Howle Ramseur and Joshua Timmons Ramseur; and one great-grandson, Jackson Gordon Ramseur.
Services were held at 3 p.m., Wednesday, July 16, 2003, at The Mackey Mortuary in Greenville. Drs. John E. Roberts, William D. Thomas, and John H. Crabtree officiated the service.
Private entombment followed in Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Honorary escorts included the Seminar Sunday School Class members.
Memorials may be made in lieu of flowers to the Howle Scholarship Fund, Furman University, 3300 Poinsett Hwy., Greenville, SC 29613.
Pearl R. Nelson
Pearl Richardson Nelson, 91, departed this life on Sunday, July 20, 2003, at Tuomey Regional Hospital in Sumter.
Born June 1, 1912, in Clarendon County, she was the daughter of the late Mr. Henry Richardson and Mrs. Susan Junior Richardson. She was educated in the public schools of Clarendon County. Early in life, she joined St. Phillip RMUE Church, and after her marriage to the late Rev. January Nelson II, she joined Antioch AME Church in Rimini.
Survivors include one son, Eddie Lee Richardson of Bronx, 
N.Y.; three daughters, Susan Williams (Johnny) of Snellville, Ga., Wilhmenia Nelson and Willene DuPree of Lithonia, Ga.; five adopted grandchildren, Audrey Tandy (LaMonte) of Blythewood, Gregory Lee Nelson of Bronx, Leon Nelson Jr. (Teresa) of Columbia, January Nelson III of Bronx and Randy Nelson (Cassandra) of Irmo; one sister, Mrs. Susan Briggs of Rimini; 13 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild.
Mrs. Pearl was preceded in death by five brothers, four sisters, and two children, Leon “Jaycee” Nelson Sr. and Master Talmage “Tal” Nelson.
Services were held at 1 p.m., July 25, at Antioch AME Church in Rimini. The pastor Dr. Sylvester Miott officiated the service, assisted by the Rev. Roosevelt Boyd and the Rev. Melissa Green.
Burial followed in the church cemetery.
Carrie G. Johnson
Carrie Green Johnson, 94, widow of J. T. Johnson, died Monday, July 28, 2003, at a local nursing center.
Born in Clarendon County, she was the daughter of the late Cornelius Vanderbilt Green and Susan Emmaline Tomlinson Green. She was a member of Shiloh United Methodist Church.
Survivors include a son, J. T. Johnson Jr. (Frances) of Sumter; two daughters, Mary J. Hobbs of Lynchburg and Emily J. Thomas (Parkin) of Sumter; a brother, Barron H. Green of Lynchburg; eight grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and a very dear friend, Mary Lou Riles of Sumter.
Services were held at 3 p.m., Thursday at Shiloh United Methodist Church. The Rev. Preston Grimsley officiated the service.
Burial followed in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers included grandsons, Curtis Hobbs, Mark Hobbs, Frank Thomas, John Lee Thomas, John Johnson ad Roy Johnson.
Honorary pallbearers included Dr. Phillip H. Brandt and Joe F. Dean Jr.
Memorials may be made to Shiloh United Methodist Church, 6005 Mt. Sinai Church Rd., Lynchburg, SC 29080, or to a charity of one’s choice.
Caro Leigh Jackson McElveen
Caro Leigh Jackson McElveen, 94, died Friday, Aug. 1, 2003, at Covenant Place.
Born in Davis Station, she was the daughter of the late Elwin Morgan Watt and the late Gertrude Ridgill Watt. Mrs. McElveen was married twice, first to the late Beecher Bryant Jackson and later to the late Edward McElveen.
Survivors include a son, Kirby B. Jackson of Anniston, Ala.; a daughter, Rose Ellen Davies of Austin, Tex.; three brothers, John Allen Watt, Thomas D. Watt and E. M. Watt of Sumter; six sisters, Vera Stokes Bradham, Edna Touchberry, Gertrude Benbow, Marguerite Huggins, Roberta Singleton and Tona Chandler of Sumter; a step-sister, Iris Mills of Mayesville; three step-brothers, William Singleton of Sumter, Frank Singleton of Chaplin and Bobby Singleton of Ky.; four grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Clyde Watt Hook and Wylma Watt Ridgeway.
Graveside services were held at 11 a.m., Monday, Aug. 4 at the Sumter Cemetery. The Rev. Jack Whitehead officiated the service.
Memorials may be made to Bible Fellowship Church, 227 Broad Street, Sumter, SC 29150.
Beulah W. Avinger
HUDDLESTON, Va. - Beulah Way Mosier Avinger, 96, of 1181 Lakeside Circle, Moneta, Va., passed away, Friday, Aug. 8, 2003, at Bedford Memorial Hospital, Bedford, Va.
She was born in Holly Hill on April 5, 1907, a daughter of the late Almon Jefferson Way and Zinnetta Melissa Bunch Way. She was a member of Target United Methodist Church in Holly Hill and affiliated with Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church, Huddleston, Va.
She was preceded in death by her first husband of 48 years and the father of her children, Eugene Tarleton Mosier of Sumter; her second husband, Albert Glenn Avinger of Holly Hill; a son, Richard Henry Mosier of Norfolk, Va; a grandson, Ronald Allen Mosier of Mary Esther, Fla; three brothers, Almon J. Way Jr., Lee V. Way and Layford Way; and a sister, Mrs. J. C. Lunan.
Survivors include three daughters and sons-in-law, Jean M. Maye (Edward) Lane and Brenda M. Atkinson (Carl) Douglass of Moneta Va., Gail M. (F. Reeves) Gressette of St. Matthews; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Herbert A. (Marianne) Mosier of Navarre, Fla, and the Rev. Eugene T. (Jenny) Mosier Jr. of Paxville; daughter-in-law, Janet L. Mosier, widow of Richard Henry Mosier of Navarre, Fla.; 13 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, five great great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and special friends, Roger and Helen Arthur of Bedford, Va.
Services were at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 12, at Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home Chapel in Sumter. The Revs. Eugene T. Mosier Jr. and Dr. Carl H. Douglas Jr. officiated the service. Burial followed at the Evergreen Memorial Park in Sumter.
Those wishing to make memorials are asked to consider the Target United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 1303, Holly Hill, SC 29059 or Paxville Baptist Church, P.O. Box 5005, Paxville, SC 29102.
Lillian M. Woods
Lillian Mouzon Wood, 88, widow of Jack Woods, died Saturday, Aug. 9, 2003, at Clarendon Memorial Hospital in Manning.
Born Aug. 25, 1914, in Clarendon County, she was the daughter of the late Anthony Mouzon and Etta Brogdon Mouzon Davis and the step-daughter of the late Viola Mouzon Davis. She received her education in the public schools of Clarendon County. She accepted Christ as her personal savior and became a member of Howard Chapel AME Church, New Zion, where she served faithfully. Later she became a dutiful member of Church of Christ in Manning.
Survivors include two sons, Anthony Woods (Shirley) of Savannah, Ga., and Minister David Woods Jr. (Sandra) of Manning; seven daughters, Harriett Felder and Lillie Ragin, of Manning, Ella Mae Malone (Johnny) of Detroit, Neomia Pickney (Herbert) of Savannah, Ida McCosorey (Henry) of New York City, Bessie Jefferson (Hezekiah) of Bowie, Md., and Corine McFadden (Lorey) of Kingstree; two brothers, Roosevelt Mouzon (Doris) of Manning and Charles Davis (Virginia) of Orangeburg; one sister, Vera Mae Johnson of Manning; 30 grandchildren; 45 great-grandchildren; nine great-great-grandchildren; and two foster daughters, Maybelle Cochran and Mary Pearson (Richard) of Manning.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Rena and Edna Mouzon; and two sons, David Woods Sr. and Moise Woods.
Services were at 3 p.m., Aug. 14, at Green Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Alcolu. The Rev. J.S. Hudley, pastor, and Brother Halbert Tucker officiated the service assisted by Minister David Woods Jr., Minister Sherman Alfred, the Rev. Jonathan Anderson and the Rev. W.J. Frierson.
Burial will be in Howard Chapel AME Church Cemetery, New Zion.
