U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
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.
BOBBY FARMER SR.
Services for Bobby Farmer Sr., 60, will be held at 2 p.m. today, Aug. 25, 2006, at Soul's Harbor P.H. Church. Burial will be in Magnolia cemetery, directed by Norton Funeral Home.
Mr. Farmer died Wednesday, Aug. 23. He was born in Hartsville, a son of Jessie Mae Dixon Cranford and the late Oliver Farmer. He was a member of Soul's Harbor, a partner in Farmer's Body Shop and a Vietnam War Veteran.
Surviving are sons, Chip (Pat) Farmer of Hartsville, Chad (Wanda) Farmer of Summerville, His mother of Hartsville; grandchild, Emily Farmer of Summerville; brothers, Gene Farmer and Kenny Cranford of Hartsville; and sisters, Jane Smith, Vera Almond of Hartsville.
He was preceded in death by brothers J.L. Dixon, James Farmer and sister Louise Smith.
TOMMY M. THOMPSON JR.
T.J. Thompson left this troubled world to walk in peace with his Lord Jesus Christ. Born on June 30, 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.; sister and friend, Nicki Thompson and Carlos Kennedy of Holualoa, Hawaii; step-sister 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.
Mr. Thompson's body was taken back to his home town of Darlington, where memorial services were held on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. at 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.
ROSA LEE ROSS
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Rosa Lee Ross, formerly of Hartsville, died Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006, at a Memphis, Tenn., hospital after an illness. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Young & Young Funeral Home.
NEALIE V. WILLIAMS
PATRICK - A memorial service for Nealie Vivan Williams, 83, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, 2006, at Kiser Funeral Home, Cheraw. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 tonight, Aug. 25, at Kiser Funeral Home.
Mrs. Williams died Wednesday, Aug. 23. Born in Patrick, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Jefferson Sumner Sr. and Bertha Lee King Sumner. She was the widow of Raymond Williams. Mrs. Williams was a retired textile worker.
Surviving are a son, Gene Wilkes of Douglasville, Ga.; daughters, Pat Hawkins of Hartsville, Betty Carole McKenney of McCormick, Fran Cross of Oak Ridge, Tenn.; sisters, Nell Jones of Columbia, Sarah Bell Register of Elgin; five grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; also nieces, nephews and a step-son.
PEGGY JOHNSON
Funeral services for Mary Ellen 'Peggy' Johnson, 71, will be held at 4 p.m. today, Aug. 25, 2006, at the Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home Chapel. The Revs. Grover Johnson and Buddy Amerson will officiate with burial in Chapel Hill Baptist Church cemetery. Memorials may be made to the S.C. Lung Association, 1817 Gadsen St., Columbia, SC 29201 or National Kidney Foundation of S.C., 500 Taylor St., Suite 101, Columbia, SC 29201.
Mrs. Johnson, widow of Tommy Lee Johnson, died Wednesday, Aug. 23. Born in Chesterfield County, she was a daughter of the late Murry and Nettie Freeman Hicks.
Surviving are her sons and daughter-in-law, Jody Johnson, and Dale and Libby Johnson, all of Hartsville; a sister, Hannah Johnson of Hartsville; and a granddaughter, April Turnage. She was preceded in death by her brother, Marion T. Freeman.
LATRICE C. BLACKWOOD
Latrice Cooks Blackwood, 62, died at her residence after an illness. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Young & Young Funeral Home.
The family will receive friends at 421 Jasper Ave., Hartsville.
MARY L. WILSON
Funeral services for Mary Louise Cooper Wilson were held on Monday, Aug. 28, 2006, at 4 p.m. at Mt. Calvary AME Church. The burial followed in Greenlawn cemetery directed by Hines Funeral Home Inc. with the Rev. E. Robert Thomas, the pastor of Mt. Calvary, officiating.
Mrs. Wilson was born April 17, 1919, in Darlington County, a daughter of the late Roosevelt Farmer and Tirah Brailey.
She was educated in the Darlington County public schools and graduated from Butler High School in 1937. She continued her education at Morris College in Sumter and at Florence-Darlington Technical College in Florence. She was first a member of Jerusalem Baptist Church, where she was very active in many auxiliaries. She was the founder of the singing group, 'The Harmonetttes' and was a member of The Loyal Workers Club. She later joined her late husband, the Rev. Luther Wilson Sr., in membership at Mt. Calvary AME Church where she faithfully served in the Women's Missionary Society and the Stewardess Board. She also was a class leader, prayer team coordinator and served in many other capacities as well.
Mrs. Wilson was a member and past matron of Mt. Rona OES Chapter 233. She also was a member of The Household of Ruth. She participated in the May Coker Garden Club and the Community Savings Club.
Mrs. Wilson worked for a number of years at Coker College, although her passion was caring for the sick and elderly as a private duty nurse. In addition, she worked as a physical therapist at the old Hartsville Nursing Home.
She was an eloquent orator and talented writer and frequently spoke for many occasions in and around Hartsville. She loved poetry and music and penned several poems over the years.
Surviving to cherish the memory and continue the legacy of Mary Louise Wilson include four daughters, Barbara (Fred) Brown of Florence, Carolyn (Bobby) Hart and Brenda Taylor both of St. Albans, N.Y., and Carrie Wilson of Hartsville; one son, Victor (Bell) Dewitt; one brother, Richard Farmer of Atlantic City, N.J.; her daughters-in-law, Carolyn Wilson and Janette Wilson both of Hartsville; her sisters-in-law, Lillie Mae Grant of Hempstead, N.Y., Vertell Thomas of Atlanta, Ga., and Roslyn Farmer of Atlantic City, N.J.; a brother-in-law, Leon (Angie) Wilson of St. Petersburg, Fla.; 15 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren, many devoted nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and very dear friends.
Tributes may be posted to our website at www.hinesfuneralhome.com.
LETRICE C. BLACKWOOD
Funeral services for Letrice Cooks Blackwood, 61, were held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27, 2006, at Apostolic Pentecostal Assembly Church. Burial followed in the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church cemetery, directed by Young & Young Funeral Home.
Mrs. Blackwood died Wednesday, Aug. 23, at her residence after an illness. She was born in Darlington County, a daughter of the late Paul and Addie Hood Cooks. She received her education in the public schools in the area and was a retired employee with the New York school system.
Mrs. Blackwood was a former member of Kings Highway Apostolic Church in New York and current member of Apostolic Pentecostal Assembly of Lydia.
Surviving are her husband, Gerald Blackwood of Yonkers, N.Y.; two daughters, Beverly Thompson of Yonkers, N.Y., and Lisa (Edward) Martin of Queens, N.Y.; one son, Wesley Barns of Yonkers, N.Y.; three sisters, Addie Cooks of Yonkers, N.Y., Helen Hawkins and Betty Jacobs, both of Hartsville; nine brothers, Monroe Cooks, George Cooks, Paul Cooks Jr., Walter Cooks and Wesley Jacobs, all of Hartsville, Willie Cooks of Newark, N.J., Roosevelt Cooks of Yonkers, N.Y., John Cooks of Florida and James Cooks of Virginia Beach, Va.; five grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, church family and other close relatives and friends.
