U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
Mildred Morrison
COLUMBIA — Mrs. Mildred I. Morrison was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She spend her life helping others as a health care nurse.
On Friday, April 1, 2005, Mrs. Morrison passed on. A memorial service will be held at a later date. The family has entrusted Greenlawn Funeral Home for arrangements.
She is survived by, and will be deeply missed by, three daughters, Fay Latham, Susan Dawiaz and Joyce Frison; three sons, James Morrison, David Morris and Jackie Morrison; grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a daughter, Liola Wilson.
Her granddaughter and caretaker, Jacqueline Morrison, would like to extend a special thanks to Ascension Hospice for their outstanding support and care.
Hattie S. Southerland
LITTLE MOUNTAIN — Services for Hattie Shealy Southerland, 93, will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 7, 2005, at St. Peter Lutheran Church with interment to follow in church cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, 2005, at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home, Chapin Chapel. Memorials may be made to St. Peter Lutheran Church.
Mrs. Southerland, widow of Harold Southerland, died Monday, April 4, 2005. Born on March 18, 1912, in Newberry, S.C., she was the daughter of the late Charles O. and Pearl Lindler Shealy. She was a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church Mrs. Southerland dearly loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She is survived by her son, James “Jimmy” Southerland (Juanita) of Little Mountain; grandchildren, James Southerland (Debra) of Little Mountain, Sheryl Wicker (Carl) of Chapin, Cindy Vodila (Shawn) of Little Mountain; four great-grandchildren; three stepgreat-grandchildren.
Donald Wesley Lake
COLUMBIA — Donald Wesley Lake, 59, died on April 3, 2005. He had a heart attack.
A memorial service will be held on Thursday, April 7, at 1 p.m. at Church of the Cross, off Garner’s Ferry Road, at 7244 Patterson Road (turn onto Patterson at the new Wal Mart). The family will receive friends following the service from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. at the family home. Memorials may be made to Church of the Cross, P.O. Box 9561, Columbia, SC 29209 or Camp Discovery at His Acres, 208 Claude Bundrick Road, Blythewood, SC 29016.
Don was the son of the late Edward Wesley and Myrtle Grey Whitehurst Lake. Surviving are his wife, Leah, and son, Dan Lake, both of Columbia, his beloved sister, Kay Warren, of Plantation, Florida, and Leah’s father, Laurie E. Johnson of Wagener, S.C., to whom he was an adored son.
Don was born in Newport News, Virginia, and grew up playing along the marshes and in the James River. He served as a 1st LT, Field Artillery Unit Commander of a Special Training Company at Fort Jackson during the Viet Nam war years from 1967-1970. He received a Masters Degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling from USC in 1974, and worked in addictions, mental health and social service agencies as a counselor and staff development professional. These job experiences led him to the field of employee assistance counseling. In 1991, he founded First Sun Employee Assistance Programs, Inc., a company that offers a broad array of employment services and counseling programs to workers and management in businesses throughout S.C. and the Southeast.
Don was a member of S.C., N.C., and National Employee Assistance Professionals Associations since 1983. He was a member of the Workplace Collaborative, since 2003, a voluntary group of executives in the United States who assist each other’s businesses, and the Executive Committee, an international group made up of small groups of executives coming together as peers to enhance their businesses. He held current memberships and cherished friendships in: Downtown Optimists, 1983, the Greater Columbia Chamber and S.C. Chamber, 1992, Downtown Rotary Club, 1993, and served on the Board of Directors of Camp Discovery. He was a member of a group that met for breakfast and prayer, and a men’s friendship group. He was also a member of The Learning Consortium of the Midlands.
Don was love struck in January of 1968 and married Leah Dale Johnson in August of the same year. In September of 1973, their son, Dan, was born. Don and Dan were regular teammates on the baseball field, in Boy Scouts, camping and fishing trips, and especially during the cold months on snowboards in the Rocky Mountains. The Lakes favorite form of entertainment was one another. Don and Leah traveled occasionally overseas, but could most often be found somewhere in the garden behind their house. They were bird watching in the garden on Sunday afternoon, after spending a weekend with their friends.
Don had just completed building a second home near the Broad River in the retreat center of Palm Key, near Beaufort, S.C. He and his men friends enjoyed kayaking there with dolphins, ducks and migrating cormorants. The marshes of the Broad reminded him of his boyhood spent along the James River in Virginia. He was immeasurably happy to be a river rat again and his joy touched all who knew him. He will be remembered by his family, friends, and coworkers for his generosity, kindness, strength, tenacity, and loving human spirit. He was a man of compassion and good will. We miss him already.
Eugene Buff Sr.
ELGIN — Funeral service for Mr. Eugene Burns “Pete” Buff, Sr., 61, of Elgin, will be held 3 o’clock Thursday afternoon, April 7, 2005, at Hillcrest Baptist Church with The Reverend Ken Jackson and The Reverend Greg Sweat officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Serving as active pallbearers will be Bubba, Steven and Troy Buff, Ronnie Jenkins, Tim and Gary Graham. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Hillcrest Baptist Church Mens Sunday School Class and the Blaney Fire Department. The family will receive friends from 7 until 9 o’clock this (Wednesday) evening at Shives Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to Hillcrest Baptist Church, 2666 Highway 1 South, Elgin, SC 29045.
Mr. Buff died Tuesday, April 5, 2005. Born in Kershaw County, S.C., he was a son of Ethel Gaskins Buff and the late Benjamin Roy Buff. He retired as a service operator from Allied Chemical Mfg. Co. with 35 years of service and a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church. Mr. Buff was a former member of North Trenholm Fire Department and Blaney Fire Department since 1988. He was a member of Dentsville Masonic Lodge #398 since December of 1973.
Survivors include his wife of 41 years, Barbara Buff; daughters, Pat Graham and husband, Russell of Elgin and Lynn Smith and husband Rudy of Lugoff; sons, Eugene “Bubba” Buff and his wife, Lisa and Steven Buff both of Elgin; grandchildren, Gary, Amanda, and Tim Graham, Holly Kaiser, Lauren and Morgan Smith, Brandon and Taylor Buff; great-grandchild, Richie Kaiser; brothers, Thomas B. Buff and his wife, Debra of Simpsonville and Marion Buff of Irmo; and the family dog, Dino.
Billie D. “Miriam” Livingston
SWANSEA — Billie D. “Miriam” Livingston, 71, of Swansea, died Tuesday, April 5, 2005.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 7, 2005, at Faith Baptist Church with Rev. David Carter and Rev. Robert Jumper officiating. Burial will be in Pen Branch Cemetery. The casket will be placed in the church at 1 p.m.
Mrs. Livingston was born in Swansea, a daughter of the late Walter and Ruth Witt Copeland. She was a member of Faith Baptist Church. She was married to the late James E. Livingston.
Survivors include a daughter: Carolyn Jeffcoat, of Lexington; four sons: Stacey Jeffcoat, Jr., of Midway, GA; Walter Jeffcoat and Davey Jeffcoat, both of Swansea; and Gregory Jeffcoat, of Perry; a sister: Wilma Jean Wannamaker, of St. Matthews; a brother: James Copeland, of Gaston; 11 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at Culler-McAlhany Funeral Home in North and other times at the home, 815 I.W. Hutto Road, Swansea.
Mary Gainey
HARTSVILLE — Funeral services for Mary Shoemake Gainey, 62, will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 7, 2005, at Edwards Chapel Baptist Church. The Revs. Ed Griggs and Johnny Quick will officiate with burial in Clyde Church of God Cemetery, directed by Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home. The family will receive friends Wednesday, April 6, 2005, from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Lake Robinson Rescue Squad, 4840 Rancho Road, Hartsville, SC 29550 or Edwards Chapel Baptist Church, 1813 Catawba Springs Road, Hartsville, SC 29550.
Mrs. Gainey, widow of Ronald Lee Gainey, died Monday, April 4, 2005. Born in Darlington County, S.C., she was a daughter of the late Lucas and Margaret Kirven Shoemake. She was a member of Edwards Chapel Baptist Church and was employed with Galey & Lord for 35 years.
Surviving are her sons and daughters-in-law, Victor and Janice Gainey of Hartsville, S.C., Rodney and Christy Gainey of Hartsville, S.C.; sister, Erleen Keith of Society Hill, S.C.; brother, Carroll Shoemake of Cash, S.C.; grandchildren, Ryne Gainey, Kyle Gainey, Adam Gainey, Allison Gainey.
Robert Edwards
LINDEN, N.J. — Services and burial for Robert “Bobby” Edwards, 56, 1 p.m. Friday at New Hope Baptist Church, Varnville, S.C., visitation 7-9 tonight at Washington ’s Funeral Home, Hampton, S.C. Born in Hampton Co., S.C., to Alex and Carrie Edwards, he died April 1, 2005. Surviving: daughter, Carrie Edwards; grandchildren, Manny, Jayden; siblings, Edna Hamilton, Helen, Carrie, Johnnie, James, Leon Edwards.
Gloria Hiott
WALTERBORO — Gloria Llewellyn Lotte Hiott, of 212 May St., Walterboro, widow of Thomas Lucas Hiott, died Tuesday morning in Palmetto Baptist Hospital in Columbia. She was 69.
Mrs. Hiott, a daughter of Carrie Lou Hoff Lotte and the late James Marion Lotte, was born April 19, 1935, in the Pleasant Grove Community. She owned and operated Gloria’s Beauty Shop before retiring to do what she enjoyed most: being with her granddaughters and spending time at Edisto Beach. She was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church, Walterboro, where she was a member of the Will Goodwin Sunday School Class, the Lula Strickland Circle and the Finance Committee. She was an associate member of Edisto Beach United Methodist Church.
Survivors include: her mother of Walterboro; a daughter, Wendy Llewellyn Hiott Clark and husband Joseph DuBose Clark of Columbia; two granddaughters, Bradley Llewellyn Clark and Lucas Summers Clark, both of Columbia; her dear friend, Lucille Culpepper of Walterboro; her sweetheart, Charles Bishop of Walterboro; and a nephew, Ronald Owens Craven and wife Peggy Chaney Craven of Columbia. She was preceded in death by an infant brother, a sister, Jeanette Lotte Craven, and a grandson, Marion Hiott Clark.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 9, at Bethel United Methodist Church, conducted by Rev. Nelson L. Stokes, Jr. and Rev. Lee Cothran, Jr. Interment will be in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, directed by Parker-Rhoden Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Bethel United Methodist Church, Steeple Fund, P.O. Box 407, Walterboro, SC 29488.
Visitation will be held Friday evening from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the Parker-Rhoden Funeral Home, 117 Paul St., Walterboro.
Doris Jones
LITTLE MOUNTAIN — Services with burial for Minister Doris Jenell Jones, 74, are 11 a.m. Saturday (viewing 10 a.m.) at Providence AME Church, where she served as Assistant Pastor. Wilson Funeral Home, Newberry, is in charge. Born in Lexington Co. to James and Dessie Mayers Bowers, she died April 4, 2005. Surviving: siblings, Heber, Vancy Bowers, Gladys Williams; aunt, Esther Miller; sister-in-law.
Myrtle Hudson Riggins
COLUMBIA — Service for Myrtle Hudson Riggins, 84, will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Kilbourne Park Baptist Church with burial in Berea First Baptist Church Cemetery, Greenville, S.C., at 3:30 p.m. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel. Memorials may be made to Kilbourne Park Baptist Church, or Berea First Baptist Church.
Mrs. Riggins, wife of the late Samuel Garth Riggins, died Tuesday, April 5, 2005. Born in Greer, S.C., she was the daughter of the late Walter Spurgeon and Myrtle Caldwell Hudson. She was a member of Kilbourne Park Baptist Church, active in the W.M.U., and sang in the church choir. She was also a member of the Painted Daisy Garden Club.
Surviving are her son and daughter-in-law, Eric and Beth Riggins of Columbia.
She was predeceased by sisters, Marian Green, Janie Harrison, Frances Henderson, and brother, Bill Hudson.
