OBITUARIES
THE SUMTER ITEM
U.S. Air Force retired Master Sgt. James R. “Bob” Hawkins, 62, husband of Janice Callahan Hawkins, died Friday, Jan. 16, 2015, at his home. Born in Florence County, he was a son of the late Jesse Jr. and Lollie Newman Hawkins. Mr. HAWKINS Hawkins was a member of Wise Drive Church of the Nazarene. He was the quarterback on the 1969 undefeated state champion Edmunds High School football team. He retired from the U.S. Air Force after 20 years of service and was a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. During his military career, he received numerous awards including the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with four bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Air Force Good Conduct Medal with five Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star, Air Force Overseas Short Tour Ribbon with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with four Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with one Bronze Service Star and an Air Force Training Ribbon. Mr. Hawkins also retired from Sumter Machinery Co. after 14 years of service. He was an avid South Carolina Gamecocks fan. Survivors include his wife of Sumter; two sons, Robert A. Hawkins (Becky) and Adam C. Hawkins (Desiree), both of Sumter; two step-children, Angela Mahoney (Robert) and Keith James Hammond, both of Sumter; nine grandchildren, Matthew Hawkins, Alex Wells, Kaezlyn Hawkins, Brice Cornett, Savannah Mahoney, R.J. Mahoney, Austin Mahoney, Lollie Marie Hawkins and Adam Jesse Hawkins; and one halfsister, Sheila Blackwell (Ted) of West Virginia. Funeral services will be held at noon Monday at Wise Drive Church of the Nazarene with the Rev. Sammy Geddings and the Rev. Harold Kirkland officiating. Burial, with full military honors, will be in the Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Chet Dinkins, Phil Prescott, Frankie Frye, Kevin Suggs, Wayne Rucker, Donnie Lovelace, Sam Smith and Brandon Bowman. Honorary pallbearers will be the Wise Drive Church of the Nazarene Men’s Softball Team. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. to noon Monday at Wise Drive Church of the Nazarene and other times at the home.
Memorials may be made to Wise Drive Church of the Nazarene, PO Box 1405, Sumter, or Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 505 Eighth Ave., Suite 902, New York, NY. Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements. www.ecsfuneralhome.com
EDNA B. WATSON Edna Blanchard Watson, 80, widow of Bernard B. Watson, died Friday, Jan. 16, 2015, at her home. Born in Bishopville, she was a daughter of the late George Sr. and Vertie OutWATSON law Watson. She was a member of Cedar Creek Baptist Church and was the first pianist for Cedar Creek Quartet. She was a member and served as the pianist for Order of the Eastern Star Bishopville, Chapter 74. She was known for her delicious and beautifully decorated cakes. She supplied many of Bishopville’s birthday, wedding and holiday cakes. Survivors include a son, Danny Darity (Kathy); grandchildren, Christi Bernard (Ken), Stacy Mathis (Jake) and Ashley Melton (Bruce); great-grandchildren, Alex Bernard, Kara Bernard, Kristen Bernard and Samuel Mathis; and two sisters, Fannie Ulmer and Cindy Elmore. She was preceded in death by her husband; a son, Tommy Darity; a sister, Faye Stokes; and a brother, Steve Watson. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Cedar Creek Baptist Church with the Rev. Bobby Wallace officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be Ken Bernard, Jake Mathis, Bruce Melton, Alex Bernard, Larry Brown and George Wallace. The family will receive friends at the home, 55 Hillcrest Circle. Memorials may be made to Embrace Hospice, 1831 W. Evans St., Suite 400, Florence. Hancock-Elmore-Hill Funeral Home of Bishopville is in charge of the arrangements.
MARY FRANCES B. WACTOR On Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015, Mary Frances Butler Wactor, 81, made her transition to her spiritual abode at Fairfield Health Care Center, Ridgeway. Born June 19, 1933, in Sumter County, she was the daughter of the late Edgar Bynum (Elizabeth) and Mabel Butler Anderson. She was raised in Hartsville by her granduncle and aunt, Arthur and Susan Bradford Cabbagestalk. Her earliest church affiliation was with Mt. Tema Methodist Church and then Mt. Calvary A.M.E. Church in Hartsville. However, her longest and final church affiliation was with Mt. Olive A.M.E. Church, where she diligently served as a Sunday
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school teacher, class leader, member of the choir, usher board, in the Women Missionary Society and as a youth program committee member. Her proudest moments, though, were when she assisted with the founding of and traveling with the group “Sunshine.” She was employed for a number of years as a teacher’s aide at Lower Lee Elementary School, Elliott, and as a QC inspector at Georgia Pacific Corp. She leaves to cherish and preserve her loving memory: five sons, Grover (Barbara) Wactor Jr., Bruce (Smiley) Spratt Wactor, Arthur, Ronald and Reginald Wactor; and one daughter, Mabel Floyd, all of South Carolina; one brother, Archie (Mary) Anderson Jr.; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; five nephews she helped raise, Clarence Jr. and Randolph Yates, Larry Anderson, Freddie Lee and Mitchell Wilson; four special nieces, Annie Mae (James) Boone, Mary (Johnny) Stover, Rosetta Veney of Washington, D.C., and Mabel Butler; eight sisters-in-law; two brothers-in-law; and a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Grover C. Wactor Sr., one daughter, Sylvia Ann Wactor; eight brothers; three sisters; two aunts; three uncles; her matrilineal grandparents, Paul and Mary Alice Cabbagestalk Butler; patrilineal grandparents, Jesse and Annie Roberts Bynum; and great-great grandparents, Frank and Louise Allen Washington. Funeral service will be held at noon Monday, Jan. 19, 2015, at Mt. Olive A.M.E. Church, 2738 Woodrow Road, Woodrow, with the Rev. Dr. Friendly J. Gadson, pastor, eulogist, the Rev. T. J. Slater Jr., presiding, assisted by the Rev. Larry Fowler, Minister Adeline Albert and Pastor Michael James. The family is receiving family and friends at her home, 2685 Yank Haven Drive, Sumter. The remains will be placed in the church at 11 a.m. The funeral processional will leave her home at 11:20 a.m. Floral bearers and pallbearers will be family and friends. Burial will be in Mt. Olive Memorial Garden, Sumter. Online memorial messages may be sent to the family at williamsfuneralhome@sc.rr. com. Visit us on the web. Services directed by the
SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2015 management and staff of Williams Funeral Home Inc., 821 N. Main St., Sumter.
WILHELMENIA S. BILLUPS Wilhelmenia Shaw Billups, widow of Willie Billups, and daughter of the late Ben and Lottie Shaw, was born Nov. 30, 1934, in Sumter County. She departed this life on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, at her home. Wilhelmenia was educated in the public schools of Sumter County. She was a lifelong member of Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church, and she served as a Sunday school teacher, missionary, president of the Pastor’s Aid Ministry and a member of the senior choir. Wilhelmenia loved Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church. She was employed at Sumter School District for 17 years, where she worked at Alice Drive Middle School. Wilhelmenia was a quiet, patient, kind and giving person. She was known and respected for her distinctive warm smile and willingness to lend a hand when needed. She was an exceptional, elegant and petite lady in her attire and could really wear her hats. She prided herself in the work she did and truly loved her husband. Wilhelmenia’s light will continue to shine through her loving and devoted husband, Willie Billups, of 65 years; her daughter, Rita Martin; her three granddaughters, Shonie Billips, Lateasha Martin, Elizabeth Martin; and six great-grandchildren; one sister, Sarah Lucky of Philadelphia; one great aunt, Annie Mae Muldrow of Sumter; sister-in-law, Scottie McQuillar; and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Ben Shaw; her mother, Lottie Shaw; four sister, Maggie Mae McCoy, Evelyn Wilkes, Helen Conyers and Betty Prescott; and six brothers, Lang Shaw, Sony Shaw Sr., James Shaw Sr., Isaac Shaw, Jacob Shaw Sr. and Marshall Shaw. Public viewing will be held on Monday, Jan. 19, 2015, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Job’s Mortuary. Mrs. Billups will be placed in the church on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, at noon for viewing until the hour of service. Funeral service will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, at 1 p.m. at Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church, 2400 Queen Chapel Road, Sumter, with Rev. Jerome McCray, officiating. Interment will follow in Hillside Me-
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morial Park. Family will be receiving friends at the home, 336 Ben St., Sumter. Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., is in charge of arrangements. Online memorials may be sent to the family at jobsmortuary@sc.rr.com, or visit us on the web at www.jobsmortuary.net.
BOYD KING Boyd King, the son of the late Prince and Lucille Murphy King, entered eternal rest on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015, at his residence, 410 Marsh St., Bishopville. The family is receiving friends at the residence. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Wilson Funeral Home, 403 S. Main St., Bishopville.
NATHANIEL DAVIS Nathaniel Davis, 59, died Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center, Sumter. Born in Sumter on Oct. 22, 1955, he was the son of the late John Davis Sr. and Eartha Mae Holmes Davis. The family is receiving friends and relatives at the home, 1048 Wellington Road, Sumter. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Williams Funeral Home Inc.
EASTER G. LADSON Easter Green Ladson, 78, daughter of the late Lewis Green Sr. and Estell Oliver Green, was born Oct. 16, 1936, in Sumter County. She departed this life on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2015, at her residence. Family will be receiving friends at the home, 525 E. Calhoun St., Apartment 81 (Friendship Apartments). Funeral plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter.
LEVAN HILTON MANNING — Levan Hilton, 93, of 5539 Silver Road, Manning, widow of Chinese Wells Hilton, died Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015, at Clarendon Memorial Hospital, Manning. He was born Sept. 29, 1921, in the Manning section of Clarendon, a son of the late Joe Hilton and Margaret Stukes Hilton. Family is receiving friends at the home of his son-in-law and daughter, Deacon Maceo and JoHanna Pack, 1183 Acorn Lane, Manning. These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home.
Thursday, January 22, 4pm Progressive Physical Therapy 2475 Broad Street Sumter, SC 29150 To reserve your seat call:
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