June 30, 2015 by The Sumter Item

OBITUARIES

TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2015

JOHN TITUS John Titus, 84, husband of Wilhelmenia Williams Titus, departed this life on Monday, June 29, 2015, at the home of his niece in Mayesville. He was born on July 29, 1930, in Mayesville, a son of the late Francis and Dickerson Hollimon. The family will be receiving friends at the home of his niece, Mary Mitchell, 35 Mills St., Mayesville, SC 29104. Family plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc. of Sumter.

SYLVIA H. RICHBURG Sylvia Hatfield Richburg, 70, wife of Patrick L. Richburg Sr., died on Saturday, June 27, 2015, at NHC Healthcare. Born in Sumter, she was a daughter of the late Herbert and Ruth McPherson Hatfield. She was a member of Northside Memorial Baptist Church. Mrs. Richburg was employed for many years at Sumter Machinery and retired from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Following retirement, she was employed by Piggly-Wiggly. Survivors include her husband of Sumter; a son, Patrick L. Richburg Jr. (Marty) of Sumter; three grandchildren, Palmer Richburg, Morgan Richburg and Jack Covington; a brother, Mac Hatfield (Mary Frances) of Sumter; and a sister, Katherine Godwin of Sumter. She was preceded in death by brothers, Rodger Hatfield, Herbert Hatfield, Sidney Hatfield, Dexter Hatfield, Jerry Hatfield and Jimmy Hatfield; and sisters, Faye Wilson, Bill Poulos, Fannie Hatfield, Barbara Jean Hatfield and Eleanor Nesbitt. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday in the Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Mike Hatfield officiating. Burial will be in Sumter Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Bobby Nesbitt Jr., Doug Foxworth, James Haithcock, Paul Bradley, Joey Anderson Jr. and Albert Barfield Jr. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and other times at the home, 295 Mims Road. Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements. www.ecsfuneralhome.com

FRANCES C. PRESCOTT Frances Chandler Prescott, 86, wife of James Allen Prescott, died peacefully at her home on Sunday, June 28, 2015, surrounded by her family. Born in Sumter County, she was a daughter of Harry M. Chandler Sr. and Annie Lou Simpson Chandler. Mrs. Prescott retired from the City of Sumter after 21 years of service. She was secretary to the City / County Planning Commission; the purchasing agent and personnel supervisor for the City of Sumter; and the Utility and Water Department finance director. She was the coordinator of the Damage Survey Report, Loans, Grants and Insurance for the City of Sumter after Hurricane Hugo. She was also the recipient of many civic awards and recognitions. Surviving in addition to her husband are three daughters, Susan Petty of Mount Pleasant, LouAnn Love of Foley, Alabama, and Frankie Moore (Alan) of Sumter; two sisters, Carol Robertson and Dorothy Duda, both of Sumter; two brothers, Roy Chandler of St. Matthews and Joe David Chandler of Endicott, New York; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents and a brother, Harry M. Chandler Jr. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Aldersgate United Methodist Church. The Rev. Dr. Web Belangia and the Rev. Dr. Reginald Thackston will officiate. Graveside service will immediately follow at Sumter Cemetery with the Rev. Dr. Davis Nat Brown officiating. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home and Crematory. Memorials may be made to Aldersgate UMC building fund or a charity of one’s choice. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals. com.

Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad St., Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements, (803) 7759386.

low in Fort Jackson National Cemetery, Columbia. Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter, 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.

EDITH A. SINGLETON LILLIE E. MCDOWELL TIMMONSVILLE — Lillie E. McDowell died on Sunday, June 28, 2015, at McLeod Regional Medical Center. The family is receiving friends at 3452 Pleasant Grove Road, South Lynchburg. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Jefferson Funeral Home Service Inc. of Lynchburg.

JAMES WRIGHT SR. BISHOPVILLE — Funeral services for James Wright Sr., who passed away on June 25, 2015, will be held at 3 p.m. today at the Living Church Cemetery in McBee. Interment will follow in Pine Forest Memorial Gardens in McBee. Services are entrusted to New Life Funeral Services of Bishopville.

CAROLYN J. BUTLER Carolyn Jones Butler, wife of William Butler, entered eternal rest on Saturday, June 27, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born on March 9, 1949, in Manhattan, New York, she was a daughter of the late John and Mary Tina Tindal Jones. The family is receiving visitors at the home, 1575 Pinewood Road, Sumter. Plans will be announced by Community Funeral Home of Sumter.

YVONNE B. NEWMAN Yvonne Baker Newman, 51, wife of S. Thomas “Tommy” Newman Jr., died on Monday, June 29, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Services will be announced by Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter.

MARY LEE ALSTON Mary Lee Alston, widow of Jesse Vance Alston Sr., died on Sunday, June 28, 2015, at Palmetto Health Heart Hospital in Columbia. Born in Rembert, she was a daughter of the late Woodrow A. and Sarah Vaughn Lee. The family will receive friends at the home, 3385 N. Kings Highway (S.C. 261), Rembert. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Palmer Memorial Chapel Inc. of Sumter.

JOSEPH JONES Joseph Jones, son of the late Darcus Brailsford and Jake Jones, quietly slipped away on Friday, June 26, 2015. He was born on June 11, 1921, in Sumter. He attended the public schools of Sumter County. At an early age, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he was drafted into the U.S. armed forces. He was also a veteran of World War II. After being discharged from the armed forces, he returned to New York, where he lived for several years prior to relocating to Detroit, Michigan, to join his brothers. He held various jobs in Detroit before starting work at Chrysler Corp. from which he retired after working for more than 30 years. “Uncle Joseph,” as he was affectionately called by all of his nieces and nephews, returned to his beloved home, South Carolina, where he immediately reconnected and got to know much of his five generations of family and friends. He leaves to cherish his loving memory: two brothers, Benjamin Boyce and Charles Boyce of Detroit; a great host of nieces and nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, greatgrandnieces, great-grandnephews, great-great-grandnieces, great-great-grandnephews, other relatives and friends. He will also be sadly missed by his nephew and caregiver, Roosevelt Mack, and a committed and loving friend, Linda Brown. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at Salem Chapel & Heritage Center, 101 S. Salem Ave., Sumter, with the Rev. Jake Sanders III officiating. Interment will fol-

Edith Ardis Singleton, age 93, loving wife, mother and grandmother, passed away on June 29, 2015, after a brief illness. She was born on Jan. 3, 1922, in Pinewood, to the late Newell LeGrand Ardis Sr. and Eva Holliday Ardis. She grew up on the family farm near Pinewood and was educated in the local schools there, graduating from the Pinewood School with honors in 1939. She was a child of the Great Depression, which imbued her with a strong work ethic and with a sense of duty to her country and to others. She served her country in World War II by working at the Charleston Naval Shipyard in the payroll department, where she was in charge of administering the payroll for the entire facility. In the course of her work, she was one of the first women in this area to regularly operate a computer. After the war, she moved to Sumter, where she married John W. Singleton in 1951. She worked briefly at Shaw Air Force Base until she left government service to dedicate herself to being a fulltime wife and mother, raising her two children, Johnny and Nancy. She was a devoted student of the Bible and an active member of First Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school for more than 20 years. In 2013, she published the result of a life of reflections on this study of the Bible in a book titled “Treasured Thoughts.” She was also an avid quilter who worked tirelessly to produce a tremendous collection of fine quilts to hand down to her family and friends. An accomplished seamstress, she found an outlet for her love of sewing and for her love of people by sewing for a wide variety of customers from her home. Her sewing customers were, in fact, more than her customers — they were her friends; and it was not unusual for sewing sessions to turn into tea parties, where wonderful conversations were had and where good advice and loving kindness was served along with the tea and cakes. So while she was a mother of two, she was a friend and mother figure to many. She was preceded in death by her husband, John W. Singleton, who passed away in 1981; and by her son, John W. “Johnny” Singleton Jr., who passed away in 1996. She was also predeceased by her brothers, Newell LeGrand Ardis Jr., Vernon W. Ardis, Zane G. Ardis, Norman G. Ardis and Fred M. Ardis. She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Singleton Weinberg and Nancy’s husband, Mortimer M. “Russ” Weinberg III of Sumter; and by a granddaughter, Meredith Amanda Weinberg of Columbia. She is also survived by a daughter-in-law, Pat Singleton-Spencer; by three beloved sisters-in-law, Margaret Ardis, Jackie Ardis and Esther Singleton; by a brotherin-law, Julian Singleton; and by numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and greatnephews. A service for the celebration of her life and for the comfort of her family and friends will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at Sumter Cemetery with the Rev. Dan Barber officiating. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the home of Nancy and Russ Weinberg, 2 Swan Lake Drive, Sumter, and also again immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that in memory of her, you commit yourself to acts of kindness to your family and friends. You may sign the family’s guest book at www.bullockfuneralhome.com. The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter

THE SUMTER ITEM for the arrangements.

ELIZABETH PERRY Elizabeth Perry, 95, died on Saturday, June 27, 2015, at her residence in Sumter. Born in Sumter County, she was a daughter of the late Robert and Agnes Perry. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Palmer Memorial Chapel Inc.

TAMELIA C. MORTON Tamelia “Tammy” Christa Morton, 50, spouse of Beth Andrews, died on Sunday, June 28, 2015, at her home. Born in Camden, she was a daughter of Jimmy Postal Morton and Julia Poplin Morton. She taught English in Sumter School District 2 and was the environment health and safety auditor at Clean Harbors Environment Services. Survivors include her spouse of Sumter; parents of Camden; a sister, Melony Dingle (Rut) of Mayesville; two sisters-in-law, Cindy McCord (Mark) of Fayetteville, Georgia, and Gwen McKinnon (Cooper) of Sumter; a brotherin-law, Paul Andrews of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; mother-inlaw, Dorothy Andrews of Sumter; and a number of nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday in the Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home chapel. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to Dr. Mary Ackerman, the chemo nurses at Kershaw Health and S.C. Oncology Assoc., as well as the nurses and staff of Tri-County Hospice, for all of their care and compassion. Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements.

MARY LEE D. MARTIN PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — On Wednesday, June 24, 2015, Mary Lee Dingle Martin, widow of Horace Martin, heard her Master’s call at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia. Born on July 6, 1936, in the Ram Bay community of Manning, she was a daughter of

the late Mose and Mary Martin Dingle. The family will begin receiving relatives and friends on Thursday at the residence of her brother-in-law and sister, Webb and Omega Dingle Hilton, 1288 Fairlawn Drive, Sumter. Funeral services are incomplete and will be announced by Fleming & Delaine Funeral Home & Chapel.

CHARLES CRAFT COLUMBIA — Charles Richard “Mickey” Craft, 73, of Columbia, entered into rest on Saturday, June 27, 2015, at his home. Born on July 21, 1941, in Sumter, he was a son of Margaret Singleton Simpson and the late Charles W. Craft. A graduate of Edmunds High School, Sumter, Mickey was a commercial electrician with Mattox Electric Service for more than 40 years. A loving husband, father and grandfather, Mickey enjoyed spending time with his family and friends; whether he was fishing or watching sports, it didn’t matter. In addition to his father, Mickey was preceded in death by a sister, Barbara Craft Caraway. He is survived by his wife of more than 45 years, Susan Craft; two sons, William “Duke” Craft (Rhonda) and Darren Craft (fiancé Anne); three grandsons, Colt and Cavin Craft and Jake Craft; four brothers, “Ducky” (Linda), Randy (Cathy), Mike (Nita) and Brian (Teresa) Craft; three sisters, “Lib” Turner, Pam (Shot) Shuler and Tammy Craft; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He is also survived by an extended family of awesome friends. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the physicians and staff of Lexington Oncology for the care and compassion they shared with Mickey over the past several months. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at Thompson Funeral Home Chapel at Greenlawn Memorial Park, 845 Leesburg Road, Columbia, SC 29209 with Pastor Sammy Geddings officiating. Interment will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. The family requests memorial contributions are made to Wise Drive Nazarene Church, 318 N. Wise Drive, Sumter, SC 29150. You may view this obituary at www.thompsonsfuneral.com.

The Item Business office will be closed July 3rd. We will open at our regular hours on Monday July 6th. Have a Safe & Happy 4th of July. www.theitem.com

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