Ninety Six, McCormick residents mourn 4 killed in plane crash

Counselors plan to help students deal with deaths of teacher and students

January 9, 2005

By WALLACE McBRIDE and MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal staff writers

NINETY SIX — By noon Saturday, everyone had heard the terrible news.
A plane crash Friday night outside of the town of Bradley claimed the life of local elementary school teacher Robin Strom, 44, as well as husband James, 45, and children Brittney, 15, and Bradley, 11.
Two families sat around uneaten meals at Hardee’s, red-eyed and quiet. None could find the words to describe their feelings — a little girl only nodded once when asked if she knew Bradley Strom.
“She taught both of my kids,” said Gayle Price, an employee of Farris Restaurant. Many people heard about the crash the night before, but some found out as news began to spread around town the following morning.
“Some people didn’t know,” she said. “A lot of people have been upset about it. She was a good lady. She came in here a lot to eat.”
Teachers were notified of the wreck Friday night through the school district’s “phone tree” system, said Ninety Six Primary teacher Glenda Vines.
Vines was also Bradley’s first-grade teacher.
“He was a precious child,” she said. “It’s such a great loss to our school and the community.”
Just minutes after learning about the family’s death, Vines was tasked with passing along the bad news to another teacher in the district. “It was horrible,” she said. “It was just unbelievable. I knew our whole school would be affected. Our schools are very close-knit schools — we all have babies together, we all get married together — it’s a very united school system.”
Ninety Six Elementary School Principal Jane Calhoun said district principals and superintendents will meet this afternoon to decide what their next steps will be.
“This really impacts every school in District 52,” Calhoun said, adding that Bradley and Brittney both attended schools in the district.
Officials with the school district have contacted counselors who will be on hand at schools to offer support and meet with students and faculty who are having difficulty dealing with the tragic news, she said.
“This whole tragedy has hit the whole district,” said Marcia Gaines, guidance counselor at Ninety Six Elementary. “She was just a wonderful person, bright as sunshine and did everything she could for the students to further their education. She was just a wonderful person.”
“She was a very unique person and teacher, and she had a very special way of dealing with children,” Calhoun said. “She was always doing something to inspire everybody — not only in her teaching, but in her personal life as well.”
There are no immediate plans for a memorial service, but the district will pay tribute to Strom and her family in the coming weeks, she said.
“We know we want to do something, but we don’t know what that is at this point,” Calhoun said. “Right now we are focused on how we are going to deal with things when we walk in the doors on Monday.
“I can’t imagine going in Monday knowing there will be that absence.”
The family was flying the plane, a four-seat Piper PA-28, from McCormick to Greenwood to drop off one of the children, then was flying to Marlboro County. It went down in a dense patch of woods that took rescuers more than an hour to locate.
“We combed the coverage area by foot and by vehicle,” said Calvin Simpkins, chief of the Promised Land Fire Department. “There were ravines, and there was a pond near the crash site, so we had to be extremely careful.”
The bodies were not removed from the scene until early Saturday morning. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, said Kathy Gagne, an air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.
The pilot was not communicating during the flight, and there were no clear indicators at the scene pointing to a specific cause.
“Cause is what comes at the end of a lengthy investigative process,” Gagne said. “We’re trying to get started on the on-scene portion of our investigation, which involves photographing, documenting and examining the wreckage as it is.”
The wreckage was scattered over a small area near a pond, but there were no signs that the crash resulted in a fire.
Robin Strom lived in McCormick, was the Republican Party chairwoman and a former member of county council.
McCormick County Councilman Henry Banks, who served with Strom for three years before her departure from the council last year, said he was very saddened by the news. “She was an outstanding person, and I got to know her in the three years that we served together,” Banks said. “I consider it a privilege to have worked with her and to have known her.”
James Strom worked for the U.S. Postal Service in McCormick and was the owner of Strom Development Co., Birchtree Storage in Greenwood and four car washes. He also was on the board of John de la Howe School. He attended Lander University and the University of South Carolina.
Robin received her master’s degree in elementary education from USC. She was previously named District 52 Teacher of the Year.
Brittney was a junior at Ninety Six High School and was a member of the cross country and soccer teams and was a cheerleader.
Bradley was in the sixth grade at Edgewood Middle School and was a member of the band and Honors Chorus.
Karen Wilson was Robin’s friend and colleague. Wilson took over Robin’s position as fifth-grade science teacher when Wilson moved from Oakland Elementary to Ninety Six Elementary in 1996. That’s when Robin started the science lab at the school.
“They just had a zest for life,” Wilson said of the family.
Wilson was at Oakland Elementary in 1988 during a deadly school shooting. She said this is a tragedy of similar magnitude.
Wilson said teachers, school officials, families and students met at Ninety Six Elementary from about 11:30 p.m. Friday until 2:30 a.m. Saturday to pray and console one another. Wilson said Robin is “irreplaceable” and always thought of others before herself. Robin would bring back gifts for her students when she went on trips.
Wilson said she and Robin often talked about religion. “They were right with the Lord,” Wilson said. Robin recently gave Wilson a card and medallion with the spiritual poem “Footprints.”

For information about memorials and funeral services, see an obituary on page 4A.

Walter A. Aiken

GREENVILLE — Walter A. Aiken, of 403 Crandall Drive, died Friday, Jan. 7, 2005 at Greenville Memorial Hospital.
Born in Abbeville County, he was a son of William L. and Eula Mae Aiken of Hodges.
Survivors include his wife, Mary E. Aiken of the home; two daughters, Teresa Barlow of Fort Knox, Ky. and Angela Y. Aiken of Mauldin; a sister, Mary Alice Washington of Hodges; five brothers, David A. Aiken Sr., Rev. John Aiken Sr., Rev. Jerry Aiken Sr., Bennie Aiken and Patrick Aiken Sr.; and two granddaughters.
Services are 2 p.m. Tuesday at Mount Zion AME Church, Hodges. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Visitation is 7:30-8:30 Monday at Watkins, Garrett & Woods Mortuary.
Watkins, Garrett & Woods Mortuary, Greenville, is in charge.

Raymond A. Dunlap

McCORMICK — Raymond A. Dunlap, 86, of Route One, died Saturday, Jan. 8, 2005 in Waterloo.
Born in Oconee, S.C., he was a son of the late John and Permelur Clark Dunlap. He was a retired logger, a member of Troy United Methodist Church and lived in McCormick since 1920. He was twice married first to the late Lillie Mae Dunlap and then to the late Lila Mae Blackwell Dunlap.
Survivors include three stepsons, Jerry Davis and Jimmy McCarthy, both of Greenwood, and Stanley Davis of Hodges; two sisters Mrs. Raymond (Nell D.) Henderson of McCormick and Winnifred D. Henderson of Columbia; and 11 step-grandchildren.
Services are 11 a.m. Monday at Troy United Methodist Church, conducted by the Rev. Henry Schwarzmann. Burial is in Troy Cemetery.
Pallbearers are Marion Henderson, Tommy Henderson, John Henderson, Jimmy Smith and the N.C. Hunters.
Honorary escorts are the men of Troy United Methodist Church.
Visitation is 10-11 Monday at Troy United Methodist Church.
The family is at the home of Jimmy and Jamie McCarthy, 210 Frances St., Greenwood.
Strom Funeral Home is in charge.

Olin Eakin

Olin Shedrack Eakin, 86, resident of 204 Oaklane Drive, husband of Kathleen Smith Eakin, died January 7, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood County, August 1, 1918, he was a son of the late James S. and Nina Jane Davis Eakin. Mr. Eakin was a retired yard conductor for Seaboard Coastline Railroad.
A member of the First Baptist Church, he was also a member of the Baraca Sunday School Class and the NGO Club of the church.
Surviving in addition to his wife of the home are three daughters, JoAnn and husband Sam Leaman, Jr. of Greenwood, Kathy and husband John Kincaid of Greenville and Janice and husband Kevin Hawkins of Moncks Corner; grandchildren, Sam Leaman, III, Carrie Hawkins, Ian Hawkins, Logan Kincaid and Hannah Grace Kincaid; great-grandchildren, Miriam Leaman, Madden Leaman, Theodore Leaman and Jackson Leaman.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Sunday from the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Tony Hopkins officiating.
Entombment will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens Mausoleum.
Pallbearers will be Franklin Smith, Lonnie Smith, Clifton Eakin, Trey Jenkins, Jerry Chastain and Buddy Hamrick.
Honorary escort will be members of the Baraca Sunday School Class along with Ed Brown, Dr. J. Kenneth Stokes and Dr. Samuel T. Burnett.
The family is at the home of JoAnn and Sam Leaman, 208 Heritage West Court.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, 722 Grace Street, Greenwood, SC 29649.
For additional information please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
BLYTH FUNERAL HOME IS ASSISTING THE EAKIN FAMILY.
PAID OBITUARY

Thomas Michael Stathakis

EASLEY – Thomas Michael Stathakis, 60, of 323 Wildwing Way, died January 7, 2005.
Born in Greenwood, he was a son of Mike T. and Diana Athanason Stathakis of Greenville.
Mr. Stathakis was a graduate of Greenwood High School, Class of 1962, and retired as a partner in Stax’s Restaurants. He served in Korea as a Specialist E-5 in the US Army from 1963 until 1966. He also served on the Greenville City Police Department and the Tarpon Springs, Florida Police Department. He was a member of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
He was a loving father and family member who’s zest for the love of food and family gatherings made him the special brother, son, and uncle to the immediate family and father to his beloved daughter Neysa.
There is a long list of friends from his early days in Greenwood through his professional years as a soldier, police officer and restaurateur. He will be missed, but more importantly he will be remembered by his family as the rock that held the family together.
Surviving, in addition to his parents, are his daughter and son-in-law, Neysa and Todd Caron of Easley; and two brothers, George M. Stathakis and his wife, Paula, and Frank M. Stathakis and his wife, Sheila, all of Greenville.
Services will be Monday at 11:00 a.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, with Father Tom Pistolis officiating. Entombment will follow in Woodlawn Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends Monday from 10:00 until 11:00 a.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the building fund of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 15 Decamp Street, Greenville, SC 29601.
The Mackey Mortuary,
Century Drive
PAID OBITUARY

James Strom
Robin Strom
Brittney Strom
Bradley Strom

McCORMICK — James Melvin Strom, Jr., 45; Robin Bradley Strom, 44; Brittney Ashton Strom, 15, and Bradley James Strom, 11, all of 711 Augusta Street Ext., McCormick, died Friday, January 7, 2005 from injuries received in a plane crash.
Born in Augusta, GA, James was the son of the late James Melvin Strom, Sr. and Bernice White Strom. He attended the University of South Carolina and Lander College. He was employed by the US Postal Service in McCormick and was the owner of Strom Development Company, Birchtree Storage in Greenwood and four car washes. He served on the board of John de la Howe School and was a member of McCormick First Baptist Church, where he was a deacon and a member and a teacher of the Pathfinders Sunday School Class.
James is survived by four sisters, Melva Joiner of Jacksonville, FL, Martha Huey of Seneca, Sudie Stansell of Greenville and Lucy Ruple of West Columbia.
Born in San Bernardino, CA, Robin was a daughter of Nancy Loretta Cheek Bradley and the late Charles Vincent Bradley, Jr. She received her Masters Degree in Elementary Education from the University of South Carolina. She was the PLUS teacher at Ninety Six Elementary School and had been previously named the Greenwood County District 52 Teacher of the Year. She was chairperson of the McCormick County Republican Party and was a former member of the McCormick County Council and former president of the McCormick Jaycees. She was a member of McCormick First Baptist Church, where she taught in the Children’s Sunday School Department and served as Bible drill coach.
Robin is survived by her mother of Bennettsville; two sisters, Tina Bradley Jacobs of Cheraw and Cindy Lea Bradley of McCormick; four brothers, Charles Vincent Bradley, III of Cheraw, Craig Steven Bradley, Sr. and Cory Glen Bradley, both of McColl and Curtis Wayne Bradley of Hartsville; and a special friend, Ruth Bledsoe of Johnston.
Brittney was born in Augusta, GA and was a junior at Ninety Six High School, where she was a member of the FCA, the cross country team, the soccer team and was a cheerleader. She competed nationally in gymnastics and was a member of her church softball team. She was a member of McCormick First Baptist Church, where she was active in all youth programs.
She had attended a mission trip last summer with the church to Costa Rica and had plans to become a missionary. She also attended the Wednesday night youth group at Ninety Six First Baptist Church.
Bradley was born in Greenwood and was a sixth grade student at Edgewood Middle School, Ninety Six, where he was a member of the band and the Honors Chorus, performing last week in Washington, DC. He played baseball and football with the Greenwood County Parks & Recreation. He was a member of McCormick First Baptist Church, where he was a member of Children’s Sunday School Class and attended the Wednesday night youth group at Ninety Six First Baptist Church.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at McCormick First Baptist Church with the Rev. Dennis Lynn and the Rev. John Notter officiating. Burial will be in Overbrook Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Roy Wood, Tim Bledsoe, Hugh Cooper, Wallace Wood, Andy Adams, George Long, Bernie Hamby, Ed Talbert, Aaron Watson, Ben Ferqueron, George Patterson, David Satcher, Hugh Simmons, Ray Frick, Chris Kirkland and Johnnie Bandy.
The family will receive friends at Harley Funeral Home, Greenwood, on Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. The bodies will be placed in the church at 12 noon on Tuesday.
The family is at the home.
Memorials may be made to the Promised Land Volunteer Fire Department, c/o Calvin Simpkins, PO Box 1561, Greenwood, SC 29648 or to McCormick First Baptist Church, PO Box 416, McCormick, SC 29835.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

Janice M. Wideman

Janice Minor Wideman, 74, of 114 Wideman Drive and NHC Healthcare Center, widow of Moses Ralph Wideman Sr., died Saturday, Jan. 8, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood, she was a daughter of the late George W. and Mabel Holsonback Minor. She was retired from Greenwood Mills, where she had worked with the Adams, Durst and Chalmers Plants. She was a member of Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Aileen Barnes Sunday School Class.
Survivors include a daughter, Donna Davis of Greenwood; three sons, Moses Ralph Wideman Jr., Frederick A. Wideman and Glenn P. Wideman, all of Greenwood; a sister, Frances Flaherty of Greenwood; three brothers, John Robert “Bobby” Minor of Bradley, Joe A. Minor of Epworth and George A. “Skeeter” Minor of Greenwood; nine grandchildren and nine great- grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Monday at the Harley Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. Leland S. Scott. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers are Lee Fleming, Tim Fleming, Eric Wideman, Charles Smith, Chris Lindley and Jeff Minor.
Honorary escorts are members of the Aileen Barnes Sunday School Class of Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church, Agnes Minor, Lois Berry and Annie Ruth Pressley.
Visitation is 7-9 tonight at Harley Funeral Home.
The family is at the home of her son, Glenn Wideman, 119 Wideman Drive.
Memorials may be made to Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church, 509 Kirksey Drive, Greenwood, S.C. 29646.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

Bearcats top ’02 and ’03 win total with victory

January 9, 2005

By BRIAN HOWARD
Assistant sports editor

Forget seven wins this season.
The Lander University men’s basketball team eclipsed the seven-win total Saturday by beating Georgia College and State University, 67-59, in a Peach Belt Conference game at Finis Horne Arena.
The Bearcats had gone 7-21 each of the past two seasons, but first-year coach Bruce Evans isn’t satisfied with just eight wins.
“We’ve got so much more to play for,” Evans said. “Winning eight ballgames is great, and I’m happy for those guys that were here last year, because they went through a lot. I’ve asked them to do some things they haven’t done before and I am glad to see that the hard work has paid off for them, but we can’t just settle for just eight.
“It’ll be a long season. We got fourteen more conference games and regardless of what happens tonight in the league, we are tied for second.”
Lander (8-5 overall, 1-1 PBC) trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half, 22-11, with 8 minutes, 30 seconds left in the first half. But the deficit was cut to five, 33-28, by halftime.
The Bearcats opened the second half on an 11-2 run, sparked by an Emanuel Hodrea dunk with 17:36 remaining in the contest.
The dunk also gave Hodrea a technical foul for hanging on the rim.
“I wasn’t trying to stay up there,” Hodrea said.
“I wasn’t trying to let go of the rim for me to break my ankles. I was trying to hold on so I could stabilize myself. I didn’t mean to do it.”
Hodrea led the Bearcats in scoring with 19 points as he was 8 of 14 shooting from the field, including going 2-of-3 from behind the 3-point line.
Jarred Jackson had 11 points and five boards for Lander, which didn’t surrender a 3-pointer.
Justin Dickens led three Bobcats players in double figures with 12 points. Both Ronnie Dennis and Jeremy Mayweather had 10.
Georgia College shot 56 percent (14-of-25), while Lander was 10-of-26.
“They did some things tonight that threw us off tonight in the first half,” Evans said. “We made some adjustments there at halftime, but we really challenged out guys. We came out and our starters did a great job. They were able to get some steals, some easy buckets and got the momentum going.”
The Bearcats after opening the second half on an 11-2 run, built a six-point lead, 49-43 after a Derek Brooks jumper with 12:09 to play, but the Bobcats (8-5, 0-2) continued to cut away at the lead, including trimming it to one twice (54-53 and 56-55).
However, the Bearcats were able to push the margin to five, 60-55, after getting baskets from Jackson, Richard Gilliam and Hodrea with 1:46 remaining.
Lander will try to make it two straight in the PBC Wednesday at Augusta State.

GOP taking tough stance on filling seats on courts

January 9, 2005

One of the greatest setbacks for President Bush during his first term in the White House was the opposition many of his court nominees ran into in Congress, especially from Democrats. This time it may be different. If not, there may be serious consequences for a long time to come. Who sits on those benches, especially the U. S. Supreme Court, will have a tremendous impact on the future of this country and indeed the world.
At the beginning of the present congressional term, majority Republicans left no doubt they would take a tough stand on issues important to Bush’s agenda. Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., who was re-elected Speaker of the House, set the tone.

“IN THIS CONGRESS,” HASTERT announced, “big plans will stir men’s blood,” as he vowed to use the next two years to work hard to find answers to problems pertinent to Social Security, energy, transportation and other Administration goals. He also mentioned another topic that has received its share of attention in recent times – negative and positive – and that’s how to handle lawsuits and monetary awards.
The courts, though, will demand the spotlight, and should.
To kick things off, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Republican, fired the first shot. Frist announced that he would seek confirmation next month of “one of the president’s very capable, qualified and experienced judicial nominees.” Bush recently nominated 20 candidates for the federal courts. They are sure to “stir the blood” of Democrats. That’s because many of them were nominated last time but their confirmations were blocked by Democrats then.

HOWEVER, IF THE SAME KIND of opposition occurs this time, Republican leaders have served notice they will fight even harder for confirmation. They have threatened, if necessary, to change Senate rules that would make judicial confirmation easier to achieve. A change would require a simpler majority to do that, which Republicans could manage.
Most South Carolinians are aware of the major issues that will likely come before the high court down the road. What concerns many of them is whether there will be justices who will interpret the law, or make it. Some feel strongly the latter has too often been a factor. True or not, that is what they believe and they’d like to see that possibility eliminated by those who will ultimately succeed some of the justices who are likely to retire.