Local families have missing seat
at Thanksgiving table

November 24, 2005

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

As families gather today around their dinner tables to celebrate Thanksgiving, some households in the Greenwood area will have empty chairs in their dining rooms.
In earlier celebrations, those seats were filled with loved ones — mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters or sons — who shared in the merriment of the season.
But because of duty, disasters, death or other reasons, their seats are a vacancy that can create a sense of loss and sadness among those who are left behind.
Even through the separations or tragedies, many residents said they still have reasons to be thankful this holiday season.
When soldiers with Delta Company of the 111th Signal Battalion left the National Guard Armory in Hodges this September — ultimately bound for duty in Iraq — Ginger Miller had to say goodbye to her husband of more than two years.
Though Chris Miller, of Hodges, had been stationed for six months at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2004, this Thanksgiving and Christmas is the first holiday season the couple have spent apart, Ginger said.
The two are also expecting their first child in June.
“This year will definitely be a lot different than others in the past,” she said. “It’s hard not having my husband there, especially since we’re expecting. It’s not a guarantee, but we’re hoping he’ll be home for the birth.”
Rather than a hardship, Ginger said she and Chris think the pregnancy is an added blessing this holiday.
“God sees it as a better plan for us at this time. It will make the time go by faster, and it will be something for us to look forward to because we’ll be starting a new life together when he gets back,” she said. “I’m thankful that I’m married to a good man, and I’m thankful for the times that I’ve had with him.”
Ginger said support from family and from other military wives, such as Amber Hoffer, whose husband Jody is also a member of the 111th Signal Battalion, has been key in getting through the stress of separation.
Amber and Jody were married only weeks before the troops were ordered to report to Fort Hood in Texas.
“As a husband and wife, it’s our first holiday together, but he won’t be here,” Amber, a Ware Shoals resident, said. “You’re used to them being there and now they’re gone.”
Like Ginger, Amber said bonding with others who have husbands serving overseas has been a blessing.
The two are even a part of the “Sassy Six,” a group of six military wives who have become close friends. They are also members of a family support group that meets each month at the Hodges Armory.
“It’s nice to know that someone else is going through the same thing and really understands,” Amber said. “Time goes by so slowly when you’re there (at home) by yourself, but when you have those meetings, you know you have something to look forward to.”
For Greenwood residents Donald and Susannah McKellar, September was a month in which they said goodbye to a loved one as well.
Their daughter, Kaye Martin, a former teacher at Pinecrest Elementary School, died Sept. 8 after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Martin’s death came just months after husband John, an athletic director, coach and physical education teacher at Brewer Middle School, lost his own battle with cancer, and about 15 years after her sister, Linda McKellar Oliver, died of colon cancer. Kaye’s sister-in-law, Anne McKellar, has had her own battle with bone and liver cancer.
Donald, the former director at the Greenwood Community Theatre, said Kaye’s positive spirit throughout her ordeal has helped the family, including her children, Meredith and Trey, make it through a difficult year.
When Kaye learned the bone marrow transplant performed in April failed, she gathered her family in Houston, where she was receiving treatment, to tell them the news.
“She said, ‘I’m going to be fine. I’m going to be with Linda and John, and I want to be sure all of you are going to be fine,’” Donald said. “She had such a beautiful attitude.”
An outpouring of support from family, friends and the community — the family received more than 150 letters and cards after Kaye’s death — has also helped, Donald said.
“We thank God for our family and our friends, and for the memory of Kaye, John and Linda … At holiday times, I count my blessings instead of dwelling on sadness,” Donald said. “The holiday won’t be any different from any other time. Every day is another day that we miss our lovely girl.”
For some residents in the Southeast, Thanksgiving will take on new meaning as they work to rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
In October, Greenwood County Councilwoman Edith Childs, along with members of Duncan Creek Baptist Church, of Laurens County, Morris Chapel Baptist Church, of Greenwood, and the Little River and Tumbling Shoals Baptist associations, spent several days in New Orleans and Mississippi, bringing supplies to victims ravaged by the hurricane.
“It was like something you would read in a book or see in a movie, but not something you would see in actual life,” Childs said of the area.
When asked what they needed most, the victims said a bed and a stove. “That’s all they asked us for,” Childs said. “You could tell in their voices that they were sincere in what they were saying.”
Childs said the experience was moving for her and other mission team members.
“When I began to think about those people having nothing and I came back to everything (in Greenwood), I began to think about Thanksgiving. It made me more conscientious about what I do have and all the things the Lord allows me to possess,” Childs said. “I know what it’s like to be poor, but I don’t know what it’s like to have nothing … It was an eye-opening experience for me.”
Though thousands along the Gulf Coast lost their homes and belongings, Childs said many of them will still be thankful this holiday season for one important thing: life.
“They will be someplace, eating what food they can, thanking the Lord and being grateful to be alive,” she said.
During the holidays, which are steeped in family traditions and gatherings, grief because of loss or separation can be especially difficult for some.
“Grief is not just about death. It’s a normal reaction to a loss of any kind,” said Lynn Hollingsworth, family services coordinator with HospiceCare of the Piedmont. “During the holidays, it’s a time when everyone around you is happy … They are not only grieving the loss of the person, but also the loss of the holiday with that person.”
Hollingsworth said there is no right or wrong way to grieve, and the process, which can include loneliness, depression, anger or even numbness, can be different for everyone.
She said the presence of sympathetic, patient friends is an important part in helping those grieving make it through difficult times. Extreme changes in behavioral patterns might be a sign that a person is having trouble dealing with their loss and should seek help, she said.
HospiceCare of the Piedmont offers grief support groups for families and is offering a “Handling the Holidays” workshop Dec. 6 for people struggling with grief during the season. For information, contact the Lynn Hollingsworth at HospiceCare of the Piedmont at 227-9393.

Friday’s purple playoff push

Emerald, Ware Shoals play in Upper State finals
for berths at Williams-Brice Stadium

November 24, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

The Emerald and Ware Shoals high school football teams have just a few things in common:
* Each team wears purple.
* Each team won its region title.
* Each team would like to be playing Dec. 3 in Columbia.
The teams can make that happen with wins Friday in their Upper State final games.
The Region III-AA champion Vikings (11-2) face Batesburg-Leesville at 7:30 p.m. at Frank Hill Stadium in the Class AA Upper State final.
Region I-A champion Ware Shoals (11-2) takes on Calhoun County (12-1) at 8 p.m. at Riegel Stadium in the Class A Upper State final.
For the second week in a row, a region rival stands the Vikings and a second state championship appearance.
Emerald, who defeated Newberry in double overtime last week, play host to region runner-up Batesburg-Leesville. The Vikings beat the Panthers, 34-33, during the regular season.
“I’d definitely like to get out of the Region III-AA round robin,” Emerald coach Mac Bryan said with a laugh. “It’s tough to play a team twice. You could take the top four teams from our region and play them all again, and it could be a different outcome each time.
“It’s going to come down to who makes the plays.”
It was the Vikings that made the plays, three, in particular, that helped the team advance past the Bulldogs last week.
On third-and-goal from the 17 in the second overtime, Emerald quarterback Dan Wideman hit teammate Peferio Strong in the end zone for the eventual game-winning touchdown.
The North All-Star quarterback and Lakelands’ player of the year struggled against Newberry, completing only 15 of 36 passes.
However, the touchdown pass to Strong was his third of the night and second in overtime, giving him 34 passing TDs on the season to go along with 3,690 passing yards and 869 yards and 16 scores rushing.
Seven of those 15 passes went to All-Lakelands receiver Demarco Anderson, who took them for 144 yards and two scores to give him 77 receptions for 1,124 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season.
The other two key plays were made by the Emerald defense. Newberry took a third-and-goal from the 1 on its possession in the second overtime, but the Vikings’ defense stuffed the Bulldogs on the next two running plays, sealing the win.
“I think it was important for us to win that way,” Bryan said. “We’ve done that before ... win in double overtime. We have done well in pressure situations.”
The win kept the Vikings’ season alive, and sends the team practicing on Thanksgiving Week for only the second time in the program’s history.
“It feels great to be playing this week,” Bryan said.
“It’s what you always try to work for. It’s an opportunity that doesn’t come around very often, and to do it in our first year is special.
“We’d like to be one of those programs that does go every year.”
Emerald will be facing one of those certain programs, in the Panthers, who are making their ninth Upper State finals in 12 years, advancing to five state championship games.
But Bryan knows his Vikings won’t be playing ghosts of the past nor the tradition of B-L, just the 2005 Panthers.
“Batesburg is one of those programs with tradition, but this is 2005 and this team is not the same as a year ago, and won’t be the same as next year’s,” he said.
In fact, the Vikings already have one victory over these Panthers, but only by the slimmest of margins. Emerald knocked off B-L, 34-33, after the Panthers failed to convert a two-point play.
“We won the region championship with a one-point victory at Batesburg,” Bryan said. “We were able to get the lead and were up 34-20 at one point. And with three minutes to go, we thought we had it under control, but they came back to make it 34-33.
“I don’t think we relaxed as much as they took it up a step.”
But that was 55 days ago.
Much has changed since that time, especially during the playoffs.
While the Vikings cruised through first and second round wins by an average margin-of-victory of 38 points before last week’s double overtime win, the Panthers knocked off a pair of undefeated teams, defending Class AA state champion Broome and two-time Region I-AA champion Pendleton, to get to Week 14.
“They’ve had a tremendous playoff season,” Bryan said. “They played a super ballgame against Broome ... really played a great ballgame. You could see their intensity on tape.
“And you have to give their coaches credit because you expected them to come out flat against Pendleton, but they were able to get their focus back.”
Key to the Panthers’ victory last week was the play of senior tailback Chamois Johnson, who had 180 yards and a touchdown rushing.
Johnson, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards last season and is nearing that mark again this year, had an even bigger game against the Vikings in the previous meeting. The B-L senior ran for 240 yards and four scores.
“Batesburg definitely can run the ball at you,” Bryan said. “Johnson does a great job of finding the holes.”
But the Panthers have shown they can win without Johnson. In B-L’s win over Ninety Six, Johnson was limited to fewer than 70 yards rushing, but junior quarterback Garrett Jones passed for two touchdowns and more yardage than Shrine Bowl QB Stan Doolittle (124 to 98).
“What they’ve done since we last saw them is develop their quarterback,” Bryan said. “They are much more multi-dimensional. They’re not just going to run at you 60 times. They pass the ball and it’s not just off play action.”

Opinion

Public and official debate on prayer is right forum

November 24, 2005

It’s becoming clearer every day that for some people, prayer and government don’t mix. It’s also becoming clearer that it’s an issue that’s not likely to go away any time soon. However, more people are showing their concern. They believe they are the victims instead of the perpetrators.
Under those circumstances, legislation planned by 3rd District Republican Rep. Gresham Barrett will try, he says, to add some sense to a situation that many are convinced has nothing sensible about it.
Barrett’s bill would allow public officials to pray anyway they wish and to a specific deity, and would not have to worry about a lawsuit going to a federal court. Instead, any suit would have to be in state courts and state supreme courts would have the final word.

THE INTENT IS MOST LIKELY to find favor with the majority of Barrett’s constituents, even though there is no assurance it will be approved. Nevertheless, it puts an emotional and moral issue in a position to at least stimulate more public and official debate that hopefully will settle the question once and for all.
The way things are going, more people are getting irritated, if not downright angry, over what they see as efforts to deny them their constitutional rights to pray anytime, anyplace. Opponents see it differently, of course. Therefore, Barrett is wise to provide a forum where right might triumph.
The core issue of opponents, of course, is that official prayers to a specific deity promotes a state-mandated religion, which they say the Constitution prohibits.

PROPONENTS, NATURALLY, insist the First Amendment on religion clearly allows prayer, and that the intent of the writers of the Constitution clearly showed they considered freedom of religion, which obviously includes prayer, was integral to government.
An interesting and pertinent point is made by Stephen Mansfield on the opposite page. He says the First Amendment has been “reinterpreted by the Supreme Court from its original purpose as a ban against a state church to a ban against religion in public life.” That’s absolutely correct. More of us should keep making that point, again and again and again.
Barrett should be commended for seeking a reasonable solution. Eventually we’ll have one ….. if the majority prevails, and in this case, there’s no reason it shouldn’t. It has right on its side. It just needs to continue to believe and act accordingly.

Editorial expression in this feature represents our own views.
Opinions are limited to this page.

Obituaries

Dantavious Donaldson

Services for Dantavious William Donaldson are 11 a.m. Friday at Tabernacle Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Marvin Hughes, assisted by the Rev. Dr. William L. Moore, pastor, and the Revs. Ulysses Parks and Donnie Kennedy. The body will be placed in the church at 10. Burial is in Youngs Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery.
Pallbearers are Tabernacle trustees and cousins.
Flower bearers are the Tabernacle Senior Missionary Society and YWAs.
Honorary escorts are the Tabernacle Children’s Church Department.
Visitation is at the home, 417 Magnolia Ave.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge.

Robert ‘Bob’ Hill

WATERLOO — Robert “Bob” Hill, 87, of 1372 Riverford Road, died Monday, Nov. 21, 2005 at Laurens County Hospital, Clinton.
A son of the late Arthur and Eva Campbell Hill, he was a member of Laurel Hill Baptist Church, former Deacon Ministry chairman and a past Worshipful Master of Waterloo Lodge No. 229-B. He was a retired employee of 3-M Co., Laurens, and a staff member of Beasley Funeral Home Inc.
Survivors include his wife, Lillian Caldwell Hill of the home; three sons, Robert Lee Hill, Keron Hill and Cedell Hill of Waterloo; two daughters, Sandra Hill of Waterloo and Shelia Hill of Los Alamitos, Calif.; a brother, Arthur Hill of Waterloo; a sister, Dorothy Walker of Laurens; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Friday at Laurel Hill Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Herbert Glenn and Dr. A.L. Brackett. Burial with Masonic rites is in the church cemetery.
Visitation is 7-7:45 tonight at Beasley Funeral Home.
Beasley Funeral Home, Laurens, is in charge.

John Middleton

ABBEVILLE — Services for John Middleton are 2 p.m. Friday at Little Mill Baptist Church, Willington, conducted by the Rev. Paul Saunders. The body will be placed in the church at 1. Burial is in the church cemetery.
Viewing is 12-8 p.m. today at Abbeville & White Mortuary.
Abbeville & White Mortuary is in charge.

Sara Baldwin Pitts

LAURENS, SC – Sara Baldwin Pitts, age 93 and widow of Richard Y. Pitts died Wednesday, Nov. 23rd in the Martha Franks Baptist Retire-ment Center.
She was born in Laurens and was a daughter of the late Asa Avery and Martha Jane Power Baldwin.
Mrs. Pitts was a retired school teacher of 33 years, member of the First Presbyterian Church and former Sunday school teacher and member of the Bessie Todd Class. She was a member of the VFW Auxil-iary; Order of the Eastern Star; past president of the Daffodil Garden Club; past president of the Young at Heart; past president of the Laurens County Retired Educators Association; member of the Friends Alike and a former member of the Laurens County Hospital Auxiliary.
Surviving are her daughter, Jane Pitts Sexton and her husband, Boyd of Piedmont; a son, Gerald Young Pitts and his wife Jymmie Nell of Greenwood; nine grandchildren and seventeen great-grand-children.
Mrs. Pitts was predeceased by a daughter, Sara Melinda Rushton; an infant grandson and was the last surviving of thirteen children.
Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, Nov. 26th at 2:00 p.m. in the Gray Funeral Home Chapel with burial in the Forest Lawn Cemetery.
The family will greet friends Saturday the hour before the service at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Center, 1 Martha Franks Dr., Laurens, SC 29360 or the First Presbyterian Church, 400 W. Main St., Laurens SC 29360.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.grayfuneralhome.com
Gray Funeral Home of Laurens.
PAID OBITUARY

Beatrice Duren-Murray

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Beatrice Wynetta Chappelle “Aunt Bea” Duren-Murray, 105, of 814-A Marsh St., widow of Charlie Duren and Joseph Murray, died Monday, Nov. 21, 2005.
Born in Ninety Six, S.C., she was a daughter of the late Mary Sudie and the Rev. Henry Stephen Chappell. She was a graduate of Morris College in South Carolina and a teacher for many years.
Survivors include two sons, Obie Waddell Duren and Joseph Leon Murray; a daughter, Mary Evelyn Murray Singleton; and a brother, James Bernard “Boobie” Chappelle.
Services are 1 p.m. Saturday at Rescue Temple COGIC, 601 Franklin Blvd.
Viewing is 12:30-1 Saturday at the temple.