It’s a ‘new world’

Tenenbaum challenges grads to carry the ‘torch’

May 13, 2007

By MEGAN VARNER
Special to The Index-Journal



As 278 graduation candidates formed a sea of blue before her, former South Carolina Superintendent of Education Inez M. Tenenbaum issued a number of challenges to those students during her address Saturday for Lander University’s spring commencement ceremony.
Tenenbaum, who also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters during the event in Horne Arena, told graduates to believe in their goals, take risks and be willing to reject conventional wisdom to do what is right.
“Do not be afraid to embrace grand ideas, for small thinking does not have the magic to stir the soul,” she said. “There is a new world out there waiting to be won. Your job is to win it, and it won’t be easy.”
As South Carolina’s 15th state superintendent, Tenenbaum worked closely with state legislators and educators to bring reform to the state’s schools and increase funding for students and programs. While she was in office, student achievement and test scores in South Carolina improved at record rates.
“I am proud to pass the torch of my generation along to you,” Tenenbaum said. “You are the best reason for hope that this world knows. Your imagination is our greatest resource. Your mind is our greatest treasure. Your commitment is our greatest legacy.”
During Saturday’s ceremony, the university also conferred honorary an doctor of humane letters degree upon Tenenbaum’s husband, Samuel Tenenbaum.
An Emory University graduate, Samuel Tenenbaum completed two years of postgraduate studies at the University of Minnesota before going to work at his family’s business, Chatham Steel Corp.
He served as vice president with that company until his retirement in 2000.
A philanthropist devoted to numerous causes, Samuel Tenenbaum served as the chairman of the Hurricane Katrina relief operations for the Midlands in 2005, coordinating the opening of an evacuation center. He is chairman of the Central Carolina Community Foundation, as well as on the boards and councils of numerous organizations, including the S.C. Chapter of the American Red Cross, State Development Board, the Alston Wilkes Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, United Way of the Midlands, Edventure Children’s Museum, Project Pet and the John Drummond Center at Erskine College.
Lander’s top academic honor, the Thayer Award, went to Tracy Nelson Schock, a visual arts major from Gray Court. The award is given on behalf of the family of Dr. Henry K. Thayer to the graduating senior achieving the highest scholastic average — provided the student has earned at least 60 credit hours in residence at Lander and that the student’s grade-point average is at least 3.75.
Schock, who earned a 4.0 GPA overall, tied for the award with Sheena Marie Morris, an elementary education major from Easley, who also earned a 4.0 GPA. Lander President Daniel Ball recognized both students and said that, in the event of a tie, the award is presented to the student who earned the highest number of hours at Lander.
Schock and Morris received the distinction of graduating summa cum laude, which requires a GPA of 3.9 to 4.0 (out of a possible 4.0). Both also earned Golden L Awards, which are given to students who have achieved a grade-point average of 3.5 or above in the last 60 hours of instruction through Lander University.
Also graduating with summa cum laude honors were Alexandra Lee Foguth, Lake Wylie, Golden L; Julie Marie Latham, Greenwood, Golden L; Patrick Clifton Donald Rodden, Lexington, Golden L; and Samantha Alisha Taylor, Anderson, Golden L.
Graduating with magna cum laude honors, a distinction accorded to students with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.75 to 3.89, were Karen Elizabeth Branch, Anderson, Golden L; Kimberly Dana Callahan, Laurens, Golden L; Carly Lee Canipe, Greenwood, Golden L; Jeromy Dale Crocker, Abbeville, Golden L; Elizabeth Corley Davenport, Greenwood, Golden L; Jamie Lea Faulkenberry, Columbia, Golden L; Candice M. Heindl, Hodges, Golden L; Megan Amanda Hill, Vance, Golden L; Flora McInnis Hobson, Greenwood, Golden L; Lindsey Barker Insalaco, Greenwood, Golden L; Jennifer Leigh Isbell, Anderson, Golden L; Lacie Crystal Lagroon, Greenwood, Golden L; Laura Elizabeth Livingston, Easley, Golden L; Nealy Sherard Mundy, Greenwood, Golden L; Tracy Sue Opitz, Avon, Golden L: Heather Nicole Owens, Greenwood, Golden L; Bradford Lee South, Clinton, Golden L; and Ashley Nicole Washington, Ninety Six, Golden L.
Cum laude graduates, which requires a grade-point average of 3.50 to 3.74, were Kelly Sprouse Addy, Greenwood, Golden L; Anna Kathryn Brice-Nash, Greenwood, Golden L; Phillip Marshall Brown, Greenwood, Golden L; Kelley Smith Calvert, Ware Shoals; Elizabeth Ruth Clark, Greenwood, Golden L; Brittany Rae Crimminger, Lancaster, Golden L; Elizabeth Ann Fults, Mauldin, Golden L; Kristy Lynn Goff, Newberry, Golden L; Adrew Claire Harmon, Saluda, Golden L; Taylor Noel Johnston, Hodges, Golden L; Allison Marie Jones, Graniteville, Golden L; Rachel Ashley Junkins, Easley, Golden L; Taylor Brady Knock, Greenwood, Golden L; Darrell Austin Landers, Greenwood, Golden L; Zachary Carl Lloyd, Laurens, Golden L; Jonathan Donald Miller, North Augusta, Golden L; Lisa Leigh Nelson, Waterloo, Golden L; Laura Elizabeth Odom, Prosperity, Golden L; Michael Andrew Ricciardone, Mt. Pleasant, Golden L; Amy Lynn Ryder, Duncan, Golden L; Kendel Colbie Scott, Greenwood, Golden L; Rebecca Lynn St. Clair, Rock Hill, Golden L; Ashley Denise Swofford, Greenwood, Golden L; Terrell Antonio Turner, Columbia, Golden L; Megan Claire Vaughan, Buffalo, Golden L; and Laura Ann Willbanks, Golden L.
Other Golden L recipients were John Edward Ballenger, Greenwood; Heather Nicole Bishop, Lexington; Susan Lynn Black, York; Cassondra Deeann Brocklehurst, Belton; Jessica Carol Burkett, Irmo; Brittany Leighann Cann, Abbeville; Joseph Robert Engram, Belton; Timothy Wayne Gaines, Belton; Brittainy Monet Harrison, Pelzer; Samantha Hope Jackson, Greenwood; Maralee Grace Kemp, York; Kevin Mark Lowe, Rock Hill; Whitney Leigh Maness, Laurens; Ryan Michael Neelands, York; Sarah Ann Niethamer, Greenwood; Katherine Elizabeth Richey, Greenwood; Marie Lorraine Rumsey, Greer; Melissa Ann Ryals, Murrells Inlet; Ambra Dee Sawyer, Marion; Kristina Lynn Simpson, Simpsonville; Korey Kathleen Springman, Greer; Kathryn Elizabeth Troutman, Rock Hill; Amanda Leigh Wagoner, Columbia; and Kristina Lynn Waters, Gray Court.

The young prince comes home

WWII veteran meets German-born son for the first time

May 13, 2007

By MIKE ROSIER
Index-Journal staff writer

The words would have to come later.
Having lived entire lives without the benefit of words being spoken between them, Cecil Vernon Rachels and Werner Cecil Meyer — American father and German son — sure didn’t need them messing things up now.
Especially not when everything was already perfect.
The two men smile — one the sure mirror of the other — and embrace for several tender moments before finally looking each other in the eyes.
There is not even time for tears.
Those too would have to wait. Sight and touch havetaken over.
Eventually, the two release — though neither man really and truly wants too. But there are others here to greet — nearly 40 of them, many of them family members who speak a funny-sounding, twangy but friendly brand of English.
The man named Werner (pronounced Veer-Ner in his native land) smiles and says to the crowd (but mostly, it seems, to himself) “Ah, this is good.”
Though he has never before stepped foot in the United States — and much less in South Carolina or the Emerald City — he is at ease.
Werner Cecil Meyer has finally come home.
Even after a 10-hour flight, a struggle through the monstrosity that is an airport in Atlanta, and a near 24-hour time difference from Germany, he grins as if he has stumbled onto his first barbecue.
He hasn’t, but what he has found is just as good.
“I am good,” he says. “I am up for 24 hours but feel great.”
When he left Europe at the conclusion of World War II about 60 years ago, Rachels had not known about the son he left behind. That bit of shocking knowledge came in a letter, which was received by his sisters — Gail Carruth and Janice Banister — in early 2004.
Thorston Heckel — Meyer’s German son-in-law — had made Saturday’s reunion possible through his own brother-in-law (Joseph Thadius Green, a onetime U.S. soldier), who found Rachels through the Internet.
“I get pat on back and ‘good job,’ but all I do is make the phone call,” said Heckel, who has also made the trip (complete with Denver Broncos cap). “What I do is nothing. All I do is pick up the phone.”
Then he points at his father-in-law, Meyer, eating at the table with his own father, and waves in the general direction of the crowd.
“But this,” he says. “This is unbelievable.”
Now Meyer stands proudly by his father’s side — at an incredibly spry 60 years of age, and with a modern-style haircut and earring to boot.
The young prince had truly come home in style.
His father couldn’t have been any prouder.
“I have sure been looking forward to this,” Rachels said. “I think he looks great, and he has a great spirit. Anyone that has tried so hard and waited so long to find their dad as he has ... I’m just so happy.”
So he passed out the blue bubble gum cigars that exclaim “It’s a Boy!” — albeit, just over 60 years after the fact.
Somehow, no one really seemed to care all that much.
“This is really like a dream come true for us,” Gail Carruth said.
“I don’t know if I can really describe it,” Janice Banister said. “To be honest, we didn’t think that this day would ever come.”
But it had come. Meyer steps over and takes stock of his younger brother, Larry Rachels, while a family member snaps a photograph.
The two men stand as tall as possible next to one another, and the family resemblance between them is absolutely uncanny.
“I can’t describe how this feels,” Larry Rachels says, before trying his best to do so anyway. “I feel like I’m in a dream and I’m going to wake up and be disappointed. But until that happens I sure am going to enjoy this.”
Werner Cecil Meyer will remain in the United States until May 24, by which time he will no doubt have had his first barbecue and enjoyed some fine fiddlin’ and a good ol’ time when the family goes to Pigeon Forge.
Meyer will leave with an American flag and South Carolina state flag that state Rep. Gene Pinson will deliver to him after having them flown over the Statehouse in Columbia — as well as plenty of memories of his new Southern home.
The next trip down home is already in the works.
But then the conversations will be longer — and in German.
“In two years I come back,” Meyer says to his dad. “We speak in German.”
His father laughs slightly at the notion.
But here in this life anything is possible.
On Saturday, these two men saw faces they never thought they would see, and heard words they never thought they would hear.
And tonight they will sleep and dream of dreams that really do come true.

Facing death, athlete never lost his strength

May 13, 2007

By SCOTT J. BRYAN
Index-Journal sports editor

NINETY SIX — Shelli Fields laughs when she talks about the first time she met her fiancé, Corey Carter.
In August of 2001, Fields walked into her first class at East Tennessee State University and was taken aback. A muscular man was sitting in the back of the classroom.
His head rested on the desk. His breathing was steady. He was asleep.
“Knocked out,” Fields said, laughter filling the room. “His head was down, he was in the back row and he was asleep.”
She tells this story while sitting in the back room of Carter’s parent’s house. Friends and family flow through the rooms wearing somber expressions. Children of various ages ride bicycles, play tag and shoot hoops outside.
It’s Fields’ wedding day.
But she’s not wearing a gown. She’s not nervous about taking her vows. She’s not preparing herself for marriage.
On Tuesday, her fiancé died of leukemia.

A good person

Corey Wendall Carter, 25, died Tuesday at the Johnson City (Tenn.) Medical University Hospital.
He’s survived by his parents, T.C. and Mary Carter; two brothers, Terance Orlando Carter, of Greenwood, and Derrick Lamont Carter, of Greenville; one sister, Tiarra Lashay Carter, of Greenwood; and his fiancée.
His services were Saturday at Holy Redeemer Look & Live Ministry.
Carter’s exploits on the football field are well known. At Ninety Six High School, Carter led South Carolina with 41 touchdowns in 1999, setting a school record.
His senior year, Carter rushed for 2,270 yards on 293 carries. He led the team with 111 tackles, including eight sacks.
And while Carter’s speed and strength on the football field amazed the opposition, it was his humble nature and humility that friends and family paint a picture of when depicting Carter.
“He was the type of person who had a lot of determination and ambition in life,” said his mother, Mary. “He wanted to live life and keep living. He wanted to be an NFL football player.
He had great character. People wanted to be around him. He drew people in the way he carried himself. He was just a great, great child.”
Fields said what initially attracted her to Carter was the way she felt when she was around him.
“He’s probably the most laid-back, nonchalant person you could ever meet in your life,” Fields said. “He didn’t sweat the small stuff. He always kept his cool. He could be in the room and not say a word, but be saying a lot. I’m very high-strung and we completely balanced each other out. He was very calm, very quiet.”
“There wasn’t an instant attraction. One thing about Corey, he was always himself. He never let anybody change him. He had a lot of self-confidence, but he wasn’t arrogant. People like that are easy to talk to, because you don’t have to get over the initial issues with them. He was just a good person.”

‘What’s that?’

The illness, like most cases, is alarming. Nobody wakes up and suspects leukemia. In fact, Carter thought he was battling a more common ailment.
“He had been sick for months at the time, and he was playing semipro football,” Fields recalled. “He kept thinking he had a cold and he kept taking antibiotics and Tylenol and stuff like that. And he continued to play football. We never really thought it was anything. One night, he called me at work and told me he couldn’t move. He said he wanted to wait to see if somebody had some antibiotics, but I told him he was going to the hospital.”
Carter balked at first, but relented and visited the hospital. The staff ran numerous tests. While the cause of his illness was still unknown, doctors quickly noticed he needed a blood transfusion.
“They gave him the blood transfusion, and shortly after that the doctors said he had leukemia. They couldn’t believe he had gotten to the hospital. They were asking him how he did it. His blood levels had dropped so low he shouldn’t have been walking.”
Leukemia, according to leukemia.org, is the general name of four different blood cancers. The type of leukemia varies, as does the treatment.
Fear overcame Fields, but Carter had a different reaction when doctors told him of his potential life-threatening disease.
“He said, ‘What’s that?’” Fields said. “He had never been hospitalized at that point in his life. He had always been healthy. They told him what it was, but he didn’t want to call his dad. He said his dad had high blood pressure and he didn’t want him driving here upset.” His reaction is what Fields found so amazing. Carter, always in top shape for athletics, was fighting an illness that could kill him. Instead, he was worried more about the reaction of family members than his own personal battle.
“You never heard him complain,” Fields said. “You wanted to shake him and ask him if he was mad. His reaction once he found out what it was: ‘OK, what do we do now?’”

Athletic endeavors

Carter’s senior year at Ninety Six was the crowning achievement to a remarkable prep football career. In 1999, he was named the Region II-AA Player of the Year, and he was also selected as the High School Sports Report’s Class AA Player of the Year after guiding the Wildcats to a runner-up finish in the state title game. Ninety Six assistant coach Russell Zehr spent plenty of time with Carter, coaching him at running back and linebacker. But Zehr knew Carter was something special when he saw him on the basketball court as a middle schooler. “He was in the eighth grade, and you could tell then he was going to be something special,” Zehr said. “He looked like a man among boys. He was very athletic. He always had a good temperament. He never got upset. He never got too excited. You could tell when he got serious, because he just took over. Even at that age, you knew he was going to be a special kid on the field.” Paul Hamilton was Carter’s head coach at ETSU. A South Carolina native himself, Hamilton made a point to recruit the Palmetto State, and Carter was high on ETSU’s list of prospects when he committed. Perhaps Hamilton’s fondest on-field moment with Carter came on Oct. 27, 2001. Facing top-ranked Georgia Southern, the Buccaneers pulled off an impressive upset, topping the Adrian Peterson-led squad. Georgia Southern had entered the game with a 13-game winning streak. “We ran a one-back set, and we started Corey and played him the whole way,” Hamilton said. “He had two big runs to help us win the game. Then at the end, we had the ball and we needed a first down to clinch it. We handed it to Corey three straight times and he got the first down.” Carter’s father, T.C., missed only one football game during his son’s high school and college career. But the elder Carter, much like his down-to-earth, level-headed son, rarely joined the crowds in their boisterous celebration. “People used to ask me all the time why I don’t holler and yell when he scores touchdowns,” T.C. said. “I’d tell him that’s his job to do that. His job was to score touchdowns.” But Carter remembers one game where his emotions got the best of him. In the Class AA quarterfinals, Ninety Six was on the road playing Central High School in Pageland. On the first play of the game, Central kicked the ball to Corey and the Wildcats ran a double-reverse. Later in the game, Carter intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. Ninety Six won 19-14. “That was the best play I’ve ever seen,” T.C. said. “People say they didn’t hear me holler. That day, I hollered so loud.”

Growing closer to God

Carter’s faith grew while undergoing treatment in Maryland. “He went through lots of chemotherapy and a whole lot of medicine,” Mary said. “There was a lot of blood given to him. He had three (bone marrow) transplants, and he had to go through the chemo every time. The chemo would kill out the good parts in his body, as well as try to knock out the leukemia. It would knock his body down, but they gave him medication to build back his immune system. It was knocking it down, but it wasn’t getting rid of it. By the time they got to the third transplant, it was in his blood. They gave him some pills and told him his time was soon. He accepted that.”
Carter, according to Fields, had always been faithful to God, but with death nearing, his mother helped him grow more vocal about his relationship with the Lord.
“I believe God was carrying him every bit of the way,” Mary said. “He accepted God, and while we were in Maryland, we spent a lot of quality time talking about God. He found that special relationship with God.
“He’s in heaven, without a doubt. He might be playing football. The night he died, he came by our house. It was like a whirlwind. My daughter-in-law, she got out of the bed and looked outside. The neighbors heard it, too. It was a miraculous sign. It was a sound nobody could figure out. It was a loud roar. He had left Tennessee and gone up to heaven. But I think he stopped by to tell us.”

Feeding off Carter’s strength

The wedding was scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at Rose Hill Chapel in Johnson City. After more than five years with Fields, treating her 6-year-old daughter Jaisa Calloway as his own, Carter was ready.
“We knew he was progressively getting worse, and we didn’t know how much longer he had,” Fields said. “The deal was if he was here today, we were going to get married. I asked him if he was sure. He told me, ‘This is what I’m doing.’ I think he felt he deserved that. There was never any question in my mind. If you’re here, and I’m here, it’s going down. I think that’s part of the reason why he fought so hard at the end to hang on. It was so close.”
A few days before he died, he questioned Fields on the wedding. With his disease slowly decreasing his energy, he wondered why Fields would want to marry him.
“He got scared and wanted to know if I wanted to marry him,” Fields said. “I couldn’t believe he wanted to marry me, because I’m slightly neurotic. Anybody who knows us, knows I can nag him and he’d just let it roll off his back. My biggest fear was that he’d be there and something would happen. He’d pass out or get too weak. Then I’d be mad at myself, because I haven’t stopped him.”
Carter’s mother said she felt blessed that Fields was in her son’s life. Through the good and the bad, she stayed by his side.
“She was really close to him,” Mary said. “God couldn’t have put a better person in his life.
She went every step of the way with him.”
But Fields says it’s Carter who kept her going.
And in the end, it’s why Fields is able to tell stories with a smile. It’s not mourning; it’s remembering.
“He would get mad at me for crying,” Fields said. “He’d ask, ‘What are you crying for? I’m not gone yet. Don’t be mad.’ He never let anything bother him. People kept telling me I was so strong, but it was because he was so strong. When people have a terminal disease, you have to spend a lot of time cheering them up and keeping them positive. I never had to do that with him, because he handled it so well. He never complained. He never got mad. He just lived.”

Vikings vanquished

Emerald falls short in state championship match

May 13, 2007

By RENALDO STOVER
Index-Journal sports writer




COLUMBIA — Any premonitions that the Emerald High School boys soccer team might not playing well Saturday in the Class AA state championship game against Bishop England were likely erased following the end of the first overtime period.
But in the end, the Battling Bishops took advantage where the Vikings could not, winning 2-1 on penalty kicks in a game that remained tied through two 10-minute overtime periods and two five-minute sudden death periods.
“We came out how Coach wanted us to, and we played the best we could,” Kadarron Anderson said. “Things just didn’t go our way with the penalty kicks. I feel like we played better than them the entire time, and I think we surprised a lot of people.”
Bishop England’s Alvin Hooper netted the winning penalty kick.
“What went through my head was that I knew I had to win it for my team and the seniors,” Hooper said. “I was nervous before the kick, as everybody is, but I knew I had to put it in.”
Vikings’ coach Brad Nickles said his team has no reason to hang their heads after the loss.
“We came out and competed,” Vikings coach Brad Nickles said. “You asked me the other night which team was going to show up, and obviously the ones with a lot of heart did.”
Bishop England struck first, scoring in the 10th minute when James Ricciardone scored off an assist from Geordi Khoury.
Less than five minutes later, the Vikings’ Joseph Taylor tied the game off a free kick.
Following the goal by Taylor, Bishop England proceeded to control the tempo for the remainder of the opening half.
“We weren’t really packing it in for the PKs,” Nickles said. “We started the game plan with the purpose of just getting through it. We knew we had a couple of players who individually could score goals for us and one of them did. Unfortunately for us, the first shot they had was deflected and went in, so we were behind 1-0. We knew it was going to have to be a close game for us to have a chance.”
The Vikings were able to avoid further trouble late in the half when Bishop England took three straight shots on goal from less than 8 yards out.
Confusion seemed to take over as goalkeeper Charlie Lambour went down during the exchange, but the Vikings’ defense converged around the goal and survived the scoring threat.
“The big question we had coming in was not could we play with them, but would we show up to battle and they did,” Nickles said. “It’s a difficult time for them, but I’ll say it over 1,000 times, I couldn’t be any prouder of them.”
Nickles also gave credit to Bishop England and their two goalkeepers, Phillip Ricciardone and Joey Calandra, who split time defending the Battling Bishops’ goal and thwarted the Vikings’ PK attempts.
“They’ve got two quality goalkeepers,” Nickles said. “Both of them are college material and you don’t see that often. It’s just one of those things.”
Bishop England coach Ed Khouri said the Vikings played well, but his team took advantage when they needed to in the end.
“Emerald came prepared as we were aware of,” Khouri said. “In the game of soccer, you play your strengths and there comes a given day, no matter how good you are, you don’t score on your chances, you tend to lose. That’s the miracle of the game. Today we played well, but we’ve got to give the Emerald boys a lot of credit.
“Our plan was to stick to what we wanted to do as a team. Once we took them to PKs, we knew we would have it. At that point, I felt a little more comfortable.”

Obituaries

Alfred Ben Coleman

SALUDA — Alfred Ben Coleman, 87 entered into rest Saturday, May 12, 2007, in Greenwood, SC. Mr. Coleman was born September 13, 1919 in Saluda, SC, son of the late Andrew Thornton Coleman and Carrie McCarty Coleman. He is survived by his wife of 61years, Lucille Glenn Coleman. He is also survived by two sons, Richard Coleman of Greenwood, SC and Mike Coleman (Mary) of Aiken, SC.; four grandchildren, Lacy Gilbert of Greenwood, SC, Yates Coleman of Mt. Pleasant, SC, Katherine Coleman of Clemson, SC and William Coleman of Aiken, SC; and one great-grand daughter, Laney Gilbert of Greenwood, SC. Alfred was pre-deceased by twin infant daughters, Leigh and Lyn; sisters, Grace Coleman Force, Sophie Coleman Shaw, Georgia Coleman Martin as well as brothers, Andrew Preston Coleman, Daniel Bumpus Coleman, and William Randolph Coleman.
Alfred served in the Army during World War II and upon his return graduated from Clemson University in 1948. He was a member of Saluda Baptist Church where he was a former Deacon. He owned and operated Farmer’s Seed and Supply for 47 years in Saluda, SC. Alfred’s service to Saluda also included 8 years as Mayor during the 1960’s as well as Chairman of County Council for 10 years during the 1980’s. In addition, he was a member of the Masonic Lodge, IPTAY, and the Lion’s Club, recently receiving lifetime member recognition.
Funeral Services for Alfred Coleman will be held 11 a.m. Monday, May 14, 2007, at Saluda Baptist Church in Saluda, SC followed by interment at Hickory Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Sunday at the Ramey Funeral Home in Saluda, SC.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Saluda Baptist Church in Saluda, SC.

Theresea Ann Gordon

ABBEVILLE — Theresea Ann Gordon, age 46, of Carver Apartments, Apt. No. 3, died May 11, 2007, at her home. She was born in Brooklyn, NY and was the daughter of Roscoe Gordon and the late Drucilla Wright Gordon. She was a graduate of Dixie High School and was a Methodist.
Surviving are her father of Due West; a daughter, Tiffany Gordon of Anderson, SC; a son, Tarrant Gordon of Abbeville; and five grandchildren.
Services will be Tuesday, May 15, 2007, at 3 p.m. at the Chapel of Brown and Walker Funeral Home with Revs. J.C. Eichelberger and Janes Kay officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary Baptist Church Cemetery, Due West, SC.
The family is at the home of her father, Roscoe Gordon, 38 Gordon St., Due West, SC and at her home in Carver Apartments. Services are arranged by Brown and Walker Funeral Home.

Rev. Floyd Lumpkin

ABBEVILLE — Rev. Floyd D. Lumpkin, 88, resident of Abbeville, widower of Hazel Chapman Lumpkin, died May 12, 2007 at Wesley Commons in Greenwood.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Harris Funeral Home, Abbeville. Marie A.

Marie A. McKittrick

CROSS HILL — Marie A. McKittrick, age 74, the widow of James A. McKittrick, Sr. died Friday, May 11, 2007, at St. Francis Hospital in Greenville.
She was born in Alexandria, VA and was a daughter of the late Clarence and Beatrice Norcross Padgett.
Mrs. McKittrick was a member of the Mountville Presbyterian Church.
Surviving are her children, Russell P. McKittrick of Charlotte, NC, Lynn McClurkin of Greenwood, James A. McKittrick, Jr. of Greenwood, Laurie Hefty of Taylors and eight grandchildren.
Graveside services will be conducted Monday, May 14, 2007, at 11 a.m. at Pinelawn Memory Gardens in Clinton.
The family will receive friends Sunday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Lung Association, 1817 Gasden St., Columbia, SC 29201.
Condolences may be expressed to the at family at www.grayfuneralhome.com.
Gray Funeral Home of Clinton is in charge.

Annie H. Mooney

Services for Annie Helton Mooney will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Harley Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Michael Thomas, II, the Rev. Michael Thomas, Sr. and the Rev. David Milcher officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Andy Barger, Alex Barger, Aaron Mayo, Mark Mooney, David Mooney, Tracy Peppers and Melvin Mooney.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m. The family is at the home, 102 Brissie Avenue.
Memorials may be made to First Apostolic Church, 3904 Highway 25 South, Greenwood, SC 29646. Mrs. Mooney, 92, of 102 Brissie Avenue, widow of J. C. Mooney, died Friday, May 11, 2007, at her home.
Born in Jefferson County, GA, she was a daughter of the late Richard Allen and Josie Austin Helton. She attended First Apostolic Church.
Surviving are two daughters, Pat Thomas and Glenda Brown; a son, Tommy Mooney, all of Greenwood; seven grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, Jack Mooney.
Online condolences may be sent to the Mooney family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.

Jessie Vereen

SALUDA — Jessie Lee Cockrell Vereen, 71, of 166 Equine Dr., died Friday, May 11, 2007 at her residence.
Born in Saluda County, she was the daughter of the late Jesse James and Vara Chapman Vereen.
She was a retired aide with Saluda Nursing Center and was a member of Red Bank Baptist Church.
Surviving is a son, William P. Vereen of Chappells; one daughter, Kay Vereen Rodgers of Ward; one sister, Christine Rodgers of Chappells; and three grandchildren, J. R. Rodgers, Fetilca Rodgers and William Sam Vereen.
Funeral services will be 3 p.m. Monday, May 14, 2007, at Ramey Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Burton Campbell officiating. Interment will follow at Saluda Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 PM Sunday evening at Ramey Funeral Home.

Opinion

Whatever we may call her, make it her special time

May 13, 2007

Mother, Mom, Mommie, Ma, and Mama are but a few of the things we call the person who gave us life. In addition, there are enough pet names to fill a book. Whatever we call that person, though, today is, of course, a set-aside time to honor her. And, honor her we should. That’s what we should do everyday, certainly, not just on this special day. The operative word there, naturally, is “special”, and that’s something each of us can do simply by what we say and how we behave.
There are, to be sure, occasional stories in the news that are filled with sadness and horror about the tragedies some mothers have wrought. Fortunately, they are the few. By and large, most of those we honor today are loving, caring individuals who often will deprive themselves so their children can live better lives. Whether they are in the workplace, as so many are these days, or stay-at-home mothers who have a workplace of their own, they are the ones every child looks to for the love, nurturing and guidance that turn each of us into what we become.
One very special thing we can do today is simple. We can tell our mothers we love them. That goes a long way. For some who no longer have their mothers around, it may be a bittersweet time. There is always that one haunting question: Did I tell her I loved her enough ..... or ever? Don’t make that mistake today.