May 2009

Brunner E. "Bud" Summer May 30, 2009

Brunner E. “Bud” Summer, 83, of 488 Catfish Cove, Chappells, died Saturday, May 30, 2009 at his residence.
Mr. Summer was born on June 24, 1925 to the late Tom and Emma Bickley Summer. He was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. and was retired from Southern Bell. He was a member of Crossroad Baptist Church.
He is survived by his wife, Sara Lancaster Summer; sons, Dennis H. Summer of Chappells and Eddie Summer of the home; grandchildren, Daniel Summer of Chappells and Kayla Summer of Greenwood; and a brother, Miller Summer of Greenwood. He was predeceased by 2 brothers, Jennings Summer and Grady Summer and sister, Margaret Summer.
Graveside funeral services were conducted at 11:30 AM Tuesday at Crossroads Baptist Church by Rev. Wayne Parker.
Messages to the family may be sent via email at notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.
Whitaker Funeral Home, Newberry is assisting the family.

Top of Page

Margaret Sease Halfacre May 29, 2009

Margaret Sease Halfacre, 100, formerly of 4029 Bush River Rd., died Friday, May 29, 2009 at J.F. Hawkins Nursing Home.
Born in Newberry County on July 20, 1908, she was the daughter of the late James Anderson Sease and Minnie Long Sease. She attended Tranwood Elementary School, Newberry High School, and Newberry College where she received an AB degree in 1933.
She worked for Katterman and Mitchell Company in Laurens, S.C., and taught school for five years until her marriage in 1941. She was an exemplary homemaker who won many blue ribbons for her canned goods at the Newberry County Fair.
Mrs. Halfacre was baptized and confirmed at St. James Lutheran Church where she was a life-long member. She served as organist at St. James for approximately 20 years, was a member of the adult Sunday School class and WELCA Miriam group. She was a life member of the Newberry College Women’s League.
She was a member of Tranwood Extension Homemakers Club were she held various offices and a member of the Bush River Friendship Club.
Surviving are her husband of 68 years, Cyril Sease Halfacre of Newberry; a daughter and her husband, Janice and Hugh R. “Bob” Graham of Ladson, SC; a grandson Hugh R. “Rob” Graham, Jr. of Ladson; and three sisters-in-law, Dorothy N. Halfacre, Betty Halfacre, and Troxelle Senn all of Newberry.
Funeral services were conducted at 3:00 PM Monday in St. James Lutheran Church by the Rev. Rodney Gunter. Interment was in the Church Cemetery. Visitation did follow the service at the Church.
Memorials may be made to St. James Lutheran Church, 228 Jalapa Rd., Newberry, S.C. 29108 or a charity of one’s choice.
Active pallbearers were Rob Graham, Chris Carlisle, Paul B. Long, Heber Long, Josh Long and David Sease.
Messages to the family may be sent via email at notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.
Whitaker Funeral Home, Newberry is assisting the family.

Top of Page

John Ray Amick May 29, 2009

Services for John Ray Amick, 72, of Gilbert, were conducted at 4:00 p.m. Sunday at Cedar Grove Lutheran Church with the Rev. Gary Brandenburg and Rev. Kathleen Panning officiating. Burial did follow in the church cemetery with visitation to follow in the church social hall. Memorials may be made to Cedar Grove Lutheran Church 1220 Cedar Grove Road Leesville, SC 29070. Barr-Price Funeral Home and Crematorium, Historic B-L Chapel is assisting the family.
Mr. Amick died Friday May 29, 2009. Born in Chapin, he was a son of the late Horace Clayburn and Eva Rosabell Frick Amick. He was a member of Cedar Grove Lutheran Church, a former member of the Air National Guard and had retired from Honeywell.
Surviving are his wife, Elizabeth Bolin Amick, sons, Christopher (Kimberly) Amick and Rev. Terry (Lorie) Amick, daughter, Sharon (Michael) Eargle, brothers, Tom, Bruce, Robert and Heyward Amick, sisters, Caroline Frick, Frances Davis, Ann Adams and Martha Amick, and 8 grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his parents and brother, Hubert Amick.

Top of Page

Carolyn Lane Marett May 29, 2009

Carolyn Lane Marett, 99, of 1809 Harper St., widow of Joe C. Marett, died Friday at Newberry County Memorial Hospital.
She was born in Newberry on May 23, 1910 to the late Olin H. and Marie Whitaker Lane. She was a 1934 graduate of Newberry College and a devoted elementary school teacher for 38 years having taught most of her years in Newberry. She was a member of the Newberry County Retired Teachers Association. She was a faithful member of Central United Methodist Church and the Ezell Bible Class.
Carolyn had a love and a gift for gardening and the beauty of her garden has been an enjoyment for family members, friends, and strangers. She was generous with her plants and enjoyed sharing her bulbs with people throughout the country. Carolyn remained the active care taker of her garden until her death.
She is survived by two step-daughters, Diane Shoaf of Pickens and Judith Marett of Texas; an abundance of cousins who cherished her and a beloved family of students that she taught during her 38 years.
Funeral services were conducted at 11:00 A.M., Monday at Central United Methodist Church by the Rev. Karen Radcliffe and Rev. Michael W. Whitesides. Interment was in Rosemont Cemetery.
Visitation was from 5:00 to 6:30 PM Sunday at Whitaker Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to Central United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 67 Newberry, SC 29108, or to Newberry College, 2100 College St., Newberry, SC 29108.
Pallbearers were Bill Lewis, Doggett Whitaker, John Paul Whitaker, James Williams, Robert Dawkins, David Glover, John Glover, Phil Spotts, Mark Walker and Tom Bradberry.
Honorary pallbearers were Jack Whitesides, Thomas Buzhardt, Mike Dipner, Ron Halfacre, Ned Richardson, Lin Slaton, and Frank Ward.
Messages to the family may be sent via email at notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.
Whitaker Funeral Home, Newberry is assisting the family.

Top of Page

Rev. George Benet Shealy Monday, May 25, 2009

Walhalla, SC—The Rev. George Benet Shealy, 76, Pastor Emeritus of St. John’s Lutheran Church, died Monday, May 25, 2009, after an illness of many years. Born in Newberry, SC, he was the youngest of 11 children of the late Olin O’Neal and Cora Wise Shealy. He grew up on Mollohon Mill Village where he worked his way through Newberry College, graduating in 1953. He was a 1956 graduate of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC, where he later did post-graduate study. While in Seminary, Rev. Shealy was summer pastor of St. Timothy and Augsburg Lutheran churches in Whitmire and Union counties, and was student assistant pastor of St. Johannes Lutheran Church, Charleston.

Rev. Shealy was pastor of Trinity and St. Nicholas Lutheran churches in Fairfax, Allendale County; Silverstreet Lutheran Church and supply pastor of Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church in Newberry County; Faith Lutheran Church in Batesburg County and supply pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Ridge Spring, Aiken County; St. Johannes Lutheran Church in Charleston; St. John’s Lutheran Church in Walhalla from 1968-1980; and Redeemer Lutheran Church in Greer. In later years he was instrumental in organizing Faith Lutheran Church in Pickens. He and his wife attended and were part of the family at Eternal Shepherd Lutheran Church in Seneca.

Rev. Shealy was Chairman of the Oconee County Bicentennial Committee and one of the organizers and first presidents of the Oconee County Community Theater. He also was instrumental in the restoration of the 1914 auditorium of the old Walhalla High School, which led to the organization of the Walhalla Auditorium Restoration Committee. He was on the Walhalla Sesquicentennial Committee, serving as chairman of the Historical Committee. He also served on numerous committees of the Lutheran Synod of South Carolina. He was Grand Marshall of the Walhalla Christmas parade in 1990 and 2000, making one in two centuries. He was the first person to be awarded The Award of Achievement by The Oconee Arts and Historical Society and celebrated his 5oth year of Ordination in 2006.

Following a massive heart attack in 1981, Rev. Shealy had to retire from the active ministry in 1982. Friends and former members in Walhalla and elsewhere built him, his wife, and son a home in Walhalla where he and his wife have lived since. He was made Pastor Emeritus of St. John’s Lutheran Church in 1989; the first former pastor to be so designated in St. John’s long history.

In retirement, Rev. Shealy devoted himself to study, research and writing. He is the author of Walhalla: A German Settlement in Upstate South Carolina and Gen. John A. Wagener: Charleston and South Carolina’s Most Influential German American, Founder of Walhalla and MOLLOHON: A Newberry Mill and Village. He was the instigator and co-compiler of Shealy Family Genealogy 1752-1992. At the time of his death he was working on a book on the history of St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Rev. Shealy is survived by his devoted wife of 54 years, Gloria Hawkins Shealy; two daughters and son-in-law, L. Carol Shealy; and Julie S. and Henry Gambrell, all of Walhalla; one son and daughter-in-law, Frank O’Neal and Melody G. Shealy of Walhalla; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild, Justin and April Smith of Travelers Rest; Leslie H. and Nate Bellamy of Loris; Zack, Erica, and Addison Smith of Rock Hill and Grant Shealy of Walhalla; a brother, Ralph C. Shealy of Spartanburg; and two sisters, Mrs. Wyman (Ruth) Frick of Mint Hill, NC; and Mrs. George P.(Reba) Lester, Jr. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by a son, George B. Shealy, Jr.; a granddaughter, Meghan Rebekkah Hellams; three brothers, Eugene, Ray and John Pat Shealy; four sisters, Mary Anna Shealy, Mrs. J. D. (Sara) Golden, Mrs. William J. (Gladys) Clamp and Mrs. Dorothy Stewart.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, May 27, 2009 at St. John’s Lutheran Church at 4:00 p.m., with burial in St. John’s Cemetery. The body was placed in the church one hour prior to the service. There was a memorial service at Eternal Shepherd Lutheran Church at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 27, 2009.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of The Foothills, Attn: Foundation Office, 298 Memorial Drive, Seneca, SC 29672; Eternal Shepherd Lutheran Church, 220 Carson Road, Seneca, SC; or St. John’s Lutheran Church, 301 West Main Street, Walhalla, SC 29691.

Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.davenportfuneralhome.com
Davenport Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements.

Top of Page

Walter Bouknight May 22, 2009

Walter Bouknight, 56, of Newberry, died Friday, May 22, 2009 at White Oak Manor.
Mr. Bouknight was born in Newberry, a son of Nancy T. and Gilbert Bouknight. He was a former employee of the Champion Lumber Company, Georgia Pacific and Newberry Wrecking and Salvage.
Besides his parents of Newberry, he is survived by his wife, Debbie Bouknight of Newberry; son, Michael Bouknight of Hazlehurst, GA; daughter, Trena Robertson of Hazlehurst, GA; stepchildren, Erin Beach of Prosperity, Sarah Brogle of Whitmire, Trevor Likes of Newberry and Jordan Likes of Prosperity; brother, Wally Bouknight of Greenville; sister, Melody Walters of Abbeville and ten grandchildren.
Mr. Bouknight donated his body to the School of Medicine of the University of South Carolina. A family memorial service was held on Saturday, May 23.
Messages to the family may be sent via email to notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.
Whitaker Funeral Home, Newberry is assisting the family.

Top of Page

Joseph Earl "Joe" Bickley May 15, 2009

Joseph Earl “Joe” Bickley, 83, formerly of 2213 Rosalyn Drive, Newberry, died Friday, May 15, 2009 at Lexington Medical Center.
He was born on January 11, 1926 in Newberry, the son of the late Robert P. and Willie Mae Johnson Bickley. He was a Navy veteran of World War II and a retired mail carrier with the US Postal Service. He was a member of Central United Methodist Church, Newberry.
Mr. Bickley is survived by a daughter and son-in law, Belinda and Larry Snow of Moore; a son and daughter-in-law, Howard and Rene Bickley of Columbia; three grandchildren, Evan Snow and his wife, Haley, of Greenville, Sara Snow of Moore, and Stetson Bickley of Charleston; a sister, Mattie Mae Bickley of Cheraw; and two brothers, Rev. Hugh Bickley of Columbia and Frank Bickley of Orlando, FL. He was predeceased by his wife, Doris Halfacre Bickley; his sisters, Faye Simpson and Mary Alice Craft; his brother, Preston Bickley; and his uncle Paul Johnson.
Visitation was from 10:00 to 11:00 A M on Monday, May 18, at Whitaker Funeral Home in Newberry. Funeral services were immediately follow at 11:30 AM at Central United Methodist Church, Newberry, and were conducted by the Rev. Karen Radcliff and the Rev. Hugh Bickley. Interment was in Rosemont Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Evan Snow, Stetson Bickley, Larry Snow, Bubber Hutto, Mark Funkhouser, and Charles Calhoun.
The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at NHC Lexington, NHC Hospice of West Columbia, and the sixth floor team at Lexington Medical Center for their patience and untiring dedication to Joe.
Memorials may be made to Central United Methodist Church, 1005 College Street, Newberry, 29108.
Messages to the family may be sent via email at
notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.
Whitaker Funeral Home, Newberry is assisting the family.

Top of Page

Mary Dennis Boozer May 14, 2009

WEST COLUMBIA:Funeral service for Mary Dennis Boozer, 96, were held at 11am Monday, May 18, 2009, in the Chapel of Thompson Funeral Home of West Columbia, officiated by her grandson, Mr. Greg P. Davis. Interment did follow at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, Prosperity, SC. Serving as pallbearers were her grandchildren. The family did receive friends from 10 until 11 am prior to the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the American Parkinson’s Disease Association, National Office, 135 Parkinson Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10305.
Mrs. Boozer, widow of Brabham Ottis Boozer, died Thursday, May 14, 2009. Born in Newberry County, SC, she was a daughter of the late John Carl Dennis and Thompsie Bedenbaugh Dennis. She was a member of Dunn’s Chapel, the Young at Heart Club and Lennie Senn’s Sunday School Class.
Survivors include her daughter, Mrs. Gloria Boozer Davis; son and daughter-in-law, David Y. and Brenda Boozer; nine grandchildren, Greg Davis (Barbara), Gordon Davis, Doug Davis (Donna), John David Boozer (Holly), Clayton Boozer, Tami Boozer Brown; three step grandchildren, Mike and Martha Rogers, Jon and Julianne Rogers, Jennifer and Matt Stines; thirteen great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren. Mrs. Boozer was preceded in death by her son-in-law, David Davis and three brothers, Robert Dennis, James Dennis and Francis Dennis.
Thompson Funeral Home of West Columbia.

Top of Page

Isaiah Russell Ray Padgett May 5, 2009

Isaiah Russell Ray Padgett, 7 months old, died Tuesday, May 5, 2009.
Isaiah was born September 29, 2008 in Newberry, a son of Jessica Kidd Hart and Ronald Padgett, Jr.
In addition to his parents of Newberry, he is survived by his sisters, Amber Benge and Quintessa Padgett, his maternal grandparents, Lisa and Richard Moore of Newberry; paternal grandparents, Martha Prickett and Ronald Padgett, Sr. both of Opelika, Alabama; maternal great grandparents, Sara Murphy of Iva and Pete Looper of Piedmont; godmother, Carrie Hlasney of Newberry; aunts, Michelle Dycus of Newberry, Pam Looper of Fountain Inn, and Debbie Jennings of Piedmont; uncles, Russell Looper of Iva and Billy Kidd of Anderson; a great aunt, Joyce Hlasney of Newberry and a number of cousins.
Graveside funeral services were conducted at 11:00 A.M. Friday in Rosemont Cemetery by the Rev. Dr. Mark Bredholt.
Messages to the family may be sent via email to notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.
Whitaker Funeral Home, Newberry, is assisting the family.

Top of Page

Barbara Charlyn "Lyn" Altman Thomas May 4, 2009

Barbara Charlyn “Lyn” Altman Thomas, 59, of 301 Tattler’s Trail, Irmo, died Monday, May 4, 2009 at Lexington Medical Center.
Mrs. Thomas was born in Sumter, SC, a daughter of S. Charlie Altman and the late Barbara Jean “B.J.” Mims Altman. She was a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Limestone College, a member of Aveleigh Presbyterian Church and was a teacher at Dutch Fork High School.
She was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. In addition to her father, she is survived by her husband, Hubert Daniel “Danny” Thomas of Irmo; three children, Barbara Danielle “Babs” Thomas of Beaufort, Jacquelyn Elizabeth “Bett” Thomas of Irmo and Hubert Daniel “Bert” Thomas, Jr. of Irmo; two sisters and brother-in-law, Ellen A. Kennedy of St. Petersburg, Florida and Jean A. and Mike McDoniels of Ocala, Florida; and five grandchildren, Davey, Kaitlyn, Bryce, Faith and Ben.
Funeral services were conducted at 7:00 P.M. Friday at the Whitaker Funeral Home Chapel.
Visitation was from 6:00 to 7:30 P.M. Thursday at Whitaker Funeral Home.
Honorary pallbearers were Larry Gilliam, Benji Sanders, Randy Senn, Mike Hamilton, Jimmy Inabinet, Rudy Tarver, Liz Miller, Cathy Costa, Jeff and Kathy Lee, Esse Ford, Linda and Dick Goodenough, John and Pam Drafts and Randy Stone in memoriam.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, % Helen Beebe, 181 Trailers Trail, Leesville, SC 29070.
Messages to the family may be sent via email to notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com
Whitaker Funeral Home, Newberry is assisting the family.

Top of Page