August 2008

Joseph S. "Joe" Watters August 31, 2008

Joseph S. Watters, 91, passed away on August 31, 2008 in Vero Beach, Florida. He had been a resident of Newberry since 1971.
Born on September 28, 1916 in Shelby Ohio, he was a son of the late Stanley and Geraldine Watters. He was preceded in death by a brother, Albert F. Watters, and a twin sister, Sally Watters Kennedy. Mr. Watters graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1938 and earned a Master's degree in Retail Management from the University of Pittsburgh. He served as a Captain in the Army Air Corps in World War II. While stationed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1943, he met and married the former Mary Elizabeth Moore, daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. Ernest Harrison Moore of Newberry.
Mr. Watters began his retail career in Atlanta in 1948 as a furniture buyer for the Davison-Paxon Company, now Macy's. He was hired by competitor Rich's Department Stores in 1952 and rose in the ranks of management, where he served on the Board of Directors and was named Senior Vice President in charge of the Store for Homes.
After his retirement from Rich’s in 1971, Mr. Watters and his wife relocated from Atlanta to Newberry, where Mr. Watters owned and operated a poultry business at their farm. During retirement Mr. and Mrs. Watters divided their time between their farm and their vacation home in Sarasota, Florida. They also traveled extensively with their children and grandchildren to Europe, Africa and the Far East.
Mr. Watters was a member of Aveleigh Presbyterian Church and the Country Club of Newberry. He served as president of the Newberry Rotary Club where he was honored with the prestigious Paul Harris Award. He was also a life member of the Capital City Club in Atlanta.
Mr. Watters was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, who died in 2002. He is survived by daughters Laurie W. Shoemaker of Vero Beach, Florida; Mary W. “Bunny” Bagley of Atlanta; and Sally W. Lawson of Richmond, Virginia; and by his son, Stanley H. Watters of Washington, D.C. He was the beloved grandfather to seven grandchildren, John Creasy, Jr., Mark Creasy, Erin Creasy Warner, Elizabeth Creasy Morgan, Sloan Lawson Hiscock, Molly Lawson Childress and Joseph Lawson and great-grandfather to five.
Funeral services were conducted at 10:30 A.M. Saturday, September 6 at Aveleigh Presbyterian Church by the Rev. Dr. Mitchell VanMeter. Interment was in Rosemont Cemetery at 1:30 P.M.
Active pallbearers were Wes Bagley, Cabell Childress, John Creasy, Jr., Mark Creasy, Calvin Hiscock, Fontaine Lawson, Joseph Lawson, John Morgan, Rick Shoemaker and Michael Warner.
Memorials may be made to Aveleigh Presbyterian Church, 1211 Calhoun St., Newberry, SC 29108; to Newberry County Memorial Hospital, 2669 Kinard St., Newberry, SC 29108; to Newberry Opera House, 1201 McKibben St., Newberry, SC 29108 or to Thornwell Home for Children, PO Box 60, Clinton, SC 29325.
Whitaker Funeral Home of Newberry is assisting the family.

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Mable Moore Piester August 29, 2008

Mable Moore Piester, 98, of 35 Piester Rd, widow of Willie B. Piester, died Friday, August 29, 2008 at the Newberry County Memorial Hospital.
She was born in the Stoney Hill section of Prosperity on January 14, 1910 to the late Dudley and Lucille Hawkins Moore. Mrs. Piester was retired from both Old School Manufacturing and from Crocker’s Clothing and was a member of St. Philip Lutheran Church. Over the years she enjoyed spending time gardening and fishing.
Mrs. Piester is survived by two daughters and a son-in law, Katherine P. Wicker of Newberry and Virginia and Adam Mayer of Pomaria; a son and daughter-in-law, Barney and Merite Piester of Newberry; a sister Beatrice Kelley of Prosperity; brother Otto Moore of Prosperity; grandchildren, Vickie Warren, Dennis Mayer, Annette Watkins, William Piester, Kay P. Traylor, Marsha Gobles and Jonas Piester; 5 great grandchildren and two special care givers, Hattie Hiller and Bernell Robinson. She was predeceased by two grandchildren, Thad Wicker and Stan Mayer and two brothers.
Funeral services were conducted at 3:00 P.M. Sunday at St. Philip Lutheran Church by the Rev. Terry Amick. Interment was in the Church Cemetery
Visitation was from 6:30 to 7:30 P.M. Saturday at the Whitaker Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to St. Philip Lutheran Church, Family Life Center, 2461 St. Philip’s Church Rd., Newberry, SC 29108.
Active pallbearers were Jonas Piester, Chris Traylor, Willie Traylor, William Piester, Glen Moore, Bobby Havird Tony Moore, and Nathan Gobles.
Messages to the family may be sent via email at notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.
Whitaker Funeral Home, Newberry, is assisting the family.

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David R. Teseniar August 26, 2008

David R. Teseniar, 49, of 7248 Patricia Drive, Columbia, died Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at his residence.
Mr. Teseniar was born on March 22, 1959 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was a Navy veteran of the Viet Nam War and a member of College Street Baptist Church.
Surviving are his mother and step-father, Dellett Ruth Ross and Eugene Ingram of Gresham, Oregon; his father and step-mother, Clarence Junior “Joe” and Connie Teseniar of Newberry; a daughter, April Harper of Washington; a sister and her husband, Pauline and Howard Scarbrough of Benton, Kentucky; a half-sister, Carolyn Miller of Gresham, Oregon; two brothers, Gregory J. and Deborah Teseniar of Washougal, Washington and Gary Lee and wife Ruth Teseniar of Symsonia, Kentucky; a half brother, Ronald Wyckoff of California; and four nephews and four nieces.
Funeral services were conducted at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, at Whitaker Funeral Home by Rev. Ken Ferrell.
Visitation did begin at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday.
Messages to the family may be sent via email at notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.
Whitaker Funeral Home, Newberry, is assisting the family.

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Ruby Seymore Graham August 25, 2008

Ruby S. Graham, widow of Dewitt Kirkland Graham, died Monday, August 25, 2008 in Memphis, Tennessee. She was born in Elberton, Georgia to Mary Dominic and Wylie Hoyt Seymore. She moved to Whitmire, South Carolina with her family during her junior year of high school and later received her cosmetology education in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Ruby then moved with her husband to Greenville, Mississippi where she was owner and stylist in her beauty salon for 32 years.
Ruby served twice as president of the Greenville Affiliate of Mississippi Hairdressers and was a liaison for the Mississippi Hair Fashion Committee and the Membership Committee. She organized a team of hairdressers who taught grooming and equipped a salon for the women’s prison in Mississippi.
She was voted as “Outstanding hairdresser” by her peers. She was active in politics and an advocate for E.R.A. The mayor appointed Ruby to the Committee for Community Development Citizen Advisory, a vehicle for the application for Federal Community Funds.
She chaired the Washington County Lung Association with successful fund raising in tennis tournaments. Other community involvements included make-up artist for the community theater and the Greenville Symphony.
Ruby was voted “Woman of Achievement” by the Washington County Business and Professional Women’s Club where she served as vice president, president elect, president and on various state committees.
She served as vice president and president of the Fairview Park Hospital Auxiliary and managed the gift shop for three years. She also served on the Council for Gift Shops.
Ruby was a member at Parkview Baptist Church, Greenville, MS and First Baptist Church, Dublin, GA.
Mrs. Graham is survived by a daughter and her husband, Susan and Billy Doyle of Somerville, TN; a son, Steve Graham of Dallas, TX; a brother, J.D. Seymore of Newberry, SC; a grandchild Amanda Doyle; and by her much loved dog, Charlie. She was predeceased by a sister, Barbara Miller.
Graveside services were conducted at 2:00 PM Thursday at Newberry Memorial Gardens by the Rev. Kathy Harris.
Messages to the family may be sent via email to notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.
Whitaker Funeral Home, Newberry, is assisting the family.

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St. Claire Dodd Sease Aug. 18, 2008

St. Claire Dodd Sease, 67, of Quinby died Monday, Aug. 18, 2008, in a Florence hospital after an illness.
She was born in Charleston, a daughter of the late George Andrew and Mary Claire Dodd Sease. She was a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Columbia, a life member of the NRA and a member of the AARP. She retired as a clerk/typist at Moncrief Army Hospital in Fort Jackson.
Surviving are her sister, Federal Judge Grace Andrea Sease of Atlanta; brother, George A. Sease and his wife, Susan Gore Sease, of Quinby; nieces, Ruth A. Sease and Mary L. Sease of Quinby; and a number of cousins.
Memorials may be made to the Lupus Foundation of America, 2000 L St. NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20036.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008, in Quinby United Methodist Church. A committal service was held at 4 p.m. Wednesday at The Prosperity Cemetery in Prosperity.
The family did receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home in Florence.
Whitaker Funeral Home in Newberry is assiting with local arrangements.

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Larry David Powell August 14, 2008

Larry David Powell, 62, of 682 Hawkins Rd., Newberry, died Thursday, August 14, 2008 at his residence.
He was born on October 22, 1945 in Atlanta, GA to the late Jessie and Effa Mae Powell.
Mr. Powell is survived by a son and his wife, Wayne and Heidi Powell of Newberry; a daughter, Crystal Powell of Silverstreet; two sisters, Monica Cochran of Miami, FL and Cynthia Powell of Biloxi, MS ; two brothers, Ricky Powell of Biloxi, MS and Chuck Powell of Douglas, GA; and two grandchildren, Shyanne Powell and Levi Hood. He was predeceased by a grandson, David Shane Hood.
Funeral services were conducted at 3:00 P.M. Monday, August 18, 2008 at Whitaker Funeral Home by Rev. Floyd Sides.
Messages to the family may be sent via email to notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.
Whitaker Funeral Home, Newberry, is assisting the family.

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Nelle Moseley Lipscomb Morehead August 1, 2008

Nelle Moseley Lipscomb Morehead, widow of Arthur Eugene Morehead, Jr., died Friday, August 1 at the Hospice House in Florence. She was born October 24, 1914 in Ninety-Six, South Carolina, the daughter of the late Ellen Mary Moseley and Durrett Moore Lipscomb.
Mrs. Morehead attended the University of South Carolina where she was a member of Chi Omega Sorority. She worked briefly after college and later worked for Morehead Oil Company. She spent most of her adult life as a homemaker.
She was a member of Central United Methodist Church and Circle Number three in Newberry. After moving to Florence in 1991, she joined Central United Methodist Church and was an involved member of the Erin Glenn / Mary Motte Herbert Circle and the Christian Family Sunday School Class.
Mrs. Morehead was preceded in death by four sisters, Annie Bruce L. Busch, Harriette Rebecca L. Zwahlen, Sara Elizabeth L. Schofield, and Durrett Moore L. Williams and three brothers Edwin Marshall Lipscomb, James Lawrence Lipscomb, and Lewis Moore Lipscomb.
She is survived by a daughter Harriett Lipscomb Morehead Swearingen and her husband Skip of Florence; two sons, Arthur Eugene Morehead, III and his wife Elaine of Florence and Craig Whitten Morehead and his wife Trudy of Raleigh, NC; eight grandchildren, Worth Swearingen and his wife Marianne, Reed Swearingen and his wife Angie, Nelle Lipscomb Swearingen Palms and her husband Lee, Arthur Morehead, IV and his wife Christy, Anne Meree Morehead Craig and her husband Les, Whitt Morehead, Mary Beth Morehead, and Blakely Morehead; nine great-grandchildren, Deborah and Will Swearingen; Cannon, Moseley and Harriette Nelle Palms; Anna Moseley Swearingen; Ben and Laura Morehead; and Max Craig.
Funeral services were at 10:00 AM Wednesday, August 6, at Central United Methodist Church, Florence with Waters-Powell Funeral Home assisting. Internment did follow at 2:00 PM at Rosemont Cemetery, Newberry with Whitaker Funeral Home assisting.
The family did greet friends in Florence at the home of Harriette and Skip Swearingen and friends in Newberry at Rosemont cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Hospice House Sensory Garden, P.O. Box 100551, Florence, SC 29501 or Central United Methodist Church, 225 W. Cheves Street, Florence, SC 29501, or the Newberry Opera House, 1201 McKibben Street, Newberry, SC 29108.
Messages to the family may be sent via email at notes@whitakerfuneralhome.com.

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