Obituaries

J.D. Thrift

Brick mason

J.D. Thrift, 80, formerly of 327 N. Limestone St., died Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005, at Rosecrest, Inman.

A native of Gaffney, he was the husband of Edna Earle Abernathy Thrift and son of the late Joe Thrift and the late Dolly Jenkins Thrift. He was a brick mason, member of First Baptist Church and a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He was a lifetime Mason and member of the Homebuilders Association.

Surviving in addition to his wife are 16 nieces and nephews.

Graveside services were held Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Oakland Cemetery, conducted by the Rev. Joel Sellers and Dr. Bobby Morrow.

Pallbearers were Billy McCluney, George Ruppe, Dave Abernathy, Jimmy Webb, Jim Flythe and Joe Allen.

The family is at 827 N. Limestone St., Gaffney.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Cherokee County Unit, 154 Milestone Way, Greenville, S.C. 29615.

Arrangements by Shuford-Hatcher Funeral Home.

James P. Hughey

Worked at Cone Mills

in Carlisie

James Preston Hughey, 24, of 1230 Overbrook Drive, Apt. A-302 died Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005, in Union.

A native of Gaffney, he was the son of Russell L. Hughey of Gaffney and Deborah Gossett Burris of the home. He was employed by Cone Mills in Carlisle and was a member of Abingdon Creek Baptist Church.

Surviving in addition to his parents are two brothers, Jeremy Thomas of Gaffney and Joseph Lee of Blacksburg; maternal grandmother, Clara Wyatt of Gaffney; and paternal grandmother, Nancy Spence of York.

Graveside services will be held today at 2 p.m. at Frederick Memorial Gardens, conducted by the Rev. Billy Jones.

Pallbearers will be Jason Powell, Keith Powell, Gene Wyatt, Brian Bell, John Putnam and Todd Moore.

The family is at the home of his mother, 1230 Overbrook Drive, Apt. A-302, Gaffney, and at the home of his father, 162 Ninety-Nine Ferry Road, Gaffney.

Arrangements by Shuford-Hatcher Funeral Home.

Willard E. Parker

Worked in textile industry

BLACKSBURG – Willard Eugene "Bud" Parker, 67, of 100 Hill St., died Saturday, Dec. 18, 2004, in Upstate Carolina Medical Center.

A native of Gaffney, he was the husband of Mandy Smith Parker and son of the late Johnny Parker and the late Elizabeth Pennington Parker. He worked in the card room in the textile industry and was a member of Broad River Baptist Church in Blacksburg.

Surviving in addition to his wife are stepdaughters, Martha Williams of Casar, N.C., Margaret Heavenor, Lin Goodson, both of Blacksburg, and Shirley Parker of Gaffney; brothers, James Henry Parker of Blacksburg, Joe Parker of Rock Hill and Leslie Parker of Pacolet; sisters, Irene Weaver, Lonnie Bell Davis, Rosa Lee Gibbie, Flossie Wilt, all of Gaffney, and Mary Mullinax of Rock Hill; nine step-grandchildren; and nine step-great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Parker was preceded in death by a brother, John Wesley Parker.

Services were held Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2004, at 2 p.m. at Broad River Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Norman Philbeck. Burial was in Mt. Olive Baptist Church Cemetery. Body was placed in the church at 1:30 p.m.

Pallbearers were Eric Parker, John Parker, Bruce Goodson, Allen Parker, Mike Patterson, Danny Goodson, Calvin Davis and Allen Davis.

Visitation was held Monday, Dec. 20, from 6-8 p.m. at Gordon Mortuary.

Oveda A. Martin

Blacksburg native

Oveda Allison Martin, 100, passed away Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005, in Columbus, Ohio.

Oveda was born March 14, 1904, in Blacksburg. She graduated from Blacksburg High School and attended Winthrop College. She later taught adult education and preschool in South Carolina.

Oveda was the 12th born child of the 14 children of John Hogue Allison and Mary Montgomery Allison and is the last to die. She married O'Dell Thomas Martin on Sept. 27, 1924, and lived in Gaffney and Mayo. She moved to Columbus, Ohio, in 1992, to be near her daughter, Lucile Martin Bray. She was the oldest member of Mayo First Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, O'Dell Thomas Martin; son, Thomas Eugene Martin; stepdaughter, Mary Martin White; parents, Hogue and Mary Allison; 13 brothers and sisters; and sons-in-law, M. Fletcher Bray and Frank Addy.

Surviving are a daughter, C. Lucile Bray of Columbus, Ohio; a stepdaughter, Virginia Addy of Ava, Mo.; a son-in-law, Frank White of Cherry Hill, N.J.; grandchildren, M. Craig Bray of Seattle, Wash., Cynthia Lynne Bray of Philadelphia, Pa., Frank A. White III of King of Prussia, Pa., and Shirley Addy Bouse of Fairbanks, Ala. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, at Shuford-Hatcher Chapel, preceded by visitation from 1-2:45 p.m. Officiating will be the Rev. Thomas Baker, minister of Mayo First Baptist Church. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery.

John W. Ramsey Jr.

Hotel manager

YORK – John William "Billy" Ramsey Jr., 75, of 907 E. Liberty St., Apt. 13-C, died Monday, Feb. 14, 2005, at White Oak Manor in Rock Hill.

Born in Miami, Fla., he was the son of the late John William Ramsey Sr. and the late Pauline Maclucas Ramsey. He was a member of Canaan United Methodist Church, worked as a hotel manager and was a veteran.

Surviving is a sister, Betty Hull, of Smyrna.

Services will be private.

Family members are at their respective homes.

Arrangements by Gordon Mortuary, Blacksburg.

Winnie Irene Ross

Services for Winnie Irene Ross, 84, of Peachtree Centre, will be held Friday at 3 p.m. at Concord Baptist Church, conducted by Dr. Michael A. Bridges, Dr. Andy Young, the Rev. Roderick Oglesby and the Rev. Lawrence Davidson. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Body will be placed in the church at 2 p.m.

Pallbearers will be the trustees and deacons of Concord Baptist Church.

Flower bearers will be Alice Bonner, Christine Goodman, Sherrier Ellis, Lula Fair, Wanda Hopper, Faye Peeler, Netarsha Kirby, Josephine Lyons, Sheriel Peeler, Dorothy Petty, Christine Ross, Helen Peeler and Deneice Peeler.

Honorary flower bearers will be the Senior Missionary of Concord Baptist Church.

Arrangements by Foster Funeral Home.

Koreal C. Ford

Blacksburg native

BLACKSBURG – Koreal Christopher Ford, 45, of 159 Youngs Drive, died Monday, Feb. 14, 2005, in Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.

Mr. Ford was born on Nov. 14, 1959, the middle son of 10 children of Floyd and Mozelle H. Ford of Blacksburg. He attended school in the Cherokee County School System and graduated from Blacksburg High School in 1978. At the time of his death, he was pursuing a degree in electrical engineering at York Technical College. He was a member of Young's Grove Baptist Church, where he was a member of the Brotherhood, Trustee Board and Senior Choir.

Surviving in addition to his parents are his wife, Jackie Warren Ford of the home; two stepsons, Curtis Burnside of Columbia and Ryan Burnside of Rock Hill; four sisters, Frances D. Ford of Orangeburg, N.Y., Roselyn D. Archie of Atlanta, Ga., Terrye R. Ford of Blacksburg, Geneise O. Russell of Gaffney; and five brothers, Floyd E. Ford of Harrisburg, N.C., James A. Ford of Dresden, Maine, Marvin E. Ford of Gaffney, Darryl K. Ford of Kings Mountain, N.C., and Anthony L. Ford of Blacksburg.

Services will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at Youngs Grove Baptist Church, conducted by Dr. Larry J. Brooks. The family will receive friends Thursday from 1-2 p.m. at the church.

Arrangements by Foster Funeral Home.

Wilbert H. Rodgers

Retired from

Wholesale Builders

Wilbert Henry Rodgers, 83, of 150 Camellia Circle, died Monday, Feb. 14, 2005, in Spartanburg Regi-onal Medical Center.

Widower of Helen Sarratt Rod-gers, he was born in Chero-kee County, a son of the late Paul and Ressie Harris Rodgers. He was a member of Dunton United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Men. Mr. Rodgers was a retiree of Wholesale Builders.

Surviving are two sons, the Rev. Donald Rodgers and Billy Joe Rodgers, both of Gaffney; two daughters, Diane Rodgers and Dorothy Person, both of Gaffney; two sisters, Martholia Gist of Cleveland, Ohio, and Floree Smith of Gaffney; 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Arrangements are incomplete. The Gilmore Mortuary is in charge.

Essie S. Dellinger

Blacksburg native

MARION, Ill. – Essie Sedelia Dellinger, 88, formerly of Blacksburg, S.C., died Monday, Feb. 7, 2005, at 9:50 p.m. at Fountain Nursing Home.

Mrs. Dellinger was born on May 12, 1916, in Blacksburg to Robert and Etta Mary Richards Crocker.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Jay; daughter, Evelyn Allen; a grandchild, Richard Smith; three brothers and two sisters.

Arrangements by Mitchell-Hughes Funeral Home.

Hazel A. Johnson

Textile employee

CHESNEE – Hazel Elaine Adams Johnson, 66, of 808 Arrowwood Branch Road, died Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005, at Magnolia Place.

A native of Cherokee County, she was the wife of Joe Wayne Johnson and daughter of the late James Boyce and Elura Elevine Gossett Adams. She was a textile employee and member of Brooklyn Baptist Church.

Surviving are three daughters, Tammy Johnson, Deborah Scruggs, both of Chesnee, and Elena Johnson of Cooley Springs; a son, Michael Wayne Johnson of Landrum; two sisters, Ethel Chapman of Prosperity and Euna Mae Lee of Surfside Beach; two brothers, Olin Adams of McCormick and Phillip Adams of Junction City, Kansas; and four grandchildren.

Services will be held Thursday at 3 p.m. Brooklyn Baptist Church, conducted by Preacher Charles Garrett. Burial will be in Springhill Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends tonight from 6-7:30 at Eggers Funeral Home in Chesnee and at other times they will be at the home.