Former sheriff Joe Wallace dies at age 84

Joe Wallace, 84, of Gaffney, died Sunday, May 1, 2005, at his home.

A native of Gaffney, he and his wife, Marion Deane Potter Wallace, had been married for 65 years. He was the son of the late William Henry Wallace and the late Maggie Lee Bolin Wallace.

Mr. Wallace was a member of Temple Baptist Church and served as sheriff of Cherokee County from 1982 until 1990. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police and the S.C. Sheriff's Association. His greatest accomplishments were his love for his God, his family, his country and county. His exemplary life was a testament of his beliefs.

Also surviving are three sons and daughters-in-law, William Steve and Brenda Wallace of Chester, Joe Harrill and Verdi Wallace of Gaffney and Ronnie Eugene and Doris Wallace of Greenville; a brother, J.B. Wallace of Gaffney; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Wallace was preceded in death by a daughter, Joan Gail Wallace, eight brothers and one sister.

Graveside services will be held Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Frederick Memorial Gardens.

Honorary pallbearers will be all law enforcement personnel, active and retired.

The family will receive friends Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at Shuford-Hatcher Funeral Home and at other times they will be at the home of Harrill and Verdi Wallace, 920 Cherokee National Hwy., Gaffney.

Memorials may be made to Interim Hospice, 775 Spartan Blvd., Spartanburg, S.C. 29301; or to Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 1886, Gaffney, S.C. 29342.

Arrangements by Shuford-Hatcher Funeral Home.

Judy A. Childers

Retired textile employee

SMYRNA – Judy Alexander Childers, 57, of 624 Rock Cut Road, died Saturday, April 30, 2005, in Upstate Carolina Medical Center.

A native of York County, she was born on Nov. 21, 1947, daughter of Fred Alexander of Clover and the late Frances Blackwell Alexander. She was the wife of Lewis Childers, a member of Westview Baptist Church in Gastonia, N.C., and a retired textile employee.

Surviving in addition to her husband and father are her stepmother, Mary Helen Alexander of Clover; two sons, George Hope of Kings Mountain, N.C., and Brent Childers of Clover; three daughters, Lisa Boheler, Roxanne Falls, both of Clover, and Stephanie Martin of Smyrna; two brothers, Jerry Alexander of Lockhart and Johnny Alexander of Milford, N.H.; three sisters, Betty Hope, Ethel Boone, both of Kings Mountain, and Debra Hudon of Milford, N.H.; 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Services will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Westview Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Jerry Millwood. Burial will be in Lakeview Memory Gardens in York.

The family will receive friends tonight from 6-8 at Bratton Funeral Home, 1455 Filbert Hwy., York.

Azilee C. Valentine

Services for Azilee Camp Valentine, 81, of 308 2nd Ave., will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Mikes Creek Baptist Church, conducted by the Revs. Michael Henderson and Shawn Hooper and Pastors Helen Rutherfordton, Rachel Taylor and Randy Caraway. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Body will be placed in the church at 1 p.m.

Pallbearers will be J.C. Cumberlander, Freddie Harris, John Cody, Dewayne Morris, Shelton Morris, Jimmy Littlejohn, Russell Hughes and Emerson Hughes.

Flower bearers will be Dorothy Cumberlander, Mary Goode, Elise Byrd, Denise Dawkins, Emma Adams and Sherrill Adams.

Arrangements by Foster Funeral Home.

"Todd" Crawford

Accomplished artist

William "Todd" Crawford, 32, of 107 Cypress Drive, died Sunday, May 1, 2005, in a Greenville hospital.

Born in Gaffney, he was the son of Clarence Edward Crawford and Gwendolyn Owens Crawford. He attended St. Paul's Lutheran Church and was an accomplished artist who loved painting flowers. He was a handsome man with a beautiful smile and was always friendly. He had been employed by The Timken Company.

Surviving in addition to his parents are a brother, Thomas Edward Crawford of Gaffney; a sister, Peggy Renee' Crawford of Portland, Ore.; paternal grandmother, Ruby Elizabeth Watson of Gaffney; and maternal grandmother, Esther Lydia Owens of Chesnee.

Graveside service will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Frederick Memorial Gardens.

Pallbearers will be David Grant, Steve Grant, Danny Swanger, Danny Swanger Jr., Josh Price and Rhonda McMahel.

The family will receive friends Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at Shuford-Hatcher Funeral Home and at other times they will be at the residence.

Lunette H. Horton

Homemaker

Lunette Hammett Horton, 81, formerly of 304 Overbrook Drive, died Sunday, May 1, 2005, in Brookview HealthCare.

A native of Gaffney, she was the widow of Lambert Dewain Horton and daughter of the late Bee Hammett and the late Nazzie Martin Hammett. She was a member of West End Baptist Church, a homemaker and formerly employed by Spartan Undies in Gaffney. She was a loving mother and grandmother.

Surviving are a son, Nelson Horton of Gaffney; a daughter, Audrey Horton Shifflett of Columbia; granddaughters, Tonya Shelton and Elizabeth Shifflett; great-granddaughter, Haven Shelton; step-grandsons, Jackie Stanford and Steve Stanford; step-great-grandchildren, Christine Stanford and J.T. Stanford; three brothers, Yates Hammett of Pacolet, Bobby Hammett of Sebastian, Fla., and Gaffney, and John Pink Hammett of Kinston, N.C.

In addition to her husband and parents, Mrs. Horton was preceded in death by her sisters, Mercell Hammett McCraw and Polly Hammett Sentell Lipscomb.

Graveside services will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Frederick Memorial Gardens

The family will receive friends Tuesday from 5-7 p.m. at Shuford-Hatcher Funeral Home and at other times they will be at 304 Overbrook Drive.

Memorials may be made to Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 1886, Gaffney, S.C. 29342.

Arrangements by Shuford-Hatcher Funeral Home.

"Jiggs" Dobbins

Retired from

Greenwood Mills

GREENWOOD – John D. "Jiggs" Dobbins, 84, a resident of NHC Health Care Center, died Friday, April 29, 2005, in Self Regional Medical Center.

Born in Gaffney, he was the widower of Lena Dorn Dobbins and son of the late Audy Logan Dobbins and Lenora Pearson Dobbins Anthony. He was retired from the Harris Plant of Greenwood Mills and was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II veteran, receiving a Purple Heart.

Surviving are two daughters, Debra Rodgers of Ninety Six and Joyce Miller of Abbeville; a son, Johnny Dobbins of Laurens; two sisters, Betty Porter of Greenwood and Edna McAbee of Gaffney; a half-sister, Imogene Reynolds of Gaffney; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Graveside services will be held today at 2 p.m. at Greenwood Memorial Gardens, conducted by the Rev. Marion Jay.

Pallbearers will be Jason Crowder, Shane Salters, Phil Smallwood, Jason Long, Gerald Miller, Chris Miller, David Dobbins and Scotty Dobbins.

The family is at the home of his sister, Betty Porter, 229 W. Deadfall Road, Greenwood.

Arrangements by Harley Funeral Home.

Lillie H. Thomas

Spartanburg County native

SPARTANBURG – Lillie Bell Harris Richardson Thomas, 96, formerly of 101 Marion Ave., died Saturday, April 30, 2005, in White Oak Manor Nursing Home after a brief illness.

A native of Spartanburg County, she was the widow of Butler Richardson and Otis Thomas and daughter of the late Andy Harris and the late Mattie Scruggs Harris. She was a member of Green Bethel Baptist Church.

In addition to her husband and parents, Mrs. Thomas was preceded in death by a daughter, Patsy Richardson, and a son, Fred Harris.

Surviving are a daughter, Frances Hardy Stokes of Louisburg, N.C.; six grandchildren, Molefi Askan, Ronnie Hardy, Sherry Hardy, Tony Hardy, Lillie Bryant and Terrell Jones, all of Spartanburg; and a host of great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

The family is at the home of her grandson, Tony Hardy, 4404 Grissom Road, Spartanburg.

Services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Green Bethel Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Mils McHam. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Arrangements by Foster Funeral Home, Gaffney.

Billy E. Wilson

Electrician with H.R.

Allen Electric Company

BLACKSBURG – Billy Eugene Wilson, 51, of 220 Ninety Nine Island Road, died Sunday, May 1, 2005, in Upstate Carolina Medical Center.

A native of Cherokee County, he was the husband of Yvonne Gunn Wilson of the home and son of the late George and Bertie Brown Wilson. He was an electrician with H.R. Allen Electric Company and was an active member of CKC Volunteer Fire Department. He was a member of Hopewell Baptist Church.

Surviving in addition to his wife are two daughters, Wendy Smith of Blacksburg and Elizabeth Wilson of Gaffney; a stepson, Bobby Wilson of Blacksburg; two stepdaughters, Stacy Wilson of Hudson, N.C., and Amy Wilson of Blacksburg; three sisters, Helen Upchurch and Norma Jean Nance, both of Gaffney, and Beatrice Jones of Chesnee; three brothers, Lee Roy Wilson, Bobby Dean Wilson and Steve Wilson, all of Gaffney; and three grandchildren.

Services will be held Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Hopewell Baptist Church, conducted by Dr. Charlie Barnard and the Revs. Billy Sanders and Joe Paul Turner. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

The family will receive friends tonight from 6-8 at Hopewell Baptist Church, and at other times they will be at the home of Mary Gunn, 404 Old Chester Road, Blacksburg.

Memorials may be made to the Building Fund, Hopewell Baptist Church, 511 Old Chester Road, Blacksburg, S.C. 29702; or to the American Cancer Association, Cherokee Chapter, 101 S. John St., Blacksburg, S.C. 29702.

Arrangements by White Columns of Blacksburg.

LeFoy Blanton

Gaffney native

SMYRNA – LeFoy Blanton, 65, of 971 McGill Road, died Thursday, April 28, 2005, in Kings Mountain Hospital.

A native of Gaffney, he was the son of the late G.W. Blanton and the late Lillie Patterson Blanton. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Blacksburg.

Surviving are a son, Lee Blanton of Smyrna; two sisters, Annie Laura Hamrick of Hickory Grove and Sudie Gelok of Blacksburg; and three grandchildren.

Graveside services were held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Clingman Memorial Gardens.

The family is at the home of Lee Blanton, 218 Blanton Love Road, Smyrna.

Memorials may be made to the charity of one's choice.

Arrangements by Gordon Mortuary, Blacksburg.

Jessica L. Upchurch

Nurse's assistant at Peachtree Centre

Jessica Lea Upchurch, 22, of 134 Humphries Circle, died Wednesday, April 27, 2005, in Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.

A native of Gaffney, she was the daughter of Miles Lee Upchurch and Frances Suzette Jackson Upchurch of Gaffney. She was a nurse's assistant at Peachtree Centre and had been associated with Jehovah's Witnesses.

Surviving in addition to her parents are her companion, Chris Benton of Gaffney; two daughters, Haley Danielle Upchurch and Sarah Gean Benton, both of the home; two brothers, William Upchurch and Christopher Upchurch, both of Gaffney; a sister, Emily Upchurch of Gaffney; paternal grandparents, Grady and Emma Upchurch of Gaffney; maternal great-grandmother, Edith Jackson of Gaffney; two step-nephews; and one step-niece.

Miss Upchurch was preceded in death by her maternal grandmother, Iva Jean Mode; maternal grandfather, Donald Jackson; maternal great-grandfathers, L.D. Jackson and Olin Upchurch; and a cousin, Ronnie Moldonado.

Services were held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Shuford-Hatcher Chapel, conducted by Albert Stegall and Earl Buckson. Burial was in Frederick Memorial Gardens.

Pallbearers were Robert Wyatt, Kevin Barnhill, Larry Pennington, Michael Jones, Brandon Chambers, Walter Patterson and Randy Quinn.

The family is at 1122 McKown's Mountain Road.

Memorials may be made to Shuford-Hatcher Funeral Home, c/o Jessica Upchurch Funeral Fund, P.O. Box 307, Gaffney, S.C. 29342.

James W. Saddler

James Walker Saddler, husband of Nora Phelps Saddler, will be held Tuesday at 3 p.m. at The Gilmore Mortuary Chapel, conducted by the Revs. Doris W. Landrum and James Lowrance and Evangelist Christine Saddler. Burial will be in Gaffney Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends tonight from 7-8 at The Gilmore Mortuary.