DEATH NOTICES

Carl William Arndt Jr., 72, Murrells Inlet

Emaline Kennerly Brown, Pawleys Island

Rev. Kenneth Fansler, 83, Litchfield

Keiko (Kay) Yanagiya Hawkins, formerly of Surfside Beach

Ella Jean Mapes, 87, Ohio (relatives in Murrells Inlet)

FUNERAL SERVICES

Mary Gilland

On January 28, Mary Elizabeth Dove Gilland of Conway passed away.  Born in Kingstree, SC on February 3, 1915 to Leon Caldwell Dove and Marion Stringfellow Dove, she attended Winthrop College.

During WWII, she worked for Congressman John L. McMillan of Florence.

She married John deSaussure Gilland, Jr. of Florence and they moved to Conway where he was a surgeon at Conway Hospital and they raised three children.

Mrs. Gilland was a member of the Huegenot Society, Colonial Dames and the Daughters of the American Revolution.

She golfed and played a mean hand of bridge. She loved her husband, her children and their friends and her grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband and their son, John D. Gilland III, as well as her siblings John Calhoun Dove of James Island, Rachel Richey of Charlotte and Marion Graham of Indian Town.  

She is survived by her daughters, Elizabeth Gilland of Conway and Jane Gilland Skinner of Georgetown, and her four granddaughters: Ginny (Hal) Haynes, Marguerite (Ryan) Oliver, Rachel Skinner and Caroline Skinner.

The family received friends from 5-7pm on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at Goldfinch Funeral Home in Conway.  

Funeral services were held at 2 pm on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at Kingston Presbyterian Church in Conway with Rev. Don Steins officiating.

Burial followed in Hillcrest Cemetery.

Memorials may be sent to Kingston Presbyterian Church, 800 3rd Avenue, Conway, SC 29526, or to the Gilland scholarship funds at Coastal Carolina University Office of University Advancement, PO Box 261954, Conway, SC 29528, or Horry-Georgetown Technical College, 2050 Hwy. 501 E., Conway, SC 29526.

Sign a guestbook at www.goldfinchfuneralhome.com

Goldfinch Funeral Home, Conway Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Nathan Howell Jr.

Nathan Theodore Howell Jr., 71, of Florence died Saturday Jan. 30, 2010 in a Florence hospital.

Mr. Howell was born in Hemingway, a son of the late Teddy and Blanche Ray Howell.

Nathan was a self taught mechanic but he had perfected his craft to the point that he built engines for race cars which ran on both the Florence and Myrtle Beach Race Tracks.

Surviving are his sons, Ronnie (Glenda) Howell and Andy (Jenny) Howell, both of Florence and Randy Howell of Timmonsville; sisters, Cornelia Ray and Carrie Belle Owens both of Hemingway and Faye Hewitt of Georgetown; brothers, David Earl Howell of Mansura. LA and Larry Howell of Georgetown; 4 grandchildren

He was predeceased by a sister, Betty Howell McKenzie; brother, Charles Howell and his children’s mother, Ruby Mae Howell.                                      

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday Feb. 1, 2010 in the Morris Funeral Home Chapel in Hemingway with burial in the Williams Hill Free Will Baptist Church Cemetery.

The family received friends at the funeral home from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday Jan. 31, 2010.

John Hughes

John Robert Hughes, 61, of Garden City Beachdied Friday, January 29, 2010, at Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet.

Mr. Hughes was born in Andrews on August 10, 1948, a son of the late John Hughes and Eda Bell Thomas Hughes.

He grew up in Georgetown Co. and lived in Garden City Beach since 1999.

Mr. Hughes worked at a number of occupations including commercial fishing.

Mr. Hughes was predeceased by: his wife, Carroll Lee Greenall Hughes; a son Jason R. Hughes; a brother Harold C. Hughes; and a sister, Sarah Jane Todd.

Surviving are: two daughters, Tina H. Turner and Tiffany H. Davis, both of Andrews; and four grandchildren, Dillion Turner, Paige Turner, Madison Turner, and Haley Davis.

Funeral services will be one o’clock Monday afternoon, February 1, 2010, at the Andrews Chapel of Mayer Funeral Home. 

Officiating will be the Rev. J. W. Casselman.

Burial will follow in Ivey Cemetery near Andrews.

Sign a guest book at www.mayerfuneralhome.com.

The family received friends at the Andrews Chapel of Mayer Funeral Home Sunday afternoon, January 31, 2010, from three until five.

Laura Poterala

Laura Louise Menier Poterala, 91, of Greenville, SC,  widow of Joseph Franklin Poterala, died January 28, 2010.

Born in Jersey City, NJ, she was the daughter of the late George and Ida Elizabeth Fulton Menier.

Mrs. Poterala was a homemaker and of the Methodist faith.

Surviving are two sons and three daughters-in-law, Robert and Freddie Poterala, and Jay and Gail Poterala, both of Greenville, and Jeannie Lancaster Poterala of Pawleys Island; her twin sister, Mildred Menier Losee of Clifton, NJ; four grandchildren, Joe Poterala and wife Shay, Stephen Poterala, Katie Poterala, and Shandon Davis; Five great-grandchildren, Allie, Sam and Paige Poterala, and Reagan and Grant Davis.

Mrs. Poterala was predeceased by a son, Dennis G. Poterala.

Services will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Graceland East Mausoleum Chapel.

Memorials may be made to Open Arms Hospice, 1836 W Georgia Road, Simpsonville, SC 29680.

Obituary and online guest register at www.mackeymortuary.com.

Robert Rush Jr.

Funeral services for the late Robert Rush Jr. of Andrews was held at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 30, 2010 at Morning Star Baptist Church in Nesmith, SC.

Rev. James E. Scott, pastor, conducted the religious services.

Internment followed in the Church Cemetery.

Mr. Rush entered into eternal rest on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at his residence after an illness.

He was born in Williamsburg County, a son of the late Eely and Susanne Rush.

He was educated in the public schools of Williamsburg County.

Mr. Rush was a member of Morning Star Baptist Church at an early age.

He was self-employed as a logger and farmer.

He was joined in holy wedlock to Bertha Scott Rush and to this union 12 children were born.

Loving memories will be cherished by his wife of Durham, NC; four daughters, Doretha Jeans of Memphis, TN, Patricia (Anthony Lockhart, Aletha (Robert) Rush-Sanford and Hazel Holder, all of Durham; six sons, Nathaniel Rush of Morristown, TN, Robert (Penetha) Rush Jr., J.C. (Olivia) Rush, Matthew Rush and Thelbert (Shanice) Rush, all of Durham, L.J. (Sherrie) Rush of High Point, NC; three brothers, Joe (Lue) Hemingway of Rochester, NY, Jesse Hemingway of Philadelphia, PA, Wallace (Sharon) Hemingway Jr. of Kingstree; two sisters, Flora Clay of Willingboro, NJ, and Minnie Hemingway of Philadelphia; 40 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Flora Simmons

Flora Bell Simmons, 70, of Pawley Island, SC died on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at Medical University of SC Hospital in Charleston, SC.

Funeral services for Ms. Simmons will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, February 1, 2010 at St. John AME Church, Pawleys Island, SC.

Ms, Simmons was born August 8, 1939 in Loris, SC to Buster Simmons and Sarah Heyward Simmons.  She was employed with Sea Mist Resort and Plican Inn as a housekeeper.

Ms. Simmons attended Horry County Public Schools and was a member of St. St. John AME Church, where she sang with the St. John AME Church Combined Choir.

Ms. Simmons is survived by two sons: Isaac Smith, Jr. and Lawrence Smith of Pawleys Island, SC; three daughters: Ophelia Grate of Georgetown, SC, Shelia Dewitt of Conway, SC, Francena Smith of Burgess, SC; three brothers:  Herbert Collins of New Jersey, NJ, John Harold Simmons of Buffalo, NY, John Simmons of Georgetown, SC; six sisters: Thomasena Simmons of Loris, SC, Lillian Dennison, Pawleys Island, SC, Lena Sessions, Sara Ford of Bronx, NY, Betty Hemingway of Georgetown, SC and Celestine Pynell of Huntsville, AL; fourteen grandchildren; five great grandchildren.

Family visitation was held at 6 p.m. on Sunday evening, January 31, 2010 at St. John AME  Church.

Funeral service arrangements are entrusted and directed by Wilds Funeral Home, LLC.

Phillip Thomas

Phillip Fred “Jr.” Thomas, 82, husband of Alicia Anne C. Thomas of Georgetown, died Thursday, January 28, 2010 at MUSC.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, January 31, 2010 at Rose Hill Baptist Church.

Officiating was Rev. Steve Candal, Rev. Dale Tripp, and Rev. Elmer Lambert.

Burial, directed by Graham Funeral Home, followed in Pennyroyal Memorial Gardens.

He was born April 3, 1927 in Williamsburg County, a son of the late Phillip Fred Thomas, Sr. and the late Annie Florine Gorman Thomas.

Mr. Thomas was a loving husband and father who enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening, and spending time with family and friends.

He was a business entrepreneur for the majority of his life, opening and running Thomas Grocery for over thirty years.

He was also a WWII Army Veteran of Okinawa and the Philippines.  

Surviving are his wife of 58 years; four sons, Larry David Thomas (Barbara Cantu) of Polkton, NC, Gary L. (Cindy) Thomas of Georgetown, T. Mark Thomas of Georgetown, Donald Eric (Tammi) Thomas of Georgetown; five grandchildren, Christopher A. Thomas, Phillip James Thomas, Chelsea Erin Thomas, Nicole Morrell, and Jillian Alicia Thomas; three great-grandchildren, Katlyn Thomas, Gracin Allen Farwell, and Emily Grace Thomas; five sisters, Ethelyn Blake of Georgetown, Ada (Don) Cayton of Myrtle Beach, Dorothy Brown of Falls Church, VA, Frances Hilton of Litchfield, and Peggy (Phil) White of Georgetown; three brothers, Harvey (Louise) Thomas of Pine Bluff, Arkansas,  Johnny (Jennye) Thomas of Georgetown, and Charles (Rita) Thomas of Georgetown; and a number of nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by a son, Phillip Fred Thomas III and two brothers, George “Buddy” Thomas and Joseph Allen Thomas.

The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at Rose Hill Baptist Church.

Please sign a guest book and send private condolences at www.grahamfuneralhome.org.