Category Archives: 2013

Edith Dillard Williams

11 November 2013, Obituaries

Williams_edited2Edith “Putty Jean” Dillard Williams, 72, of 203 Victoria Road, entered into eternal rest Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013, in Spartanburg.

Born in Cherokee County, she was the daughter of the late Dock Dillard Sr. and the late Edith Flack Dillard. She was a graduate of Granard High School and a retired dietician at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.

She was preceded in death by six siblings, Dock Jr., Elsie, Essie, Bertha, Answer and Della.

Surviving are three daughters, Carolyn “Touché” Shippy (Terry) of Spartanburg, Angela Wright (Owen) of Maryland and Tabitha Williams of Gaffney; eight sisters, Menttory Jones (Curtis) of Columbia, Gloria Williams (Frank) of Virginia, Mary Wilkins (Eston) of Spartanburg, Martha Spivey, Lucy Spivey (Ernie) and Dorothy Vasquez of New York, Annie Lipscomb (James) and Elizabeth Hopper of Gaffney; six brothers, Abraham Dillard of Charlotte, N.C., David Dillard (Sandra), Sampson Dillard (Alexandria) and Solomon Dillard, all of Gaffney, Isaac Dillard of Maryland and Dock Division Dillard of Belmont, N.C.; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, Nov. 16, at noon in The Gilmore Mortuary Chapel with Dr. Michael A. Glenn officiating. Interment will be in Dillard Memorial Gardens.

Arrangements by The Gilmore Mortuary.

Mae Dilly Valentine Surratt

11 November 2013, Obituaries

20p1Mae Dilly Valentine Surratt, 69, of 106 Blue Dawn Road, Chesnee, was called to eternal rest on Monday, Nov. 4, 2013.

Wife of Sylvester Dayton Surratt, she was born in Cherokee County and was a daughter of the late Jessie Ray Valentine Sr. and the late Mattie Watkins Valentine.

She was a member of Greater Buck Shoals Ministries, where she served as a Sunday School teacher, usher, choir member, deaconess and missionary.

Mae was also preceded in death by four siblings, Katie McKinney, James Robert Valentine, Minnie Johnson and Gaither Valentine.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by two sons, Donald Ray Surratt (Virginia) of Morganton, N.C., and David Reid (Cynthia) of the home; a daughter, Teresa Burris of Spartanburg; five brothers, Joe Louis Valentine (Bertina) of Inkster, MI, Rev. L.J. Valentine (Ruth) of Cowpens, J.B. Valentine (Louise) and Jessie Ray Valentine, Jr. of Chesnee, Charles E. Valentine of Gaffney; two daughters, Kathleen Hughes (William) of Inkster, Mich., and Mittie Harris of Lavonia, Mich.; five grandchildren; 11 greatgrandchildren.; aunts, Ezee Watkins of Jamaica, N.Y., Ozee Wood and Luella Quincy of Everett, Wash., Nora Fernanders (James) of Chesnee, Cordelia Hogue (Johnny) of Grover, N.C. and Sarah Valentine of Chesnee; and uncles, J.C. Valentine and Homer Lee Valentine of Chesnee.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m. at Greater Buck Shoals Ministries Church with the Rev. T.E. McDowell officiating. Interment will be in Springhill Memorial Gardens. She will lie instate in the church Monday from 1-2 p.m.

Arrangements by The Gilmore Mortuary.

Al Franklin Wilkins

10 October 2013, Obituaries

alwilkins3Al Franklin Wilkins, 67, of 1016 E. O’Neal St., died Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, in Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.

Husband of Josie Tate Wilkins, he was born in Cherokee County and was a son of the late Edgar and Gussie Foster Wilkins. Al was a graduate of Granard High School and a retired employee of Overnite Transportation and Miles Rubber Company. He was a former member of Mitchell Chapel F.B.H. Church, where he served as an usher. He later joined Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church and served in the Video Ministry and Sunday School.

Al was preceded in death by two sisters, Luvenia Foster and Annie Pearl Forest.

Surviving are his wife, Josie Wilkins; a daughter, Shayla Wilkins of Columbia; two sons, Vincent Wilkins of Central and Johnny Wilkins of Gaffney; a foster son, Floyd Sullivan (Rachel) of Georgia; a brother, Wash Gene Wilkins of Columbia; sisters-in-law, Brenda Tate, Dorothy Tate, Donna Tate, Louena Tate, Annette Tate and Sybil Wilkins; and brothers in-law, Howard Tate and Wallace Tate.

Funeral services will be held Monday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. C.A. Wallace officiating. Interment will be in the church cemetery. He will lie in state from 1-2 p.m.

Arrangements by The Gilmore Mortuary.