4 killed in Bradley crash; Ninety Six teacher dies

Husband, children also lost on plane

January 8, 2005

By WALLACE McBRIDE
Index-Journal senior staff writer

BRADLEY — A Ninety Six school teacher, her husband and two children were killed Friday night in a plane crash off S.C. 10.
The plane went down about 7 p.m., one mile outside of town in a densely wooded area. All four on the plane — Ninety Six Elementary School science/ PLUS teacher Robin Strom, husband James and children Brittney, 13, and Bradley, 11 — died at the scene.
Greenwood County Coroner Jim Coursey confirmed the deaths late Friday night. He said the family was flying the plane, a Piper PA-28, from McCormick to Greenwood to drop of one of the children, then was flying to Marlboro County.
“Me and my daughter were sitting in the den,” said Douglas Goode, who lives near the crash scene. “We heard sounds like a motorcycle taking off, then a sound like it blew up. We ran to the back door but we didn’t see anything.”
“It went right over my house — I didn’t know which direction it went,” said John Robert Simmons, Goode’s neighbor. “It didn’t sound like it was running right.”
Greenwood County Sheriff Dan Wideman said the office received about a dozen calls reporting the crash.
Emergency personnel from around the county responded to the call. Firefighters from Promised Land, Callison, Northwest and Hodges were at the scene, as were sheriff’s deputies, state troopers and State Law Enforcement Division agents.
Rescue workers kicked through underbrush near a pond off S.C. 10 as a spotlight on a SLED helicopter guided their path from above. The wreckage was discovered around 8 p.m. in a patch of woods and swamp so dense that later personnel needed all-terrain vehicles to reach the site.
Flashlights spread out in the dark in search of survivors, but it was quickly determined that all four inside had been killed in the crash. Emergency personnel said they were prepared to work at the crash scene through the night.
Colleagues said they were stunned that Robin Strom had died.
“She’s just one of a kind,” said Ninety Six Elementary media specialist Patricia Henderson. “I just can’t imagine who can follow in her footsteps.”
Henderson said Strom and her son Bradley had just gotten back from the chorus trip to Washington, D.C.
Strom had sent a videotape of the Ninety Six Chorus’ performance at the In The Spotlight event in March 2004 to the office of Third District Congressman Gresham Barrett, who extended an invitation to the chorus to perform Monday at his annual prayer breakfast.
Bradley, a sixth grader, was a member of the honors chorus, Henderson said.
District 52 Superintendent Dan Powell said he had just gotten to know Strom during the trip.
“I’m just in shock. It is a real tragedy for the school and the community,” he said, adding that Strom was very active in the community. She also was chairwoman of the McCormick County Republican Party and was a member of McCormick County Council.
“She is a wonderful, wonderful teacher,” said Henderson, who has been a teacher in Ninety Six for 25 years. “She never slows down, she will do as much as she can for the children. She put her heart and soul into teaching.
“She won’t ever slow down, even to eat lunch.”
Strom’s political interests also impressed her colleague. “She said she wanted to be governor of South Carolina,” Henderson said. “She said ‘That’s what I want to do some day.’”
Henderson and Strom worked this school year on a project to inform Ninety Six Elementary students about politics and their local elected leaders.
Henderson said Strom created “a wonderful science lab” and was especially interested in helping children develop their critical thinking skills.
James Strom had just recently bought an airplane, and had known how to fly for some time, Henderson said. “He was very excited about it,” she said. “The whole family was excited.”
Ninety Six Elementary Principal Jane Calhoun also said she was shocked to learn the news.
“They were the most wonderful family – her children were absolutely model children,” she said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Council have been notified of the crash, Wideman said. The FAA Web site says the plane was registered to an owner in McCormick County. The Web site lists the registration as pending.
Regional editor Vic MacDonald, staff writer Megan Varner and the Associated Press contributed to this article.

Katherine Crigler

SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Katherine Blake Crigler, 88, died Thursday, Jan. 6, 2005 in Santa Rosa.
Born in Greenwood, S.C., she was a daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. C.H. Blake.
Survivors include a son, Henry T. Crigler Jr. of Santa Rosa and two grandchildren.
Announcement courtesy of Blyth Funeral Home.

Olin Eakin

Olin Shedrock Eakin, 86, of 204 Oaklane Drive, husband of Kathleen Smith Eakin, died Friday, Jan. 7, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Visitation is 6-8 tonight at Blyth Funeral Home.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home.

David Haynes

WARE SHOALS — David Haynes, 74, of 5333 Highway 252, died Thursday, Jan. 6, 2005 at his home.
Born in Abbeville County, he was a son of the late Herman Lee and Alice Calvert Haynes. He retired from Riegel Textile Corp. He was twice married, first to the late Mary W. Enoree Haynes, and second, to the late Louise Honnicutt Haynes.
Survivors include two sisters, Ruby Alewine of Belton and Patty Lollis of Honea Path.
Services are 3 p.m. Sunday at Parker-White Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. Ron Culbertson. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers are Billy Smith, Ray Smith, Jack Smith, David Smith, Derrell Bagwell, Mike Moore, Gary Timms and Tops Hill.
Visitation is 6-8 tonight at the funeral home.
The family is at the home of Ruby and Jerry Alewine, 200 Alewine Road, Belton.
Parker-White Funeral Home is in charge.

Bernie Mahlar

ABBEVILLE, SC – Bernard ‘Bernie’ Paul Mahlar, 100, resident of 208 Ellis Ave., widower of Elizabeth (Betty) Woodyard Mahlar died Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2005 at Abbeville Nursing Home.
He was born August 29, 1904 in Woodbury, CT. He graduated from Woodbury, CT public schools. Because of his interest in the Bible, he became associated with Jehovah’s Witnesses. In 1923, the family moved to Glendale, CA. He continued his Bible studies with the Glendale congregation. Later he worked for many years as a missionary for Jehovah’s Witnesses under the direction of The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Brooklyn, NY. He preached the good news of God’s Kingdom in his country including both the Carolinas, and also in Canada. He retired from Greene’s Service Center as an electronic technician. He has been an active member of the Abbeville Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses for many years.
He is survived by two daughters – Lilia Ostman of Hendersonville, NC and Linda Edwards of Spartanburg, SC, and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted Sunday Jan. 9, 2005 at 2:00 from the Abbeville Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses with the Rev. Gene Clifton officiating. The burial will follow in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens.
The body is at The Chandler-Jackson Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 PM Saturday evening. The family is at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Randall Kidd, 205 West Pinkney St., Abbeville, SC.
Memorials may be made to the Abbeville Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 205 West Pinkney St., Abbeville, SC 29620.
THE CHANDLER-JACKSON FUNERAL HOME, ABBEVILLE, SC IS IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS.
PAID OBITUARY

Heyward Newson

PHILADELPHIA — Heyward Newson, 72, husband of Carol Newson, of 2606 N. 28th St., died Monday, Jan. 3, 2005 at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia.
Born in McCormick County, S.C., he was a son of the late Willie and Martha Newson. He attended McCormick County public schools and retired from Cross Brothers Meat Co. A member of New Joy Missionary Baptist Church, he was a former member of Bailey Bethel A.M.E. Church in Callison, S.C.
Survivors include his wife of the home; a brother, Otis Newson of Philadelphia; three sisters, Julia Hill of Greenwood, S.C., Martha Gaskin of Callison, S.C., and Bertha Mathis of Philadelphia.
Services are Monday at New Joy Missionary Baptist Church.
Len Ellis Funeral Home, 529 Risen Sun Ave., is in charge.
Announcement courtesy of Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home, Greenwood.

Dewitt Earl Shealy

GREENVILLE – Dewitt Earl Shealy, 82, loving husband for 57 years, father and “Papa” passed away peacefully at Greenville Memorial Hospital on January 7, 2005. He lived in Rolling Green Retirement Village, Greenville, SC and formerly in Ninety Six.
He was born in Greenwood County, a son of the late Dewitt Irby Shealy and the late Annette Summers Shealy. He retired from Greenwood Mills, Sloan Plant in 1982. He was a member of Ninety Six Presbyterian Church, was a former Boy Scout leader in Ninety Six and was a US Marine Corp Veteran of WW II.
Surviving are his loving wife of 57 years, Anna Young Shealy and two sons and their wives, Irby Shealy and Gennie Pinson Shealy of Greer and Ronald Earl Shealy and Annelle Ashmore Shealy of Lake Wylie, SC; three granddaughters, Mary Elizabeth Shealy Miller of Greenville, Anna Marie Shealy of Greer and Jessica Annelle Shealy of Mauldin; a grandson and his wife, Joseph Earl Shealy and Danielle Trickett Shealy of Greenville; a sister, Dorothy Shealy Alexander and a special uncle who was considered a brother, Alvin Summers, both of Ninety Six; three brothers-in-law and their wives, Conrad and Isabelle Young, Lowry and Margaret F. Young, all of Abbeville and Gene and Pat Young of Easley; also many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be conducted at 3:00 Sunday afternoon at Ninety Six Presbyterian Church with Rev. Randy Hardy officiating.
Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery in Ninety Six.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home in Greenwood and will be placed in the church at 2:00 Sunday afternoon.
The family is at the home in Rolling Green Retirement Village and will receive friends at the church from 2:00 to 3:00 Sunday afternoon.
Memorials may be made to Ninety Six Presbyterian Church, 120 Cambridge Street, Ninety Six, SC 29666 or to Elmwood Cemetery, PO Box 15, Ninety Six, SC 29666 or to the charity of one’s choice.
For additional information you may visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
BLYTH FUNERAL HOME IS ASSISTING THE SHEALY FAMILY

Lucile Haley Smith

GREENVILLE, SC - Lucile Haley Smith, 99, formerly of Greenville, died Friday, January 7, 2005 at National Health Center, Greenwood, SC.
Born September 28, 1905, in Pickens County, she was a daughter of the late Hezekiah Pickens Haley and Ida Dean Haley.
While residing in Greenville, Mrs. Smith was an active member of Berea First Baptist Church.
She was predeceased in death by her husband, Paul W. Smith and three sisters, Nell H. Spears, Sadie H. Duff and Mary H. Fowler. She is survived by two nieces, Nancy S. West and her husband, George, of Greenwood and Mary Duff West and her husband, Thomas of Charlotte, NC; a nephew, James T. Duff, III and his wife, Kathy of Marietta, GA; four great nieces and one great nephew.
The family will receive friends Monday from 10:00 A.M. until service time. Services will follow at 11:00 A.M. at The Mackey Mortuary with Dr. Ronald Vaughn and Dr. Horace Benjamin officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Berea First Baptist Church, 529 Farrs Bridge Road, Greenville, SC 29611 or to Martha Franks Retirement Center, 1 Martha Franks Drive, Laurens, SC 29360.
The Mackey Mortuary, Century Drive.
PAID OBITUARY

Thomas Michael Stathakis

EASLEY – Thomas Michael Stathakis, 60, of 323 Windwing Way, died January 7, 2005.
Born in Greenwood, he was a son of Mike T. and Diana Athanason Stathakis of Greenville.
Mr. Stathakis was a graduate of Greenwood High School, Class of 1962, and retired as a partner in Stax’s Restaurants. He served in Korea as a Specialist E-5 in the US Army from 1963 until 1966. He also served on the Greenville City Police Department and the Tarpon Springs, Florida Police Department. He was a member of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
He was a loving father and family member who’s zest for the love of food and family gatherings made him the special brother, son, and uncle to the immediate family and father to his beloved daughter Neysa.
There is a long list of friends from his early days in Greenwood through his professional years as a soldier, police officer and restaurateur. He will be missed, but more importantly he will be remembered by his family as the rock that held the family together.
Surviving, in addition to his parents, are his daughter and son-in-law, Neysa and Todd Caron of Easley; and two brothers, George M. Stathakis and his wife, Paula, and Frank M. Stathakis and his wife, Sheila, all of Greenville.
Services will be Monday at 11:00 a.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, with Father Tom Pistolis officiating. Entombment will follow in Woodlawn Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends Monday from 10:00 until 11:00 a.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the building fund of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 15 Decamp Street, Greenville, SC 29601.
The Mackey Mortuary, Century Drive
PAID OBITUARY

GHS takes series

Backcourt trio leads Eagles past Vikings

January 8, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

The Greenwood High School boys basketball team took the season series against crosstown rival Emerald behind a dominating performance from the Eagles’ triple-threat backcourt.
Guards John Phelps, Andre Day and Armanti Edwards combined for 50 points, including six 3-pointers to guide Greenwood to a 74-60 win over the Vikings. It was the Eagles’ second win over Emerald in three tries.
Phelps scored 13 of his game-high 18 points in the first half, while Edwards and Day each chipped in 16. After taking a 10-point advantage to start the fourth quarter, the Eagles led only 60-55 with 3 minutes, 3 seconds remaining. But Greenwood responded by rattling off 13 unanswered points, with 11 coming from the free throw line.
Day keyed that crucial fourth-quarter run that sealed the Eagles’ victory by going 6-of-7 from the line. “When we get the right guys at the line, we can hit them,” Greenwood coach Hob Chandler said. “I told the guys at halftime that they were going to make a run at us, and we needed to be able to withstand that run and not panic.
“I thought we played one of our best games tonight.”
Like Greenwood, Emerald’s perimeter players provided the bulk of the Vikings’ scoring in the rubber match. Point guard Fred Johnson and small forward Dan Wideman finished with 16 points apiece. Emerald’s leading scorer D.L. Griffin added 12, despite being hounded most of the night by the Eagles’ box-and-one defense. The Eagles starting things by scoring the game’s first seven points.
Edwards hit the first of three straight Greenwood 3-pointers over the Vikings’ packed in zone defense to make it 7-0. The Eagles stretched their first quarter lead to eight, at 20-12.
Johnson trimmed the Emerald deficit to a field goal with a 30-footer at the first-quarter buzzer, making it 20-17.
Griffin cut the lead down to a single point two separate times in the second quarter. With 4:10 left before halftime, blocked a shot by Day and drove the length of the floor before being fouled on a left-handed layup. Griffin sank the freebie to make it 25-24.
Then the senior swingman drilled a 3-pointer with 2:25 left in the second quarter to pull Emerald to within one, 30-29. But that would be the Vikings’ final points of the first half.
The Eagles would use that time wisely. After a layin from Alonzo Higgins and back-to-back buckets from A.J. Lomax, J.D. Dugger chipped in his only points of the night.
The Greenwood senior knocked down a 3-pointer with 3 seconds left in the half to give the Eagles a 39-29 halftime lead.

Lady Eagles knock off Emerald girls again

January 8, 2005

By RON COX
Index-Journal sports writer

It wasn’t pretty, but the Lady Eagles streak lives on until next year.
The Greenwood High School girls basketball team earned its 14th straight win over crosstown rival Emerald and third victory this season with a 41-37 win Friday night at Finis Horne Arena.
The Lady Eagles (5-5) used an 11-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to come away with their fourth win in as many games.
“It was tough,” Lady Eagles coach Susan Thompson said. “When we went on that run and Emerald called that time out, it was the first time I’d seen that look in their eyes. That effort and hustle was missing from us all game before that. That’s when they realized it was slipping away.”
With the Lady Vikings (5-4) employing a trick defense on Ashly Chandler and Ashley Latham, Greenwood’s top two scorers, sophomore center Jacena Thompson took the game over for the Lady Eagles.
Thompson finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds to lead Greenwood.
“I pulled her out one time and told her that she was going to have to carry us tonight,” Thompson said. “She just means so much to our team.”
Freshman Vijya Corbett added nine points, while all seven of Chandler’s points and all three of Latham’s came from the foul line.
Emerald had three finish in double figures. Domnick Mitchell scored 10 of her team-high 12 in the second half, while Brittany Connor and Elizabeth Nicholson each provided 10. Nicholson also added 18 rebounds.
Greenwood led virtually the entire first half, taking a 16-12 advantage into the halftime break.
Corbett drilled her second 3-poniter of the game to give the Lady Eagles a 21-18 lead with 2 minutes, 18 seconds left in the third.
But Emerald responded by going on a 13-3 run. Connor started the run by matching Corbett’s 3-ball with one of her own. After a pair of field goals from Mitchell, Nicholson hit a short jumper to give the Lady Vikings a 31-24 advantage with 5:31 to play.
But it took Emerald more than five minutes to make its next field goal, and went two and a half minutes without scoring a point.
Greenwood used that scoring drought to go on an 11-0 run, keyed by a pair of baskets from freshman Courtney Reid.

One woman made history, opened doors for others

January 8, 2005

Shirley Chisholm was a champion. No, not in any athletic sense, but in so many other respects. She championed child care and education issues, and she opened a door that allowed many others to become champions in all walks of life.
Younger South Carolinians may not remember this former educator from Brooklyn. If not, they should take the time to learn something about this lady. Schools should make it a point to make her life and accomplishments a routine part of their curriculums.
What was so impressive about her? For one thing, she ran for president of the United States. She never expected to win, she said, but entered the Democratic primaries in 1972 against George S. McGovern. Some time later Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm said she simply wanted to be a “catalyst for change.” She definitely was that, and more.

SHE LEFT LITTLE DOUBT that her life was a legitimate figure of academic interest, and schools would be within their rights to make her life a classroom staple. That was assured when Chisholm, before entering the presidential primaries, made history when she was elected to U. S. House of Representatives, thus becoming the first black woman elected to Congress. That was in 1968. She served her heavily Democratic district in Brooklyn until the early 1980s.
She may not have won the Democratic presidential nomination back then, of course, but there should be no question about her being a “catalyst for change.” Since her time, to be sure, things have changed considerably.

WHILE ONLY NINE OTHER blacks, all males, entered the 91st Congress with Chisholm, this month, 40 took the oath of office. In 1968, she was only one of 12 women in Congress. This year, 65 women entered the House and 14 women serve as senators. There may be some people who think there should be more. But, then, there are sure to be some who think there should be none. That’s the nature of politics and racial divisiveness.
Were it not for Shirley Chisholm, there likely would be fewer blacks and women serving today, not only in Washington, but also in South Carolina, Greenwood and other communities. She blazed the trail, and the nation is better for it.
Shirley Chisholm died several days ago. Her legacy, though, will live on.