Churches join forces to help others

Lakelands-area Baptists sending truckload of supplies to hurricane victims

October 15, 2005

By VIC MacDONALD
Index-Journal regional editor

Volunteers form a human chain to move supplies bound for hurricane victims into the Morris Chapel clothing ministry building on Baptist Avenue.

Small, rural — probably forgotten — communities in Mississippi will see visitors from Greenwood next week. Visitors bringing food and clothes that can help people cope with the continuing misery of living in the wake of a killer hurricane.
A four-member mission team from Morris Chapel Baptist Church and the Little River Baptist Association will scout the places that need assistance, and then wait for the truck bringing boxes of help.
A truck to carry the supplies will be loaded today. The mission team will leave before dawn Monday, and the truck will make its way to flood-ravaged areas on Tuesday. It’s just the beginning.
“Our people will be there to do the hands-on, and then the truck will follow on Tuesday,” said the Rev. Sylvester Jackson, pastor of Little River Baptist Church in Ware Shoals. “They will be there to unload the truck.
Jackson, who also is moderator of the 37-member Little River Baptist Association, said the churches have committed to gathering more supplies and staying in contact with rural areas that need help. “We have a partner (church) in that area that serves as a pooling area,” he said. “We can take it directly to them; 100 percent (of the donations) can go directly there.”
Jackson said he thinks rural areas of Mississippi have been hit harder than people know — and will need help for longer than people suspect.
“We will not do this one time,” he said. “We will continue to monitor them, down the road a month from now, a year from now. We want to let them know we will press forward.”
“This has been a long day,” the Rev. J.L. Robinson, pastor of Cokesbury Baptist Church in Hodges, said of the effort to gather supplies. “I’ve not had sleep.”
Still, it’s been a blessing, he said. “For a man to come up to par, he needs food and clothes first, then you can see his other needs. We’re trying to find those churches that got lost.
“We’re just glad to do this,” Robinson said. “I’m blessed to be able to do what I can.”
Shiloh AME Church member DeJohn Drennon, the youngest volunteer at age 20, said he just happened to come to Morris Chapel Baptist on Friday to volunteer and got caught up in the work to gather the supplies.
“I volunteer whenever I can,” he said. “You need all the help you can get.”
The Rev. Ricky Syndab, pastor of Morris Chapel Baptist, said he went through Hurricane Hugo on Pawley’s Island. He remembers the long-term needs of the Lowcountry people, and people elsewhere in storm-ravaged South Carolina.
Of the mission team’s 48 hours in Mississippi, he said, “We will see what the need is and bring it back. The focus has been on New Orleans, but we need not to lose sight of the common people.” His church likely will adopt a hurricane-struck family in Mississippi and an evacuee family that has made its way to Greenwood.
For this trip, Morris Chapel Baptist is donating 83 boxes of aid, 10 of which are filled with food. The church’s clothing ministry has been open for two years, and every stitch inside the building across from the church on Baptist Street is going to Mississippi.
“We can replenish here,” Syndab said. “We need to give it to the people who can use it now.” Greenwood County Councilwoman Edith Childs picked up medical supplies on Friday that she will take as a member of mission team. More important to the people they will encounter than her civic position is the fact that Childs is a retired nurse.
“I’m excited about it. Because of the devastation, we need to reach out and help those folks,” Childs said.
But she admitted, as a medical professional, she’s worried, too. “At the same time I’m scared. I don’t know what I’m going to find there.”
The church did provide assistance in the wake of Hurricane Hugo 16 year ago, but Childs thinks the Gulf devastation is worse than what this state experienced. "It’s just an awesome experience. We are helping with something that could happen to us,” she said.
Lost in the overwhelming national response — and federal fingerpointing — in the disaster aftermath is something looming in Childs’ mind. What happen when winter comes?
“If things are as bad as I think they are,” she said, “we’re going to have to take them blankets and warm clothes. We will start over collecting. When we get back we’ll know what to ask (the public) for.”

Eagles spoil homecoming for Yellow Jackets

October 15, 2005

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

ANDERSON — The Greenwood High School football team didn’t spoil homecoming for T.L. Hanna.
They destroyed it.
The Eagles (5-3, 1-1) downed the Yellow Jackets (2-6, 0-2) 45-21 Friday night in Anderson.
Greenwood never trailed in the contest and even had a 24-point lead at halftime. The win was a good one for the Eagles after three straight losses, including last week’s loss to Westside which snapped Greenwood’s 39-game Region I-AAAA winning streak.
“Our kids were outstanding tonight,” Greenwood coach Shell Dula said. “They really came out and executed the gameplan our coaching staff put in for them.”
Leading the way for the Eagles once again was quarterback Armanti Edwards. The senior was 12 of 22 passing for 207 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns. “Armanti was remarkable this evening,” Dula said.
Greenwood also got solid play from wide receiver Xavier Dye and tight end Alex Sellars. Dye nabbed six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, while Sellars caught five passes for 80 yards and two scores.
The Eagles were without the services of several offensive starters, including tailback Robert Robinson and wide receivers Anthony Chalmers and Reggie James. Dula would not specify why the players did not play, nor when they would return.
The Eagles opened the scoring early in the contest.
After forcing the Yellow Jackets into a punt, Greenwood initiated its opening drive from its own 41-yard line.
Three minutes, 29 seconds later, Edwards darted into the end zone from 12 yards out to put Greenwood on top, 7-0, with 7:01 remaining in the first quarter.
Greenwood’s first quarter onslaught was just beginning.
On the Eagles’ next possession, Edwards brought his team to the line of scrimmage, operating at the Jackets’ 46-yard line. Edwards took the snap and ran to the left side, where he met a wall of T.L. Hanna defenders. The lefty then reversed his field and juked a couple of Jackets. One stutter-step later, Edwards was in the open field, racing for a 46-yard touchdown and inciting the Greenwood crowd.
The score put Greenwood up 14-0 with 4:35 left in the quarter.
The play of the night occurred on Greenwood’s next scoring drive.
With the ball sitting on the Jackets’ 31-yard line, Edwards dropped back to pass. After checking off two receivers, Edwards spotted Sellars sprinting to the left side of the field. Edwards fired a pass to Sellars, who was facing good coverage from T.L. Hanna’s Keso Henderson.
With Henderson draped over his left side, Sellars reached out with his right hand and palmed the pass. He then shucked Henderson and scooted across the goal line for the touchdown, giving Greenwood a 21-0 advantage heading into the second quarter.
“I had a couple big catches,” Sellars said. “But we all played big. Not just me, the whole team.” Not to be outdone by his offensive teammates, Greenwood kicker Clay Baldwin made sure the Eagles’ special teams got in on the scoring as well.
After T.L. Hanna scored a touchdown on an eight-minute drive to open of the second quarter, the Eagles offense got the ball back and worked their way to the Jackets’ 25-yard line. Facing 4th and 10, Baldwin trotted on to attempt a 42-yard field goal. Baldwin sent a booming end-over-end kick well past the needed yardage and straight through the uprights, putting the Eagles up 24-7 with2:44 remaining in the first half.
It seemed as if T.L. Hanna would run out the clock in the first half, however, Jackets’ tailback Brian Maddox, who rushed for 183 yards, coughed up a fumble near midfield, which was scooped up by Greenwood’s Antoine Lagroone and returned to the Hanna 45-yard line.
“That play Antoine made was huge,” Dula said. “Our defense stepped up and made the difference for us in this game.”
After recovering the fumble, Greenwood deftly worked the clock and the sidelines, driving the ball to the Jackets’ 19-yard line with 8 seconds left in the half.
With time for just one more play before halftime, Edwards stepped into the shotgun and looked directly to his left. Edwards launched a high-arcing floater into the right corner of the end zone, where Sellars leapt over the T.L. Hanna secondary contingent for the 19-yard touchdown reception, sending the Eagles to the locker room with a 31-7 halftime lead.
The Greenwood defense held the Jackets to just 228 total yards on the evening. Meanwhile, the Eagles offense rumbled for 452 yards of total offense.
“What impressed me here tonight is that we never let up,” Dula said. “We asked some guys to step up in this game, and they did. It was a good region win.”
The Eagles will travel next Friday to take on Region I-AAAA rival Easley.

Emerald runs over Rebels

Vikings move into tie for first in Region III-AA with big victory

October 15, 2005

By KENNY MAPLE
Special to The Index-Journal

Despite an abundance of penalties in the second half, the Emerald High School football team still had plenty of offense to route Mid-Carolina, 48-7, in a Region III-AA game Friday at Frank Hill Stadium.
The win moved the Vikings (6-2 overall, 2-1 in region) into a four-way tie with Batesburg-Leesville, Newberry and Ninety Six atop the region standings.
The Vikings had two scores erased because of penalties, but the defense and special teams made up for the mistakes.
“The defense played very well,” Emerald coach Mack Bryan said. “We made a lot of big plays on defense and on special teams.”
Aside from the penalties, the Vikings offense played well too. Starting in the first quarter, on its second drive, Emerald began on its own 48 and drove the ball diligently down the field with quarterback Dan Wideman capping the possession with a 4-yard touchdown run.
Emerald kicked off to Mid-Carolina, but the Rebels were unable to move the ball. On fourth down, Mid-Carolina’s punt was blocked by Tario Rice and picked up by Emmanuel Smith for the 22-yard return and the score.
“I saw Tario (Rice) block it for me and I just scooped it and ran it for the score,” Smith said.
Emerald missed the extra point and the score was 13-0 at the end of the second quarter.
Smith wasn’t finished on defense though, as he recovered a fumble by Mid-Carolina running back Keke Wadsworth. Smith returned the ball 27 yards to set up favorable field position.
A John Jefferson sack pushed the Rebels back to their 5-yard line on their next possession. The Rebels would punt on fourth down, with Peferio Strong deep to receive the kick.
Catching the football close to the 50-yard line, Strong would maneuver his way through the Rebel special teams for the touchdown.
After another quick possession by Mid Carolina, Emerald would find themselves in the red zone. Wideman dropped back to pass and fired to the end zone. The ball bounced off one Emerald receiver but into the hands of teammate Nick Lanier for the touchdown. The Emerald offense would also score again before the end of the half when Kadaron Anderson recovered a fumble and returned it 28 yards making the score 32-0.
Emerald would kickoff to Mid Carolina with only a couple minutes left. After two plays, Mid Carolina still remained in their own territory. The Rebels would take a timeout with 9 seconds left as they plotted their next play. Backup quarterback Daniel Boland lined up under center, snapped the ball and passed to Robert Lake who would connect with receiver Kedric Douglas for 77 yards and the touchdown.
Wideman would show off his arm again in the second half as he threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Justin Calhoun. The remainder of the points scored in the game came from a sack on the Mid Carolina quarterback for a safety, and a 1-yard run by Justin Williams to put the final score at 48-7.

Opinion

‘Republican’ government sometimes misunderstood

October 15, 2005

Do most Americans really understand how their government works? Many have no doubt they know everything there is to know about everything, but do they really?
Some do, of course. It may surprise some,however, to learn that although they think they have a working knowledge of government, it’s not exactly how they see it.
We live in a democracy, right! Of course we do. We are a country where the power is vested in the people. However, we are also a republic, and that can sometimes cause confusion, not to mention misunderstanding.
A republican form of government has nothing to do with the Republican Party, although some people in the Palmetto State may think so.

A REPUBLIC IS A GOVERNMENT where the supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote. That power is exercised by elected officials and representatives responsible to the people. and they must govern according to law.
Elected officials in our republic make decisions for us. If we aren’t satisfied with how they represent us, we can vote them out of office.
Confusion sometimes comes when we think elected officials should always do as we say. They may listen to what we have to say. However, they make up their own minds and vote accordingly.
That doesn’t mean the people don’t have input, though. They do and they never hesitate to do that in a variety of ways, including in person.

WHILE ELECTED OFFICIALS make up their own minds about issues that concern the people, that
prerogative does not preclude public input. They wouldn’t be very wise to ignore the people. If they go against the will of the people too often, they put their political futures at risk.
So, while we are a democracy, we are also a republic. That system has worked well. It helps, though, if it is understood, perhaps a little better than it is.
We should always make sure our children appreciate what we have and why we have it. But, then, it wouldn’t hurt if a lot of adults learned that same lesson …... in South Carolina and every other state.

Editorial expression in this feature represents our own views.
Opinions are limited to this page.

Obituaries

Sarah Jean Bush

LANDOVER, Md. — Sarah Jean Cambrel Bush, 56, of 2209 Vermont Ave., wife of John Caleb Bush, died Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2005 at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.
Born in Greenwood, S.C., she was a daughter of Secbrue and Gladys Cambrel of Washington, D.C. She stayed with her grandparents, the late Thomas C. and Lillie Holloway. She attended Westside Elementary and Brewer High School. She was a graduate of Prince George’s Community College in Maryland. She was a member of Morris Chapel Baptist Church and Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., where she was a member of the Ushers ministry, drama ministry, the Angelic Echos and the Choral Ensemble.
Survivors include her husband and her parents; three daughters, Lisa Bush Cordell, Tonya Bush and Felecia Bush-Jackson, all of Maryland; five brothers, Richard Cambrel, Wayne Cambrel, Ronald Cambrel, Anthony Cambrel and Keith Cambrel, all of the Washington-Maryland area; six grandchildren, one of whom was reared in the home, Racharde Bush.
Services are at 11 Tuesday at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, East Capitol St., in Washington, D.C., conducted by Dr. Lucious M. Dalton, assisted by in-house ministers. Burial is in Harmony Cemetery in Landover, Md.
J.B. Jenkins Funeral Home, Landover, Md., is in charge.
Announcement courtesy of Robinson and Son Mortuary Inc., Greenwood, S.C.

Mrs. Mary Horne Christian

ELBERTON, GA. — Mrs. Mary Horne Christian, age 84, of 1066 Wahatchee Creek Road, Elberton, widow of Clarence E. Christian, died Thursday, October 13, 2005, at the Self Regional Health Care facility of Greenwood, SC.
She was born in Greenwood County, SC on December 4, 1920, a daughter of the late Walter J. Horne and Mattie Lou DeLoach Horne. Mrs. Christian was retired from Elberton Manufacturing Company and was a homemaker. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Elberton and the Louree Sunday School Class and served in the Nursery Department.
Survivors include a daughter, Janice (Jan) C. Driggers and her husband, Dennis of Elberton; son, Graham Edward (Eddie) Christian of Elberton; three grandchildren, William Christopher (Chris) Driggers and wife Linda of Anderson, SC, Steven Vincent (Vince) Christian of Waterloo, SC, Travis Edward Christian and wife Mendy of Elberton, GA; two great grandchildren, Taylor Kaye Driggers and William Christopher (CJ) Driggers, Jr. of Anderson; three sisters, Doris H. Quarles, Iris H. Golding and Mildred H. Capps of Greenwood, SC. Mrs. Christian was predeceased by four brothers, Graham Horne, Iry Horne, Hubert L. Horne and Floyd R. Horne.
Funeral services will be held on Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 3:00PM in the Memorial Chapel of Berry Funeral Home of Elberton, with Rev. Bill Capps to officiate. Interment services will be held at 5:00PM on Sunday in the Edgewood Cemetery in Greenwood, SC.
The family will receive friends on Saturday from 7 to 9PM at the Berry Funeral Home and at other hours they may be contacted at the residence of her son, Eddie Christian, Wahatchee Creek Road, Elberton.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Stroke Foundation or the charity of one’s choice.
The Berry Funeral Home of Elberton is respectfully conducting the funeral arrangements for Mrs. Christian.
PAID OBITUARY

Hattie B. Lagroone

HODGES — Evangelist Hattie B. Lagroone, 59, of 208 Athens Court, died Friday, Oct. 14, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in McCormick County, she was a daughter of the late Clifford Blackwell and Inez Johnson of Greenwood. She was a former cook at Rick’s Uptown Café. She was a member of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, where she was a Sunday School teacher and in the Hymn Choir. She was associate minister of Bethel Missionary Baptist, member of Bethel Bible Study class, Tumbling Shoulders Union, and the Missionary Ministry’s executive board. She was a 1963 graduate of Brewer High School.
Survivors include her mother of Greenwood; a daughter, the Rev. Jocelyn Sheppard of the home; five brothers, Marion Johnson, Paul Johnson, Bonnie Lee Johnson, the Rev. David Johnson and James Prince, all of Greenwood; four sisters, Jean Robinson, Thelma Mathews and Della Johnson, all of Greenwood, and Carolyn Hughes of Augusta, Ga.; and two grandchildren reared in the home, Chrisanthia Sheppard and Mercedes Rogers.
Visitation is at the home of her mother, Inez Johnson, 223-B, Coleman Terrace, in Greenwood.
The family is at the home in Mulberry Park.
Services will be announced by Robinson and Son Mortuary Inc., Greenwood.

Frances Mull

SPARTANBURG — Frances Trail Mull, 90, formerly of Arkmain Street, widow of Jack Mull, died October 13, 2005 at Magnolia Place.
Born in Spartanburg, she was a daughter of the late Watt F. and Maggie Pearl Quinn Trail. She was retired from Ligon’s Drug Store after 20 years of service and was formerly by Drayton Mill where the family lived from 1929 to 1941. She was an active member of Arkwright Baptist Church.
Mrs. Mull was predeceased by four brothers, R.C. Trail, Bill Trail, Edwin Trail, and Walter Trail.
Surviving are four nieces, Janice Trail of Spartanburg, Judy Wright of Gainesville, GA, Kay McBee of Cross Hill and Wendy Brandt of Greenwood; a nephew, Ray Trail of Spartanburg.
Graveside services will be conducted at 3 pm Saturday in Oakwood Cemetery.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home in Greenwood.
Memorials may be made to Oakwood Cemetery Perpetual Care Association, c/o Spartanburg County Foundation, 320 E. Main Street, Suite 3, Spartanburg, SC 29302-1943.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com
BLYTH FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES ARE ASSISTING THE MULL FAMILY.
PAID OBITUARY

Homer M. Randall

Homer Marion Randall, 81, of 207 Cove Road, husband of Alice Lee Shipes Randall, died Friday, Oct. 14, 2005 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenwood, he was a son of the late Grover and Mary Busbin Randall. He was retired from the Adams Plant of Greenwood Mills, was a Army veteran of World War II and a volunteer with Bowers-Rogers. He attended Coronaca Baptist Church.
He was the last surviving member of his immediate family.
Survivors include his wife of the home; two sons, Brooks Randall of Greenwood and Marion Randall of Saluda; two daughters, Debbie Ek and Beth Harris, both of Greenwood; six grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Services are at 3 Sunday at Coronaca Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. David Tester. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens. The body will be placed in the church at 2.
Pallbearers are grandsons, Matt Randall, John Ek, Tripp Goff, Darrin Harris, Rodney Pilgrim, Scott Pilgrim and Tanner Goff.
Honorary escorts are the Sims and Clay Grant Sunday School Classes of Coronaca Baptist Church, along with Jimmy and Dewette Gable, Ruby Boone, Terry and Becky Heaton, Dale and Sandra Vickery, Johnny and Angie McGaha, Dr. Dan Robinson, Dr. Michael Bryant, Gemmye McCutcheon and Chan McCutcheon.
Visitation is from 6-8 tonight at Harley Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to Bowers-Rogers, P.O. Box 1252, Greenwood, S.C., 29648.
The family is at the home.
Harley Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com.

Nat Watson Sr.

Nat Erskine Watson Sr., 94, formerly of Rutledge Road and Bayberry Retirement Inn, widower of Eugenia Swetenburg Watson, died Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005 at The Brian Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home.

Earl M. Williams

JAMAICA, N.Y. — Earl Marion Williams, 69, husband of Mary H. Williams, died Saturday, Oct. 8, 2005.
He was a son of the late Georgia Lee Graham and Earnest Williams. He a graduate of Ninety Six High School in Ninety Six, S.C. He was a Army veteran of the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. He was a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church in South Carolina.
Survivors include his wife; two sisters, Mary Harts and Vera Kate Williams, both of Ninety Six, S.C.; four brothers, George Earnest Williams Jr., Thomas C. Williams and Ralph Williams, all of Greenwood, S.C., and William C. Williams of Little Rock, Ark.; two stepdaughters, Michelle Madden Colon and Schron Madden Dulberg; a stepson, Carl Gary Madden; and five grandchildren.
Services were Thursday, Oct. 13, 2005 at Crowe’s Funeral Homes, Inc. in Jamaica, New York.
Announcement courtesy of Robinson and Son Mortuary Inc., Greenwood, S.C.