Emerald City’s name comes
from summer home, or does it?

July 10, 2006

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

Eva Greer doesn’t know exactly where Greenwood got its name, but she has a theory.
Greenwood’s named after, well, the trees.
“The area itself is full of trees and is very green,” Greer said.
Timothy Rushton has no idea where the name came from.
“I just know enough to know I live in Greenwood,” he said.
Rushton’s in the majority of people not knowing about Greenwood’s origin.
The reason behind the name “Greenwood” is a mystery to most people, except to Ann Herd Bowen and the readers of her book, “Greenwood County: A History,” published in 1992.
Greenwood comes from the name of a log house built in 1823 and owned by John McGehee Jr., a lawyer from Cambridge, now Ninety Six.
McGehee used the house as a summer home for him and wife Charlotte. They named the summer home “Green Wood.” A village grew around the house and eventually took on the name, even when the post office was briefly named Woodville in 1837.
“I think when people start using it as Greenwood, it just kind of catches hold,” Bowen said. Greenwood became the town’s official name in 1850. The former site of the cabin lies on East Cambridge Street between Elm Court and the former Brewer Middle School.
Boykin Curry thinks that either the summer home or the lush greenery could be answers to the Greenwood name riddle despite the evidence. Curry helped Bowen research Greenwood County’s history for the book. Both theory’s seem to make sense, he said.
Still another theory involves “The Wizard of Oz,” specifically, the reason behind Greenwood’s nickname Emerald City.
Ray Crenshaw remembers when he was a kid in 1954 that many businesses in the phone book started with Emerald City.
Crenshaw thinks “The Wizard of Oz” movie from 1939 or the original book from 1900 could have inspired Greenwood’s nickname.
He knows a few people who shared the same opinion.
Hack Bartley thinks it’s odd how towns get their names, including Greenwood. For example, Due West got its name from being five miles due west of Donalds.
Greenwood’s also a popular name for towns across North America.
Check the Internet search engine Google and you’ll find many references to Greenwood.
There are at least five cities in the United States that share the name Greenwood. Indiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Maine and Minnesota all have a Greenwood.
Colorodo has a Greenwood, too, although it’s Greenwood Village. New York also has a city called Greenwood Lake.
Seattle has a neighborhood called Greenwood.
Greenwood, British Columbia has the honor of being the smallest incorporated town in Canada. Greenwood, Wis. got its name from the incorporation of two towns: Greenland and Land of the Big Woods.
A lot of cities in the United States also use the word “Green” in their titles.
Green Bay, Wis., home of the Green Bay Packers National Football League team, is the most famous example.
Green River, Wyo. is another.
There are two towns called Bowling Green: one in Ohio and another in Kentucky.
One town in Ohio is just called Green.
No matter how many different variations of Greenwood exist in the United States, there’s only one Greenwood in South Carolina.
“I just feel sorry for everybody who doesn’t live here,” Curry said.

Blanche Ashley

HONEA PATH — Blanche Caroline Ashley, 78, resident of 485 J.T. Ashley Road, wife of J.T. Ashley, died Sunday, July 9, 2006 at her home.
Born in Honea Path, she was a daughter of the late John Guy and Audrey Martin Ashley. She was a retired assistant personnel manager with Bloomsburg Mills and an active member of Mount Bethel Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband of the home; a daughter, Dr. John (Audrey) Guy of Honea Path; two grandsons; a grandson reared in the home, Rocky Guy; two sisters, Nancy Smith and Rose Fields both of Honea Path; a brother, Randy Ashley of Ware Shoals.
Graveside services are 3 p.m. Tuesday at Mount Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery conducted by the Rev. Ron Culberson.
Visitation is 2-3 Tuesday at the church.
The family is at the home.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 521 N. McDuffie St. Anderson, SC 29621 or to Mount Bethel Baptist Church, Choir Fund, 2603 Due West Highway. Belton, SC.
The Chandler - Jackson Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.chandlerjacksonfh.com

Ellen Burnette

Ellen Krabbe Burnette, 66, resident of 152 Avondale Road, wife of Donald Lee Burnette, died July 9, 2006 at her home.
Born in Hune, Denmark, August 19, 1939, she was a daughter of the late Hakon and Ida Ostergaard Krabbe. She served four years in the Royal Danish Air Force. Mrs. Burnette retired from Knight Industries and was formerly employed by Parke-Davis.
A member of Harris United Methodist Church, she was also a member of the Cooper-Reed Sunday School Class and the Friendship Circle of the church and had served as chair person of the Board of Stewards and the Finance Committee.
Surviving in addition to her husband of 44 years are three daughters, Ann B. and husband Danny Lawton and Janie B. and husband Mike LeTourneau, all of Greenwood and Lisa B. and husband Scooter Brandemuehl of Orangeburg; three sisters, Lis Larsen, Karen Inger Krabbe and Hanne Christiansen, all of Denmark, Europe; a brother, Erik Krabbe of Denmark. Eight grandchildren, Lee-Ann Free, Whitney, Oliver and Mason Lawton, Gray and Mary Margret Davis, Kensley and Dylan Brandemuehl.
Funeral services will be conducted at 10:30 AM Tuesday at Harris United Methodist Church with Rev. Chris Lollis, Rev. David Templeton and Rev. Larry Jenkins officiating.
Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Gray Davis, Ansel Smith, Norman Anderson, Don Anderson, Ron Anderson, Mike Saggus, Willson Fisher, Dr. Dale Smoak and Mike Creswell.
Honorary escort will be Dr. Joanna Sadurski and staff, the staff of 4th Floor East at Self Regional Medical Center, the staff of Hospice Care of the Piedmont and members of the Cooper-Reed Sunday School Class along with special friends, June Smith, Martha Anderson, Dot Reed, Debbie Creswell, Mary Frances Anderson, Vera Burnette and Linda Woods.
The body is at Blyth Funeral Home and will be placed in the church at 9:30 AM Tuesday.
The family is at the home in Avondale and will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00 to 8:00 Monday evening.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Hospice Care of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646 or to Harris United Methodist Church, PO Box 8850, Greenwood, SC 29649.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Burnette family.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.blythfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

Roy P. Dukes

Roy P. Dukes, 79, of 306 Grove Street Apt. 2D, widower of Margaret C. Dukes, died Sunday, July 9, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
The family is at the home of his son, Jerry P. Dukes, 370 Burnett Road.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home & Crematory.

Patriotism is a natural for the American people

July 10, 2006

Patriotism is not a complicated thing. According to the dictionary, it’s simply the love of one’s country. It is that, certainly. Broken down into it’s simplest, most basic form though, it’s really nothing more than the love of home, which includes family and all things familiar. That’s true in South Carolina and any other place anyone calls home.
Patriotism was a natural element in the founding of the United States, as it has been throughout history, particularly when the American way of life has been threatened by those who would destroy it.

PATRIOTISM, YOU’D THINK, is something that should be understood and appreciated by all Americans. Wrong! No less authority than the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks has a different view. Natalie Maines created a controversy a while back when she told an audience in England that she was ashamed of President Bush and the fact that he came from her home state of Texas.
That didn’t sit well with most Americans, it seems. The Dixie Chicks all but disappeared. To make matters worse, though, Miss Maines recently was reported to have said, “The entire country may disagree with me, but I don’t understand the necessity for patriotism. Why do you have to be patriotic? About what? This is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country ..... I don’t see why people care about patriotism.”

SHE HAS THE RIGHT TO feel as she does. So do those celebrities who seem to make a habit of criticizing the leaders selected by the majority of Americans. Wonder if she or they realize that right was made possible by Americans who do care about patriotism and what it has meant to not only the U. S., but millions of others around the world who have benefited because of American patriotism?
Patriotism has provided a place where many of us have opportunities to become rich and famous. Most understand what patriotism means. Apparently they are the ones who make it count. The rest? They profit from the freedom that patriotism secures and maintains.