Five people escape fire
that destroys local house

July 4, 2006

By VIC MacDONALD
Index-Journal regional editor

Two women and three children were able to flee a fire that quickly consumed a house Monday in Greenwood County. They were eating breakfast when the smoke detector alerted them to the danger.
Homeowner April Prince said she wasn’t using the stove or the microwave to make breakfast, so she checked the dryer, which was in operation, but there was no smoke there. “We grabbed the kids and went out,” she said, standing in a neighbor’s yard with relatives, friends and neighbors coming by to offer help.
Prince and a friend from Baton Rouge, La., were in the house with the Princes’ two boys and the friend’s child when the fire broke out about 9 a.m. Prince’s husband, Patrick, and another friend had gone to a lumber company to buy materials for a house the Princes are building.
They had lived at 817 Old Abbeville Highway, the house that burned, for two years. “We got the kids out,” April Prince said. “That’s what counts.”
Heat from the blaze damaged vinyl siding on two neighboring houses, but the blaze was contained by local fire departments despite dry, almost tinderbox conditions, said Keith Alexander, assistant chief of Northwest Volunteer Fire Department.
In addition to Northwest as primary responder, firefighters from Promised Land, Hodges and Coronaca responded, with about 40 firefighters total. The Greenwood Service Center of the American Red Cross also was on the scene. Relatives on the scene said the Princes have local relatives who they can stay with.
It took about 30 minutes to control the fire, Alexander said, and firefighters stayed at the scene Monday afternoon to extinguish “hot spots.” Initial response to the scene took about three minutes, he said, but the house was engulfed by then.
“They did the absolute right thing. You concentrate on getting the people out,” Alexander said.
Where and how the fire started had not been determined Monday afternoon, Alexander said, and an investigation is continuing. The four-bedroom, three-bath house, that was for sale is a total loss.

James Cannady

McCORMICK — James Cannady, 78, husband of Naomi Dye Cannady, died Monday, July 3, 2006 at Amara Rehabilitation Home in Augusta, Ga., after an extended illness.
Born in McCormick, he was a son of the late William and Estella Robertson Cannady. He was a member of Cedar Spring Baptist Church and attended Bethlehem Church of God Holiness. A World War II Army veteran, he was a building contractor and cement finisher.
Survivors include his wife of the home; two daughters, Doris Key and Patricia McClendon, both of McCormick; four sons, James Taylor Cannady of Abbeville, the Rev. Willie Alvin Cannady and Ronnie Gilford Cannady, both of McCormick, Jerry Saxon of Anderson; three sisters, Leila Edwards of Chicago, Fannie Searles of Washington, D.C., Essie Tompkins of Greenwood; three brothers, Lloyd Cannady and Thomas Cannady, both of Parksville, John T. Cannady of Callison; grandchildren reared in the home, Mary Cannady, Tomika Smalls, James Oneal Cannady Jr., Rickey Cannady, Sylvester Cannady, Renae Cannady and the Rev. Dewey Brown; 18 grandchildren; 43 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren.
The family is at the home, 107 Hammond St.
Services will be announced by Walker Funeral Home.

Betty Jean Dobbins

Betty Jean Dobbins, 75 of 129 Utopia Acres Drive, wife of Joseph Newton Dobbins Jr., died Monday, July 3, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
The family is at the home of a daughter, Vicky Bartless, 312 E. Scotch Cross Road.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home & Crematory.

George Lovell Jr.

WATERLOO — George “Brownie” Lovell, Jr. 67, of 156 Whitten Road, husband of Jolean Leopard Lovell, died Sunday, July 02, 2006 at his home.
Born in Massachusetts, he was a son of the late George and Mary Duford Lovell. He was retired from Smitty’s Trucking in Newberry.
He was preceded in death by a son, George Lovell, III and a sister Marjorie “Midge” Keenan.
Surviving is his wife of the home; a son, Joseph Johnson of Saluda; four daughters, Darlene Loveless of Greenwood, Pam Warren of Batesburg, Charlotte Martin of Columbia and Tiffany Thomas of Ninety Six; a sister, Ardith Morris of Charleston; six brothers, Arthur “Butch” Lovell of Troy, Bernard “Joey” Lovell of Saluda, Donald “Pat” Lovell of Sanford, NC, Michael Lovell of Wilmington, NC, David Bonaparte and Francis Bonaparte, both of Rayham, MA; fourteen grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Services will be 11:00 am Wednesday at Harley Funeral Home Chapel with the Reverend David Cockrell and the Reverend Robert Funk officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Laurens.
Pallbearers will be Jason Loveless, Jody Johnson, Brett Frye, John McLennan, Craig Lovell and Timmy Lovell.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday from 7:00 until 9:00pm.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, PO Box 1741, Greenwood, SC 29648 or to Hospice of Laurens County, Inc., PO Box 178, Clinton, SC 29325.
The family is at the home.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.
PAID OBITUARY

Adolphus Eugene Newell

ABBEVILLE — Adolphus Eugene Newell, 83, of 336 Highway 72 W., died Monday, July 3, 2006 at the VA Hospital in Augusta, Ga.
Services will be announced by Harris Funeral Home.

Sallie Usher

CALHOUN FALLS — Sallie Davis Usher, 81, of 107 Seneca Circle, widow of Moses Usher Sr., died Friday, June 30, 2006 at Abbeville County Memorial Hospital.
Born in Calhoun Falls, she was a daughter of the late Elijah and Carrie Dawson Davis. She was a member of Mount Olive Church of God Holiness of Calhoun Falls.
Survivors include six daughters, Carrie Jean Cade of Lithonia, Ga., Louvenia Hughey and Irene Davis of Abbeville, Mozelle Usher and Louise Usher of Calhoun Falls, Mrs. Mannix (Carol) Jones of Decatur, Ga.; two sons, Moses “S.T.” Usher Jr. of Tifton, Ga., and Sherman Usher of Athens, Ga.; two brothers, William Davis of Washington, D.C., and Elliot Davis of Calhoun Falls; four sisters, Isabella Parather and Sarah Louise Neal of Washington, D.C., Mary Davis of Anderson and Nanita Davis of New York, N.Y.; 21 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Thursday at Mount Olive Church of God Holiness, officiated by Elder Willie L. Morton. Burial is in Golden Hill Cemetery.
Pallbearers and flower bearers are grandchildren.
The family is at the home.
Friendly Funeral Home is in charge.

Clare Walker

LAKE WYLIE — Clare Fowler Walker, 82, formerly of McCormick, widow of Oliver Randolph “Ran” Walker, died Monday, July 3, 2006 at Piedmont Medical Center, Rock Hill.
Services will be announced by Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Greenwood.

Bernice Wilson

WARE SHOALS — Bernice Williams Wilson, 85, of 23 Sparks Ave., widow of Clarence Wilson Sr., died Saturday, July 1, 2006 at the home of a daughter in Yemassee.
Born in Toccoa, Ga., she was a daughter of the late Raymond and Sara Dickerson Williams. She was a member of Ware Shoals First Baptist Church.
Survivors include two sons, William C. Wilson Jr. of Gilbert and Michael Wilson of Ware Shoals; two daughters, Margaret W. McQueen of Yemassee and Terri W. Johnson of Ware Shoals; three sisters, Sarah Rogers of Westminster, Faye Phillips and Pauline Meredith, both of Seneca; two grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Wednesday at Ware Shoals First Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Leon Jones. Burial is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers are Clark Roach, R.L. Walter, Don Boling, Mark Strickland, Grady Strickland, Mark Mann, Tommy David, Dan Branyon, Buddy Cobb, John Simpson and Harold Kay.
Honorary escorts are members of the Dorcas Sunday School Class.
Visitation is 7-9 tonight at Parker-White Funeral Home.
The family is at 13 Pineview St.
Parker-White Funeral Home is in charge.

Vivian Johnson Witt

Graveside services for Vivian Johnson Witt are 12 p.m. Wednesday at The Evening Star cemetery, conducted by Dr. William Moore.
Pallbearers are nephews and friends of the family.
Flower bearers are nieces.
There will be no public viewing.
The family is at the home of a daughter Patricia Johnson, 301 Annette Way.
Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at pertompfh1@earthlink.net

Too many of us ashamed of who and what we are?

July 4, 2006

Independence Day. It’s time set aside to celebrate the red, white and blue spirit of this nation and show the world the American Dream is as vital as ever. This day, however, can just as easily be a time to take stock of where we are in history and what and who we are.
This is still the greatest nation on Earth, make no mistake about that. It is the country where more people would rather become a citizen than any other place. At the same time, though, there appears to be a disturbing trend for too many of us to talk and act as if we are ashamed to be Americans.
Too many, it appears, are ashamed because we stand up - and sometimes die - for people all over the world, people who cannot defend themselves from two-bit dictators that make brutality and murder integral parts of their bloody reigns.

TOO MANY ARE ASHAMED BECAUSE they say “we don’t do enough for others.” Yet we are usually the first to respond when tragedy strikes anywhere on Earth. Our money, food, medicines, clothing, time, equipment and our bodies work overtime to help people we’ve never met and don’t know. Whether it’s fighting famine, pestilence, diseases, or war, all we know is that people need help and more often than not never get it from anyone but the “Ugly Americans.”
Too many are ashamed because we dare to champion freedom for others who have never known what it is to be free to speak, to worship or enjoy any of the freedoms that we take for granted every day ..... especially by so many who are so quick to make a big deal about how ashamed they are of our “shortcomings.”

TOO MANY ARE ASHAMED OF THE way we insist we speak ..... in English. Then there are those who are so ashamed they worship at the altar of “political correctness.”
Political correctness (PC) is, after all, just another way of trying to make us feel so ashamed we will forget the effect of PC is to limit our freedom to speak.
Don’t forget one other thing. Too many are ashamed of the leaders elected by the majority of Americans. Some have even threatened to move to another country to get away from the decisions the majority has made. They don’t, of course, and their agenda is obvious.
This is the day, however, to be proud of being an American ..... and showing it. For those who are ashamed of who and what we are, this, thank God,, is a free country. They’re free to gripe, to be sure. They also are free to leave.