Obituaries, March 31, 2011

James Ethridge, Sr.

James O’Quinn “Jimmy” Ethridge, Sr., 69, of Pawleys Island, a native of Andrews, passed away Thursday night, March 24, 2011, at the Conway Medical Center.
He was born the son of John James Ethridge and Gladys Casselman Ethridge on November 2, 1941, in Georgetown County.
He was a retired truck driver for Oneita Industries and was a member of the Georgetown First Pentecostal Holiness Church.
He leaves behind two children, James O. “Jamie” Ethridge and Shawntee (Eddie) Bouchette;  two grandchildren, Steven Tyler Ethridge and Skylar Michelle Ethridge; and one brother, Roger (Wanda) Ethridge.
He was predeceased by his parents; one brother, Wesley Ethridge; and one sister, Ruth E. Bazen.
Funeral services were at 2 p.m. on Monday, March 27, 2011, at the Georgetown First Holiness Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Interment was in the Bethel Cemetery directed by the Georgetown Chapel of McKenzie Funeral Home.
Visitation was Sunday, March 26, 2011 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Georgetown Chapel.
McKenzie Funeral Home was honored to serve the Ethridge family.
Online condolences may be sent to McKenzieFH.com.

John Harrelson

John “Johnny” William Harrelson, 65, of Murrells Inlet died Saturday, March 26, 2011, at his son’s residence in Hanahan.
Mr. Harrelson was born in Baltimore, Md. on June 1, 1945, the son of the late Herbert Aiken Harrelson and Catherine Donnelly Harrelson.
He grew up in Georgetown and was a graduate of Winyah High School.
Mr. Harrelson attended The Citadel, graduated from Baptist College, and served in the U. S. Army.
He was a farmer and a real estate developer and consultant.
Mr. Harrelson was a member of Ducks Unlimited and the American Legion in Murrells Inlet.
At the age of 27, Mr. Harrelson became chairman of the Georgetown County Democratic Party, a position he held for approximately 30 years.
During that time, he formed close friendships with local, regional and national politicians, but it was his interactions with local voters he loved most.
He was honored as Chairman Emeritus of the Georgetown County Democratic Party when he stepped down.     
Surviving are two sons, H. Hamilton Harrelson of Hanahan and W. Huger Harrelson of Mt. Pleasant; a granddaughter, Ella Russell Harrelson, and her mother, Sally Durlach Harrelson, both of Mr. Pleasant.
Memorial services were at 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, March 30, 2010 at First Baptist Church in Georgetown.
Officiating was the Rev. Dr. Ted A. Sherrill.
Sign a guest book at www.mayerfuneralhome.com
The family received friends at the residence of Brad and Linda Courtney on Frederick Dr. in the Plantersville community of Georgetown Co. following the memorial services on Wednesday.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Beacon Hospice, 786-C Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, S. C. 29494.
The Georgetown Chapel of Mayer Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Olive Harrelson

Olive Ward Dingle Harrelson, 97, of Pawleys Island died Friday, March 25, 2011, at NHC Healthcare in Garden City.
Mrs. Harrelson was born in Georgetown on October 20, 1913, a daughter of the late Henry Hapgood Ward and Julia Effie Wilson Ward.
She graduated from Winyah High School and attended business school in Georgetown.
Mrs. Harrelson was the owner of Dingle’s Grocery and retired after 40 years in the grocery business in Georgetown.
She was a member of Pawleys  Island Community Church, where she was active in the Prime Timers, Prayer Warriors, the Nursery and the Women’s Missionary Union.
Surviving are a daughter, Sarah Dingle Ward (Roger) of Pawleys Island; a sister, Frances Louise Ward of Georgetown; two grandchildren, Debra Ward Duffey (Mark) of Raleigh, N.C. and Sarah “Sally” L. Ward of Pawleys Island; two foster sons, Harold Brown and Willie Ford, both of Georgetown; five nephews, R. Howard Ward (Frances) of Pawleys Island, Robert V. Hendriks (Shirley) of Durham, N.C., David A. Hendriks (Terry) of St. Petersburg, Fla., and William J. Hendriks (Janet) and John Michael Hendriks (Gail), both of Georgetown; and two nieces, Julia E. Myers (Tommy) and Johnnie W. Bonnoitt, both of Pawleys Island.
Mrs. Harrelson was predeceased by husbands, William Wallace Dingle and Maston Edward Harrelson; four brothers, Col. H. P. Ward, Carl Ward, Ralph Ward and Ernest Ward; two sisters, Thelma W. Parker and Jessie W. Hendriks; and a nephew, Henry Hapgood Hendriks.
The family would like to give special thanks to Mrs. Harrelson’s NHC Healthcare care givers, Tidelands Hospice and their in-home care nurses Rachel, Cindy and Rebecca, and to Mrs. Harrelson’s sitter and caregiver, Gertrude McCray.
Memorial services were at 11 a.m. on Monday morning, March 28, 2011, at Pawleys Island Community Church Chapel.
Officiating was the Rev. Don Williams and the Rev. Bob Barrows.
Inurnment will be private.
Sign a guestbook at: www.mayerfuneralhome.com.
Memorials are suggested to: Pawleys  Island Community Church, 10304 Ocean Hwy., Pawleys  Island, S.C. 29585 or to Tidelands Community Hospice, Inc., 2591 N. Fraser St.,  Georgetown, S.C. 29440.
The Georgetown Chapel of Mayer Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Drury Keesler

Drury Lacy Keesler, 77, of North Litchfield Beach, S.C., and Charlotte, N.C., passed away surrounded by family members on Monday, March 21, 2011, at Georgetown Memorial Hospital in Georgetown, S.C.
He had been hospitalized for 13 days following a major heart attack on March 8, 2011.
A memorial service was held  at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, 2011, at Pawleys Island Presbyterian Church, where he was an associate member.
The Rev. Frank Holsclaw officiated.
The family received friends at the church immediately after the service.
A second memorial service will be held Friday, April 1, 2011, at 2 p.m. at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, where he was a longtime member.
The Rev. Michelle Thomas-Bush will officiate.
The family will again receive friends at the Charlotte church after the second service.
Mr. Keesler was born July 6, 1933, in Charlotte to Anne Dewey Chambers Keesler and Edward Yates Keesler.  He was educated in the Charlotte schools and graduated from Central High School in 1951.
Along with his older brothers, Ted, Lenoir, and Dewey, he received acclaim for winning state tennis titles as a boy and young man.
He followed his brothers to Davidson College, where he won a Southern Conference tennis title before graduating in 1955 with a degree in economics.
The four brothers together received a Special Recognition Award from the N.C. Tennis Foundation in 1991.
After serving two years as a lieutenant in the Army, Mr. Keesler went to work for North Carolina National Bank in Charlotte.
Two years later, he joined the Howerton Agency in Charlotte and began selling life insurance for Connecticut Mutual.
He earned membership in the Million Dollar Round Table for 15 consecutive years, as well as the Certified Life Underwriter designation.
He remained an agent through Connecticut Mutual’s merger into MassMutual in 1996 and until his death, a total of 50 years.
In 1997, at age 64, he formed L2 Financial, a life insurance and estate planning agency in Charlotte, with Larry Horowitz.
In 1956, Mr. Keesler married Jane Zuill Moore of Charlotte.
Together they had four children, nine grandchildren, and, so far, two great-grandchildren.  They were looking forward to celebrating 55 years of marriage this coming June.
In Charlotte, he taught Sunday School and served as a deacon, an elder and a Stephens Minister at Myers Park Presbyterian Church.
He was a member of the Charlotte City Club, Charlotte Country Club, Olde Providence Racquet Club, Independence Investors and the Good Fellows Club.
During the past 10 years, he lived at North Litchfield Beach with his wife, to whom he was devoted.
He volunteered with Grace Ministries and the annual Beach Sweep cleanup and served on the board of the Litchfield Beach Property Owners Association.
He was an active outdoorsman who kept himself physically fit throughout his life.
In addition to tennis, he enjoyed bicycling, saltwater fishing, scuba diving, sailing in the British Virgin Islands and dove hunting.
Many who knew Lacy would characterize his life as one lived with patience, steadiness and gentleness.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his three brothers.
Survivors include his beloved wife, Jane; four children, Drury Lacy Keesler, Jr. and his wife, Becky, of Pawleys Island; James Zuill Keesler and his wife, Ann, of Charlotte; Emmie Moore Keesler Swanson and her husband, Mark, of Valdez, Alaska; and Elizabeth Howerton Keesler Cochran and her husband, Edward, of Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank the staff members of Georgetown Memorial Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit for their care after his heart attack.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Davidson College for the Keesler Scholarship Fund, Davidson Athletic Foundation, P.O. Box 7172, Davidson, N.C. 28035, one of the two churches or to the charity of your choice.
Sign a guestbook at: www.mayerfuneralhome.com.
The Georgetown Chapel of Mayer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.