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tipsycad147 · 3 years ago

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PAISLEY WITCHES

Bargarran House, home of Christian Shaw Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Paisley witches, also known as the Bargarran witches or the Renfrewshire witches, were tried in Paisley, Renfrewshire, central Scotland, in 1697. Eleven-year-old Christian Shaw, daughter of the Laird of Bargarran, complained of being tormented by some local witches; they included one of her family’s servants, Catherine Campbell, whom she had reported to her mother after witnessing her steal a drink of milk.

Seven people – Margaret Lang, John Lindsay, James Lindsay, John Reid, Catherine Campbell, Margaret Fulton, and Agnes Naismith – were found guilty of having bewitched Shaw and were condemned to death. One subsequently committed suicide by hanging himself in his prison cell, and it is believed that Naismith may have died while imprisoned. The other five were hanged and then burned on the Gallow Green in Paisley on 10 June 1697, the last mass execution for witchcraft in western Europe.

Agnes Naismith cursed everyone present at her trial, and their descendants, and for many years afterwards every tragedy in Paisley was blamed on her curse. Christian Shaw went on to become a successful businesswoman and manufacturer of thread.

Events

On 17 August 1696, 11-year-old Christian Shaw, the daughter of a local landowner, John Shaw of Bargarran, saw one of her family’s servants, Catherine Campbell, steal a drink of milk. Shaw reported the theft to her mother, whereupon Campbell cursed her, wishing that the Devil would “haul her soul through Hell”. Four days later Shaw encountered Agnes Naismith, an old woman reputed to be a witch. The following day, 22 August, Shaw became violently ill with fits, similar to the symptoms reported a few years earlier in the American Salem witch trials of 1693.[1] After eight weeks Shaw’s parents took her to see the eminent Glasgow physician Matthew Brisbane, who could find no cause for her symptoms. For eight days after her visit Shaw seemed to have recovered, but then “the fits returned with increased violence. She would become as stiff as a corpse and be senseless and motionless”.

Shaw’s parents took her back to Dr Brisbane, and by the time they arrived back in Glasgow she had begun to pull out of her mouth balls of hair she claimed had been put there by those who were afflicting her. Soon she began to pull other “trash” out of her mouth, including straw, coal, gravel, chicken feathers, and cinders. During her fits she was sometimes heard to be talking to the invisible Catherine Campbell, pleading for a return to their former friendship.

With Brisbane unable to provide any rational explanation for Shaw’s condition her family and their local parish minister concluded that she must be possessed and being tormented by witches, a common occurrence in England and Scotland and a central element in the Salem witch trials a few years earlier. The church set up a weekly fast and prayer meeting at Bargarron House, and Shaw’s father appealed to the authorities that those named by his daughter as tormenting her should be arrested. She had initially identified only Catherine Campbell and Agnes Naismith, but as time wore on she implicated others, and eventually 35 were accused. Ten were male and twenty female; the genders and identities of the remaining five are unknown

Investigation and trial

At the request of the Presbytery of Paisley the Scottish Privy Council set up a commission to investigate the case. Under the chairmanship of Lord Blantyre, the hearing opened on 5 February 1697. The commission’s task was to decide whether there was a prima facie case against those accused by Shaw before they were committed for trial.

Seven were subsequently summoned to appear before a second commission in Paisley: Margaret Lang, John Lindsay, James Lindsay, John Reid, Catherine Campbell, Margaret Fulton, and Agnes Naismith. They were charged with murder and tormenting a number of people, including Christian Shaw.[4] Their advocate, James Roberston, argued that the prosecution was obliged to rule out the possibility that the events surrounding the case could be explained by natural causes before a conviction could be safely secured. Matthew Brisbane gave evidence stating that he had been unable to find any such cause for Shaw’s condition. James Hutchison, the minister of Kilallan, about 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Paisley, delivered a sermon to the commission; it was commonplace at the time for a member of the clergy to preach to the court in Scottish witch trials, and they were not infrequently instrumental in securing convictions. Hutchison placed great store on the presence of witches’ marks on the bodies of the accused, and cast doubt on the natural explanations of those marks offered by some physicians: “And however doctors may say such and such things of it [a witches’ mark], we know not upon what ground. It may be that they have been budded and bribed to say such things”

The jury, confronted by a threat from the prosecutor that if they acquitted the defendants they would be “accessory to all the blasphemies, apostacies, murders, tortures, and seductions, etc., whereof those enemies of heaven and earth shall hereafter be guilty when they get out”, found all seven of the accused guilty

Executions

One of those convicted, James Reid committed suicide by hanging himself in his prison cell, using his handkerchief attached to a nail in the wall. The remaining six were hanged and then burned on the Gallow Green in Paisley on 10 June 1697, the last mass execution for witchcraft in western Europe. John and James Lindsay, brothers from Formakin Mill, near Houston, aged 11 and 14 respectively, held each other’s hands as they were hanged together. Catherine Campbell, after having been carried struggling and screaming to the gallows, “called down the wrath of God and the Devil on her accusers” before being despatched. Margaret Fulton appeared to have become insane, and “spoke cheerfully about visits to Elfland and the Abode of the Fairies on the backs of magical horses”. Margaret Lang admitted to consorting with the Devil, but said that she had renounced sin and was reconciled with God. Agnes Naismith laid a “dying woman’s curse”[7] on everyone present and their descendants; for many years afterwards every tragedy in the town was blamed on “the witches’ curse”

One account of the executions states that some of the condemned were still alive when their bodies were burned, and that the executioners borrowed a walking stick from an onlooker with which to push their victims’ moving limbs back into the fire; its owner refused to take it back after it had been in contact with witches.

Modern interpretations

The anxiety induced in Christian Shaw by Catherine Campbell’s curse may have brought on a conversion disorder in the young girl, the modern name for what was once known as hysteria. The term “conversion” derives from Sigmund Freud’s idea that anxiety can be converted into physical symptoms such as the seizures displayed by Shaw.

Michael Wasser has commented that witch trials tended to occur at times of crisis such as Scotland experienced during the late 1690s. The Glorious Revolution of 1688, although it had restored the “presbyterian polity of the kirk”, nevertheless left many “disappointed at the low moral tone and lack of religious enthusiasm of their compatriots”. The Glencoe Massacre of 1692 and the subsequent inquiry had “eroded the moral legitimacy of the government”, and a series of harvest failures from 1695 onwards led to a period of famine. There was also the threat of a French invasion: “as the Bargarron witches were being tried, taxes and troops were being levied in the west to repel the expected invaders”.

In 1839 a small hole was discovered in the wall of Shaw’s bedroom at Bargarron House, which by then had become a local attraction, through which an accomplice may have passed the items she supposedly removed from her mouth.

Aftermath

Shortly after the trial in 1697 the former Scottish Secretary of State James Johnstone observed that “the parliaments of France and other judicatories who are persuaded of the being of witches never try them now because of the experience they have had that it’s impossible to distinguish possession from nature in disorder”.

Shaw married the Reverend John Millar, the parish minister of Kilmaurs, Ayrshire, in 1719.He died two years later, after which Shaw went on to become a successful businesswoman. She was involved in the manufacture of thread, at first in a small way, but as the quality of her product began to be recognised, on an increasingly large scale. Her Bargarran trademark thread became a mark of quality, and others in the area began to emulate her techniques, starting an industry in which Paisley once dominated the world, and which shaped the town’s history. The last known record of Shaw is her marriage in February 1737 to William Livingstone, a prosperous Edinburgh businessman.

In May 2008 a memorial was built at Maxwellton Cross in Paisley, the site where the witches’ charred remains were buried. It replaced the original horseshoe marking the spot, which had disappeared during the 1970s, as had its replacement later.[The bronze tondo, with a stainless steel horseshoe embedded in it, includes the inscription “Pain Inflicted, Suffering Endured, Injustice Done” A campaign was launched in 2008 petitioning the Scottish Parliament to pardon all the 4000 men, women and children prosecuted under the 16th and 17th-century witchcraft laws, but legislators argued that it was inappropriate to pardon those tried and convicted under the laws of their time

Bibliography

Adam, Isabel.

Witch Hunt: The Great Scottish Witchcraft Trials of 1697

. Macmillan, 1978.Breuer, Josef, and Sigmund Freud.

Studies on Hysteria

. The Hogarth Press, 1955.Burns, William E.

Witch Hunts in Europe and America: An Encyclopedia

. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003.Clark, Sylvia.

Paisley: A History

. Mainstream Publishing, 1988.Guiley, Rosemary Ellen.

The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca

. 3rd ed., Facts On File, 2008.Levack, Brian P.

New Perspectives on Witchcraft

. Routledge, 2001.Levack, Brian P.

Witchcraft Sourcebook

. Routledge, 2003.McDonald, S. W., et al. “The Bargarron Witchcraft Trial – a Psychiatric Reassessment.”

Scottish Medical Journal

, vol. 41, no. 5, Oct. 1996, pp. 152–58.Newport, Andrew. “Campaign to Pardon Witches Thrown Out.”

Paisley Daily Express

, 18 Sept. 2008,

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/campaign-pardon-witches-thrown-out-2627266

.Renfrewshire Council.

Christian Shaw

https://web.archive.org/web/20150620190027/https://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/webcontent/home/services/leisure+and+culture/heritage+and+local+history/els-jh-famouspeoplechristianshaw

.Staff writer. “Paisley Memorial to Ancient Witches.”

Paisley Daily Express

, 29 May 2008,

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/paisley-memorial-to-ancient-witches-2635577

.Wasser, Michael. “The Western Witch-Hunt of 1697-1700: The Last Major Witch-Hunt in Scotland.”

The Scottish Witch-Hunt in Context

, Manchester University Press, 2002.

https://engole.info/paisley-witches/

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scotianostra · 8 years ago

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On February 17 1688 James Renwick, the last Covenanter martyr, was executed.

Renwick had been declared a rebel after renouncing his allegiance to Charles II in 1680 and declaring him a tyrant and usurper. He was ruthlessly pursued all over Scotland until finally he was caught and hanged.

Now this is part of our history I know less of, The Killing Times as they are known was a shameful time and all to do with religion. All subjects were to swear allegiance to the king and renounce the Covenant.

The desire of the covenant was to maintain ‘the true worship of God, the majesty of our King, and the peace of the kingdom’, for the happiness of those who swore it and their children. They also promised to live lives that showed they were in covenant with God, and to be good examples to others.

In Scotland in 1638, the National Covenant set out the belief that there should be no interference by kings in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The Covenanters, as they were known, were Scots who signed the National Covenant. However, the Stuart kings believed in the Divine Right of Kings – amongst other things, they believed that they were the spiritual heads of the Church of Scotland. The Covenanters and their supporters could not and would not accept this; no man, not even a king, could be spiritual head of their church. The entire Covenanting struggle was built around this conflict of beliefs – people against king. King Charles I had introduced the Book of Common Prayer to Scotland in 1637, to the anger and resentment of the populace. Famously, Jenny Geddes, at the first introduction of the new liturgy, is reported to have stood up in church, thrown her stool at the priest and shouted out Dare ye say mass in ma lug? That particular service was abandoned. Trouble and resentment continued under Charles I. After his beheading, under the Protectorate support for Cromwell waxed and waned within the Scottish Church. However, when Charles II landed at Garmouth in Moray in Scotland in 1650, he went on to sign the National Covenant, to the delight of the Scots. He was crowned King (of Scotland) at Scone in 1651. However, it was not until after Cromwell’s death that Charles took, in 1660, the crown of Great Britain. But Charles II went back on his word to the Scots and assumed superiority over the church. He appointed bishops and declared that opposition to the new liturgy would be treason. The Scots would have been loyal to this member of the Stuart dynasty but for that one sticking point.

A great deal of death, torture, imprisonment, and transportation would follow. These times, particularly between 1680 and 1688, became known as The Killing Times.

Because of the fundamental conflict in beliefs the Covenanters were obliged to hold their religious services in secret, and these services were known as Conventicles, held in out of the way places, often in the moors.

If a Scot was found under suspicious circumstances by the troops, he could be asked on the spot to swear allegiance to the King; if he was also found to be carrying a bible his life was immediately in danger. The moors of Lanarkshire and Ayrshire (and elsewhere) hold many memorials to Covenanters killed on the spot by suspicious troops.

Back to Renwick, while I said at the top he was the last martyr this is not strictly true as with most things, the ordinary person is forgotten, while he was the last of the preachers to die for their faith, the very last Covenanter, and one of the youngest to be martyred, was a sixteen-year-old youth, George Wood, shot down by trooper John Reid at Tincorn Hill, outside Sorn, in the summer of 1688. Reid allegedly commented on the shooting - that the boy was a Covenanter and it was the thing to do. Thus far had the regard for human life fallen in the twenty eight years of persecution since Charles II returned from exile.

There are countless memorials throughout the country to Covenanters Renwick himself has at least three that I found, not all the memorials for those killed during this time are on the Covenanter side, many Royalists were killed. The MacDougalls suffered most when 300 hundred men at the garrison of Dunaverty were slaughtered.

The painting is of Renwick being taken to execution in 1688 down the West Bow.

#Scotland #History

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full-imagination · 4 years ago

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Shirley Tindall Huskey

Shirley Tindall Huskey, 85, of Spartanburg, SC, died Wednesday, June 10, 2020, at Physical Rehabilitation and Wellness Center-Spartanburg. Born June 7, 1935, in Lyman, SC, she was the daughter of the late Ernest W. Tindall and Evelyn Ruff Tindall and widow of Eckles Brooks Huskey. Shirley was always on the go, loved to dance, and never met a stranger. She was a member of Second Presbyterian Church and a retired property manager in Charleston. Survivors include her daughter, Traci Niezgoda Greer (Joey) and grandson, Reid Greer, all of Spartanburg. A graveside service will be conducted at 11:00 AM Saturday, June 13, 2020, in Wood Memorial Park, 863 Gap Creek Rd., Duncan, SC 29334, by Chaplain Katie Harbin. Visitation will follow at the graveside. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Second Presbyterian Church, 438 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303; or Spartanburg Regional Home Hospice, PO Box 2624, Spartanburg, SC 29304. The family would like to thank Shirley’s extended family at Physical Rehabilitation and Wellness Center for their loving, kind, and compassionate care. Floyd’s North Church Street Chapel from The JF Floyd Mortuary via Spartanburg Funeral

#Spartanburg Funeral #Funeral Consultant #The JF Floyd Mortuary

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humanoid-lovers · 7 years ago

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Precious Memories Don Reid takes you back to a simpler time when the world seemed much smaller and less complicated. Memories of Sunday's spent in church and the people that formed my childhood came rushing back. I now have sweet memories that I had long forgotten. Go to Amazon

Loved it!! Love the book and the memories it generated for me! Go to Amazon

The Statlers are Classic If you love the Statlers you will want this to reminisce with them - takes you back in time and another era when life was good and so much simplier. Go to Amazon

I have always enjoyed the Statlers I have always enjoyed the Statlers. And I really enjoyed this book. An easy read; a nice page turner. Made me laugh out loud more than once. I've recommended it to many of my friends. Go to Amazon

Well-loved gift for Statler fan I bought this as a Christmas gift for my mom, a longtime Statler's fan. She has loved it for the stories and how it reminded her of the times she grew up in, too. Go to Amazon

Great Book Was very excited when I found out that Don Reid of The Statler Brothers also wrote books. I ordered three of his books at once. Sunday Morning Memories was the first I read. It was great. Loved the stories and even thou I attend a Southern Baptist church for the most part he could have been setting in my church all those years. His stories made me laugh and cry. It was great reading. Go to Amazon

Statler book I love the Statlers and I love this book. Have read it more than once. Wonderful and sometimes amusing memories of a small boy and his family and friends. Go to Amazon

Does bring back memories If you grew up in a small town, this book really brings back some wonderful memories. I can recall many of the memories we had growing up. It it a book with humor and many memories of Sundays in a small town. I highly recommend it. Go to Amazon

Five Stars It brought back so many great memories growing up in a small Presbyterian Church Five Stars Five Stars Wonderful memories of a simpler life. Wish we could go back. Five Stars A really fun read! Five Stars love the author and all the rest of the group

#Harold Reid: 9780892215645: Amazon.com: Books

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full-imagination · 5 years ago

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Wendy Mayrose

Wendy Spear Mayrose, 73, of Spartanburg, SC, died Sunday, December 22, 2019 peacefully in her home in the presence of her family. She was born and raised in Worcester, MA, the first of three children of Dr. Ivan M. and Hope (Hartwell) Spear. Wendy received her BA in Economics with a Mathematics minor from Connecticut College in 1968. That same year she married William C. Mayrose (Bill), who at the time was serving aboard the submarine, U.S.S. Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601) stationed out of New London, CT. In 1970, Wendy and Bill moved south to Shelby, NC for William to pursue a career with Celanese Corporation. They subsequently relocated with Celanese eight times, finally settling in Spartanburg, SC in 1990. Wendy’s proudest achievement was managing and raising a loving and successful family. She was a tireless advocate for and contributor to the communities where she lived, particularly Spartanburg. She coordinated efforts to pass a bond referendum in the early 1990’s to build a new Spartanburg County Headquarters Library in downtown Spartanburg, while being President of the Friends of the Library. She served as chairman of The Charles Lea Center Foundation Board and was co-chair with her husband Bill of the United Way of the Piedmont Fundraising Campaign in the late 1990’s. Wendy was a strong supporter and advocate for culture and the arts in Spartanburg. She served as chairman of the Spartanburg Art Museum during the early stages of the design of the Chapman Cultural Center, was a Governing Board Member of the West Main Artists Co-Op, and served on the Board of the Artist Guild of Spartanburg. Most of the artwork collection in her home are originals created by local Spartanburg artists. She and her husband were co-receivers of the David Reid Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2011. Additionally, Wendy chaired several other major projects including Dickens of a Christmas, the Arts Partnership Dance in the Woods, and several others. An active golfer, Wendy also served on The Carolina Country Club Board of Directors and was active in organizing the Ladies Golf Association. One of her greatest joys was her daily walks on the beach at Fripp Island where she had a second home. She leaves her beloved husband, Bill; her daughter, Sara and her husband Bob Bergman of Fort Mill, SC and their two children, Catherine and Hope; and a son, John and his wife Leslie Walfish of Oshkosh, WI. She also leaves a brother, Brian Spear and his wife Monique of Paris, France; and sister, Penny and her husband Gene Kaczyk of Worcester, MA. She also leaves a number of in-law relatives located in or originating from Louisville, KY. Visitation will be 5:00-7:00 PM Saturday, January 4, 2020, at Floyd’s Greenlawn Chapel, 2075 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29307. A service honoring her life will be conducted at 3:00 PM Sunday, January 5, 2020, at First Presbyterian Church, 393 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29302, by The Rev. Ansley Page and The Rev. Joanne Hull. Memorials may be made to The Charles Lea Center Foundation, 195 Burdette Street, Spartanburg, SC 29307, 864-585-0322, [email protected] or online at http://bit.ly/2PRg889 Floyd’s Greenlawn Chapel from The JF Floyd Mortuary via Spartanburg Funeral

#Spartanburg Funeral #Funeral Consultant #The JF Floyd Mortuary

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full-imagination · 5 years ago

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Robert H. Taylor MD

Dr. Robert Hutchinson Taylor, 90, of Spartanburg, SC, died Friday, July 19, 2019, at his home. Born April 20, 1929, in Spartanburg, he was the son of the late Claude Ambrose Taylor, Sr., Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, and Mary Young Cooper Taylor. Dr. Taylor was a graduate of Spartanburg High School Class of 1946, the University of South Carolina Class of 1950, a 1954 graduate of the Medical College of South Carolina School of Medicine. Dr. Taylor was a Spartanburg family physician since 1957. A U. S. Air Force veteran, Dr. Taylor served as Commander, 4466th USAF Dispensary and Commander 83rd Tactical Hospital. He was a member and President of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies and President of the South Carolina Academy of Family Practice. He was the 1994 SCAFP Family Physician of the Year. A Diplomate and Fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice, Dr. Taylor served on the Board and then as President 1986-1987. He served on the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, Chairman of the Joint Commission of Healthcare Services of the American Academy of Family Physicians as well as Chairman of the Hospital, Legislative, and By Laws Commissions. His leadership was also recognized in the educational field by chartering the country’s 28th Family Practice Residency Program at Spartanburg General Hospital where he was appointed the program’s first director. He served as a Spartanburg General Hospital Chief of Staff and as Medical Director of the Spartanburg Regional Primary Physician Network until his retirement. Dr. Taylor was also a Medical University of SC Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Practice and a University of South Carolina-Spartanburg School of Nursing Adjunct Professor. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church where he served as officer, Deacon, and was a member of the Purnell Sunday School Class. He was also a charter and life-member of the Piedmont Sertoma Club, served as a member of the Council for Spartanburg County and was a member of the Spartanburg County Health Planning Commission. Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Anne Horres Taylor (who was always introduced as his first wife); children, David Taylor (Shelby) of Roebuck, SC, Robert “Bob” H. Taylor (Jackie) of Spartanburg, SC, and Cathy D. Thomas of Greenville, SC; grandchildren, Tripp Taylor (Bailey), Ryan Norton, Richard Taylor, Ben Taylor, Meg Taylor, and Rob Taylor; great-grandchildren, Reid Taylor, Riley Taylor, and Elizabeth Taylor; sister, Jane Patterson (Norman) of Greenwood, SC; and sister-in-law, Carolyn Barry of Spartanburg, SC. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Joyce Taylor Rubier; and brother, Claude A. Taylor, Jr. Visitation will be 6:00-8:00 PM Monday, July 22, 2019, at Floyd’s Greenlawn Chapel, 2075 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29307. Funeral services will be conducted at 1:00 PM Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at First Presbyterian Church, 393 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29302, by The Rev. Joanne Hull and The Rev. Claude A. Taylor III. Burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, 1300 Fernwood-Glendale Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29307. The family expresses their gratitude to Spartanburg Regional Hospice and Comfort Keepers, especially Mary Sippel, Dr. Taylor’s care giver. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Spartanburg Regional Hospice, PO Box 430, Drayton, SC 29333; Mobile Meals Service, PO Box 461, Spartanburg, SC 29304; or the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, 11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway Suite 440, Leawood, KS 66211-2672. Floyd’s Greenlawn Chapel from The JF Floyd Mortuary via Spartanburg Funeral

#Spartanburg Funeral #Funeral Consultant #The JF Floyd Mortuary

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full-imagination · 7 years ago

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Erin Easler Ivey

Erin Easler Ivey, 89, died Thursday, May 3, 2018, at her home after a recent illness. Born in Spartanburg on December 19, 1928, for 71 years she was blessed to be the wife of James W. Ivey, deceased in February, 2016. Mrs. Ivey had a happy childhood in Cherokee Springs, attended Spartanburg High School, married in 1944 and moved out west to accompany her husband as he trained bombardier/navigators for the war years. In 1959, Mr. and Mrs. Ivey established Ivey Electric Company, an electrical contracting business, which played a significant role in the construction business across the Southeast at a time when business and industry were developing. Mrs. Ivey’s original plan of taking only 6 months on the job to organize the staff, instead became a 40 year commitment building an admired and respected business that closed in 2015. While at Ivey Electric, Mrs. Ivey managed to take for credit all of the art and music history courses offered at both Wofford and Converse colleges. At home, Mrs. Ivey grew prize winning hybrid tea roses, arranged flowers for judging competitions and travelled with her family. In her retirement, she perfected her swimming at the YMCA. More recently, she walked laps on her tennis court, strolled her peaceful green garden and childhood farm and became an avid birdwatcher. Each day, she played through the Broadman Hymnal cover to cover. She will be remembered for her style, grace and wit. Survivors include her daughter, Alanna Ivey Wildman (Don Wildman) and grandson, Reid Wildman. She was predeceased by her parents, Harry Lee Easler and Lucille McAbee Easler, as well as sister, Marian Easler Becknell, and brothers, Glen A. Easler, Conley L. Easler, Sr., and Bobby Joe Easler. A memorial service will be conducted at 4:00 PM Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 309 Fernwood Dr., Spartanburg, SC 29307, by The Rev. Dr. Paul M. Petersen. Visitation will follow at the Ivey home on Woodburn Road. Private burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens. The family wishes to thank Dianne Anthony of Sensations Beauty Salon for reserving 40 plus years of Friday afternoons for Mrs. Ivey. Also deep expressions of thanks for care, support and friendship of Comfort Keepers sitters. Memorials may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 104 Pineville Road, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29307; Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve, c/o The Spartanburg County Foundation, 424 East Kennedy Street, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29302; or Mobile Meals Service, PO Box 461, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29304. The family is at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Alanna and Don Wildman. Floyd’s Greenlawn Chapel from The JF Floyd Mortuary Crematory & Cemeteries via Spartanburg Funeral

#Spartanburg Funeral #Funeral Consultant #The JF Floyd Mortuary Crematory & Cemeteries

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full-imagination · 7 years ago

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Nancy Freeman Rainey

Nancy Freeman Rainey, of Spartanburg, passed away on Friday, December 22, 2017, at Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home. Grace and perseverance were hallmarks of Nancy’s life. She dreamed big dreams, gave generously, loved unequivocally, and charmed wholeheartedly. Nancy will forever be remembered and beloved for her generous encouragement, her boundless determination, and her spirited leadership. A native of Anderson, SC, Nancy was the daughter of the late Caroline (Callie) Stringer Rainey and John Faulkner Rainey, M.D. Nancy served as a trustee of The Stringer Foundation and the Callie and John Rainey Foundation. She attributed her commitment to family, friends, and community to the guidance she received from her parents. Nancy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Randolph Macon Woman’s College in 1964. While in college, she served as a Vice President of the Student Council. After graduation, she worked in Atlanta as a research assistant at the First Research Center, an affiliate of Piedmont Hospital. In 1965, Nancy moved to Spartanburg and married Stanley Witherell Converse, Jr. The couple had a son, Stanley Witherell Converse III, whom Nancy cherished as her greatest accomplishment. One of her first endeavors as a new member of her husband’s community was to create a church newsletter for the First Presbyterian Church. For six years, Nancy edited the newsletter and organized all the congregation’s special receptions. She also served as a circle leader, a Bible School teacher, and Chair of the Christian Community Action committee. Blessed with intelligence, humor, and a generous spirit, Nancy dedicated her life to community service and historic preservation. Her volunteer work benefitted our community beyond measure, and each cause she rallied received her unbridled passion. In 1992 and 1993, two Spartanburg traditions were founded by Nancy: Festifall, a living history festival presenting life in the colonial Upstate at Walnut Grove Plantation, and A Dickens of a Christmas, a Victorian festival in downtown Spartanburg showcasing the community’s talented performers. Both events still delight children and their families today. Above all, Nancy was a fearless fundraiser. After helping to form the Arts Partnership in Spartanburg County, which put all of the county’s arts organizations under one umbrella, Nancy was one of the key leaders who worked to raise $35 million to make the dream of the Chapman Cultural Center a reality. She chaired a $2 million capital campaign to relocate St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic to a historic building in downtown Spartanburg. She organized a capital campaign for construction of the pavilion at Walnut Grove Plantation, and chaired two Beaux Arts Balls for the Friends of the Arts. She also chaired a fundraiser in Spartanburg for Columbia’s Ronald McDonald House. One of the joys of Nancy’s childhood was riding her horse, Bluebell, and Nancy knew firsthand of the strong bond formed between horse and rider. She was honored to co-chair the campaign to build a covered arena for HALTER (Healing and Learning Through Equine Relationships), located at their therapeutic riding center on the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind campus. As the Clifton Manufacturing Company’s #2 Mill was dismantled, Nancy purchased thousands of the mill’s bricks, its heart pine beams, and the decorative fretwork and door frame that all the mill workers walked through each day. It was only fitting that these historic artifacts from Dexter Edgar Converse’s mill were preserved and used to build the central structure for the Rainey Amphitheater at Converse College. Nancy’s interest in Clifton Mill and Clifton Beach (the only Spartanburg County park located on a riverfront) led to her support of a four-year project with Upstate Forever, “Reconnecting People to Rivers.” One of the outcomes of this project is the distribution of waterproof maps, free to the public, that locate the waterways and river accesses throughout South Carolina. Nancy’s vision for a better Spartanburg and a better South Carolina made her a natural leader. She served on the Junior League of Spartanburg Board (President, 1981-1982); the Friends of the Arts Board (President, 1991-1992); the Presidents’ Council (Chairman) of the Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg (1993); the Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg Board of Trustees (1993-1994); the Spartanburg County Historical Association Board (President, 1993-1995); the Charles Lea Center Foundation for Handicapped Children and Adults Board (1986-2002, Chairman, 1993-2002); the Spartanburg Humane Society Board (2003-2005); and the St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic Board (four terms). In addition, she served at the state level with the Friends of the State Museum (1983-1985), the South Carolina State Museum Foundation (1998-2000), and the Friends of Brookgreen Gardens (1998-2000). She received commendations from both the City and County Councils for her achievements. In recognition of her commitment to Spartanburg and her achievements on its behalf, Nancy received many honors. Among them were The David Reid Award for outstanding contributions to the arts from the Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg (1996); Achievement for Volunteerism Award from Spartanburg Community College (1998); The Association of Fund Raising Professionals Philanthropist of the Year Award (2001); The Kiwanis Club of Spartanburg Citizen of the Year (2003); The Junior League of Spartanburg Sustainer of the Year Award (2005); The Mary Mildred Sullivan Award from Converse College (2007); Caring Hearts Award from St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic (2007); Addie B. McWhirter Society Award (2010); and The Elaine T. Freeman Award from the Charles Lea Center (2013). In 2017, the Nancy Rainey HALTER Humanitarian Award was established to recognize those who have worked endlessly and given generously to help advance the mission and goals of HALTER. Nancy enjoyed projects and activities that she felt strengthened her community and state, while benefitting the citizens of Spartanburg and South Carolina. While civic work was her lifelong passion, Nancy found her greatest joy in the wonderful people she met who quickly became her friends. She was an avid bridge player, a championship tennis player, and a gardener extraordinaire. Nancy transformed the grounds of her home into a garden oasis, which was featured in newspaper articles and opened to garden club tours. Nancy is survived by her beloved son, Stanley Witherell Converse III and his wife, Catherine, and four grandchildren, Clare Rainey, Chloe McCall, Caitlin Reid and Andrew Stringer Converse of Kalispell, Montana; a brother, Robert McElwee Rainey and his wife, Louise, Anderson, SC; and a sister, Mary Rainey Belser and her husband, Clinch, Columbia, SC; a sister-in-law, Anne Edins Rainey, and several beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews. She is also survived by her faithful and loving friend of over 50 years, Mrs. Dreamer Clemons. She was predeceased by a brother, John Stringer Rainey. The family wishes to express their appreciation to Veronica Bowe, Sheila Briston, Fred Clemons, Geraldine Cook, Barbara Fleming, Makeitha Mallory, and Wendi Stevens for the loving care they gave Nancy in the last days of her life. A memorial service will be conducted at 3:00 PM Thursday, January 4, 2018, at First Presbyterian Church, 393 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29302, by The Rev. Dr. Tom Evans and The Rev. Joanne R. Hull. The family looks forward to greeting friends after the service at The Piedmont Club. Interment will be private in the Rainey plot in Anderson, SC. The family requests that flowers be omitted. Memorials may be made to HALTER, PO Box 1403, Spartanburg, SC 29304; or the charity of one’s choice. Floyd’s North Church Street Chapel from The JF Floyd Mortuary Crematory & Cemeteries via Spartanburg Funeral

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