Monthly Archives: July 2013
Annual Dacusville Farm Show set for Labor Day weekend
By Ben Robinson, For The Courier
DACUSVILLE — For many years Jim Robinson and his family had operated the Dacusville Farm days celebration on Labor day weekend.
But last year Jim’s oldest son Randy died after an unexpected heart attack, and Jim found that he had lost some of the joy he had experienced.
“We worked hard every year, but we worked together, and Randy was a big part of that,” Robinson said. “The plan was for Randy to take over more and more of the show, eventually taking over the entire show. But the Lord had other plans, and he called Randy home last year.
“We loved the show, and enjoyed the family and our friends pulling together to make something special happen. But with Randy no longer with us, it did not seem right to continue. We wanted to let the show die with Randy.”
Missing hiker found at Table Rock State Park
PICKENS — A hiker reported missing the day before turned up safe and sound at Table Rock State Park just as search teams assembled to look for him last Friday morning.
Pickens County Emergency Management was alerted at around 1 p.m. on Thursday of a missing hiker on the Foothills Trail.
Information led searchers to begin searching in Oconee County and Transylvania County, N.C., but several personal items found on the trail indicated that the hiker was likely on the Pickens County section of the trail.
Alright fans, get ready to rumble
Olivia Fowler
On the Way
By Olivia Fowler
A story in the news last week both astonished and worried me. And if you’ve ever attended a little league game when parents were distressed about the umpire’s call, you would take this pretty seriously.
Apparently during a soccer game in Brazil the referee made a call that was disputed by a player. The player in question had an altercation with the ref and struck him. The referee then stabbed the player, who died on the way to the hospital.
After the player was stabbed, fans stormed the field and stoned the ref before beheading him and quartering his body. It was also reported that after the decapitation, the head was mounted and displayed in the center of the field on a pole.
Taxpayers Association schedules meeting to discuss Common Core
PICKENS — Pickens Recreation has four one-week sessions of summer day camp left this summer.
The day camps, held at the Pickens Recreation Center on Sangamo Road, are for ages 6-12 and run from 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily.
The sessions will be July 22-26, July 29-Aug. 2, Aug. 5-9 and Aug. 12-16.
Cost for the camp is $70 per child per week or $40 per child per half-week. A price adjustment is available for additional siblings per week. A $25 non-refundable registration fee is due by May 24, which includes a camp T-shirt. Late registration fees are $35.
True Father figure
Nicole Daughhetee
Life As I Know It
By Nicole Daughhetee
My brain is so analytical in nature. I’ve often thought (and I certainly don’t mean for this to sound arrogant or pretentious) that being intelligent has its downfalls, because one can think things to death.
Faith can be a challenge at times because the human mind can think of so many best- and worst-case scenarios for any given equation in life, and yet there is that one variable in the equation that the human mind, no matter how intelligent, cannot fathom: God, in all of His infinite purpose, wisdom, grace, love, truth and possibility.
I have wanted, needed, craved love from a man my entire life. I don’t blame my father or hold this against him; it simply is what it is and there is research and anecdotal evidence to solidify the unequivocal and undisputable fact that girls need to have fathers in their lives. The absence of one in mine (and my grandpa did his best to fill in those gaps for me in the best way he could) made me long for approval from men; I hungered for unconditional love and acceptance; tenderness and gentility; I have always needed to be genuinely “wanted” because I felt like my father never wanted me.
All rained out
Ben Robinson
All About Ben
By Ben Robinson
I realize that for the past several summers, we have been sitting around, worrying because we did not ever have any rain to speak of.
The television weather girl would give us some unreasonable number on how much rain we were missing out on.
“We’re around 49 inches below our normal rainfall for the year,” she would say on the nightly broadcast.
Which was a lie. Sure, we’ve had some rainy seasons, but the figures quoted on the news must go back to that year when an old fellow named Noah gathered a few pets together on a big boat.
From the Mill Hill to Calvary’s Hill
- Jack Hester and his wife Shirley pose for a snapshot in 1961.
Dr. Jack Hester shares story of
longtime ministry in new book
Dr. Jack Hester shares story of longtime ministry in new book
By Ben Robinson, For the Courier Courier
Courtesy Jack Hester
Jack Hester poses for a photo with a ball and glove during his younger days, when he was an avid baseball player.
Dr. Jack Hester looks over his notes for his next sermon. If you are familiar with Hester, as many in the Upstate are, you may be surprised that he is still active.
Hester, who is 83 years young, is the interim pastor at Mountain Grove Baptist Church in Pickens, and — as of right now — has no plans as to when to take another step into his retirement.
“I feel better today than I did when I was 50 years old,” Hester said.
“So what should I be doing but raising the Lord and sharing His story with as many people as possible? When I signed in for this job, there was no place to sign out.”
Hester has been preaching the gospel for more than 62 years.
“My wife Shirley has been blessed with a beautiful voice, and I have blessed to have her sing at many of the churches who asked me to come preach,” Hester said. “Sometimes I think people are really wanting to hear Shirley sing and are just willing to put up with my preaching so they can get her. But we make a good team.”
Hester has just completed an autobiographical book entitled, “My Story for His Glory.” The book is subtitled, “From Baseball to the Bible; From Mill Hill to Calvary’s Hill.”
Hester’s story goes back to when he was an infant and Hester reveals what God did in the life of a young man who had made a life in baseball, his lifelong dream. Yet knowing God’s call was upon him, he continued to rebel until the time he made a total surrender to God’s call, turning from baseball to the Bible… from the Mill Hill to Calvary’s Hill. He shares a moving illustration of his life.
Hester became an avid baseball player in his youth, earning looks from professional teams.
“I turned down a large contract from professional baseball and concentrated on what I felt was a stronger calling to share the word of God,” Hester said. “Since then I have plowed, planted and reaped both nationally and internationally through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
He has recorded more than 30,000 conversions in his career.
Hester began his ministry at Grace Baptist Church in Simpsonville. While there, he began a radio ministry, “The Gospel Dynamite Hour,” which continued for more than 25 years.
Eventually, he was called to Powdersville First Baptist Church. He “retired” from there in 2002. He was then asked to be the interim pastor at Nine Forks Baptist Church in Dacusville, and he fell so in love with the people there that he eventually accepted the position as full-time pastor.
He retired from Nine Forks a couple of years ago, but has stayed busy preaching revivals, guest speaking at various local churches, and serving as interim pastor where needed. He avoids using the “retirement” word because he does not know how long God will choose to use him.
Although Hester has spoken at some of the largest churches in America, he still makes time for smaller churches too.
“If you have been called by God to preach His word, there is no such thing as a ‘small church,’” Hester said.
For more information or to buy Hester’s book, call Mountain Grove Baptist Church at (864) 878-6399.
Courier Obituaries 7-17-13
SHERRY MATHIS
CENTRAL — Sherry Ford Mathis, 48, of 1082 Maw Bridge Road died Monday at her residence.
Born in Brevard, N.C., she was the widow of the late Timothy Paul Mathis. She was a homemaker and was a member of Faith Baptist Church.
Surviving are her father, James Ford, Sr. of Bowman, Ga.; her mother and step father, Shirley Webster Radke and Mike Radke of Scottsboro, Ala.; two daughters, Alexis and Lacey Mathis of the home; a son, Devin Mathis of Liberty; a sister, Jennifer Kilgore of Pisgah Forest, N.C.; and a brother, James Ford, Jr.(Teresa) of Piedmont.
In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by a brother, Joshua Ford.
Funeral services for Mrs. Mathis were held at 2 p.m. on Thursday in the Liberty Mortuary Chapel. Burial was at Westview Cemetery in Liberty.
Memorial messages may be sent to the family by visiting www.libertymortuary.com. Liberty Mortuary is handling arrangements.
Courier Classifieds 7-17-13
Announcement
Do you own an antique or modern U.S. or foreign military vehicle? If so, “I WANT YOU” to join our veterans club, USMTM, please email for info: us.mtm66@yahoo.com. TFC
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Hagood Mill hosts ‘Old Time Medicine Show’ this weekend
NICK HALLMAN
PICKENS — “Music in the Mountains 2013” continues with the Hagood Mill hosting a special “Old Time Medicine Show” concert on Saturday, July 20.
Hosted by S.C. Folk Heritage Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, entertainer and snake oil salesman Nick Hallman, the free event will feature performances on the mill’s outdoor stage from noon-3 p.m., and will include Nick and Kathy Hallman, along with some of their good pickin’ friends.
Visitors are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and plan on staying a while for some great old-time music and fun. Visitors can bring their instruments too, as there are usually a couple of jams going on around the site.
