Monthly Archives: May 2019
DAR presents annual awards
EASLEY — The Fort Prince George Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) held its annual Awards Day May 8 at the Capt. Kimberly Hampton Memorial Library in Easley.
The chapter presented several students 
with awards, and American Legion Post 52 of Easley also presented the winners with a booklet on the American flag and a small flag.
Families and teachers were also in attendance to help the students celebrate their successes, and refreshments were served.
Scholarship award winners recognized
The Charles F. Rogers Scholarship committee has announced this year’s selections for the Charles F. Rogers Scholarship Award. Pickens High School seniors Savannah Noblitt and Nathaniel Hickey are the 2019 recipients of the Charles F. Rogers Scholarship Award. The two will each receive a $1,000 scholarship to put toward their college education. “Congratulations to Savannah and Nathaniel for representing our basketball program and for their perseverance to achieve success on and off the court,” the scholarship committee said in a news release.
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program returns to Pickens County
EASLEY — The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) returns this summer with the goals of supplementing the diets of low-income seniors with fresh, nutritious produce and supporting South Carolina’s small farmers.
The seasonal USDA grant program allows those 60 and older to purchase unprocessed fruits and vegetables from authorized farmers markets, roadside stands and community-supported agriculture programs May through Oct. 15.
Participants receive $25 in the form of five checks of $5 to spend at authorized locations. Checks are distributed on a first-come,
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Governor signs new rules for electric co-ops
COLUMBIA — Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation last week that revises rules that govern electric cooperatives, increasing transparency to co-op members and adding limited government oversight.
Legislators chose not to impose prescriptions on such things as who can be elected to governing boards, how often boards can meet or board compensation, leaving those decisions to cooperative members. Instead, the new law requires co-ops to make more information available to the members, who are both owners and customers of the utilities.
“The new law is an important recognition that good governance starts with an informed membership, not with government directives,” said Doug Reeves, who was chairman of the state association of electric cooperatives when the issues arose. “The best cure for what ails democracy is sunshine. Then, let the owners of these private businesses take it from there.”
Reeves, who called together co-op leaders last year to address the issues, is also an elected member of the board of trustees and its
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Company hires students for new apprenticeship program
LIBERTY — King Asphalt has hired four Pickens County Career & Technology Center students for its newly developed apprenticeship program.
Each student will work through 10 modules over the course a the next several weeks to determine permanent placement within the company.
The building construction students hired are Austin Burkhart and Trevor Collins. Burkhart is a junior at Daniel High School and has completed building construction courses 1-3. Collins is a senior at Daniel High School and has completed carpentry 1 and 2 and building construction 3. Jeff Stephens is their instructor.
The global logistics and supply chain management students hired are Chloe Wilson and Christopher Austin. Both are juniors at
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Courier Obituaries 5-22-19
LARRY R. WINN, MD
EASLEY — Dr. Larry Ross Winn, 79, passed away on Friday, May 17, 2019, at Greenville Memorial Hospital.
Born in Columbia, Dr. Winn was the son of the late Walker Wilson and Mattie Marguerite Ross Winn. At age 13, he became an Eagle Scout. He graduated in 1958 from Columbia High School and at age 17, he joined the National Guard, where he served for seven 
years. He received his B.S. and master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of South Carolina. Dr. Winn worked for NASA prior to attending MUSC, having graduated in 1974. He did his residency at Greenville General Hospital and was a physician, in Easley, for 41 years, until his sudden death.
As a volunteer for MUSC, Dr. Winn interviewed prospective medical school candidates for more than 30 years. He was past president of the MUSC Alumni Association. Dr. Winn was a gentle soul who loved and cared dearly for his patients. He was a great man of God and member of St. Matthias Lutheran Church, where he sang in the choir. His adventuresome spirit led him on many travels, and he enjoyed running, biking, snow skiing, swimming and bird watching.
Surviving are his wife of 50 years, Wraellen Messex Winn, of the home; a sister, Patricia Winn Langston (Mark) of Mt. Pleasant; sister-in-law, Brenda Messex of Greenville; brother-in-law, Jerry Messex of Georgia; nieces, Gretchen Buchanan (Jack) and Leslie Collier (Matt) and Wramie Spafford (Harry); several nephews, Jason Gallagher, Derrick Messex (Jennifer), and Travis Messex (Teresa); numerous great-nephews and great-nieces; and a special pet Havenese, Annabelle.
Memorial services will be announced by Robinson Funeral Home-Downtown.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 123 W. Antrium Drive, Greenville, SC 29607 or St. Matthias Lutheran Church, 501 Powdersville Road, Easley, SC 29642.
Condolences may be expressed online at robinsonfuneralhomes.com or at Robinson Funeral Home-Downtown Easley, which is assisting the family.
GARY W. GRAY
LIBERTY — Gary W. Gray, 85, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 13, 2019, at his home in Liberty.
He was born on July 29, 1933, in Six Mile, to the late Mary Jane Riggins Gray and Gary Stewart. He was the widower of Judith Nix Gray and Peggy Madden Gray.
Gary was a brick and rock mason and invented and patented the Brick Buggy. He loved working on cars and tractors and was always 
fixing or creating something. He had a huge heart for animals and enjoyed tending to his catfish ponds. He was of the Baptist faith.
Surviving are his three daughters, Sharon King (Tommy), June Coleman (Sam) and Tammy Coleman (Richard); five brothers, Jake Gray, Ray Gray, Wallace Gray, David Gray and Leroy Gray; four grandchildren, Josh Coleman (Kelley), Eli Coleman (Samantha), Lisa Swords (Chris) and Michael Madden (Beverly); and four great-grandchildren, Jonah Coleman, Finn Coleman, Connor Swords and London Lane.
Gary was also predeceased by one brother, Thomas Gray; one sister, Mildred Brewer; and one nephew, Michael Shane Fuller.
Funeral services were held on May 16 in the Dillard Funeral Home chapel, with the Reverend Tony Stancil officiating. Burial was held at Hillcrest Memorial Park.
The family would like to thank Gary’s caregivers, Candice Teague and Renee Bennet, for their love, support and gentle care. Memorials may be made to Kindred Hospice, 15 Brendan Way, Ste. 100, Greenville, SC 29615, or to Pickens County Humane Society, 500 Five Forks Rd., Liberty, SC 29657.
Online condolences may be expressed by visiting dillardfunerals.com.
DOROTHY “DOT” R. MAULDIN
EASLEY — Mrs. Dorothy “Dot” Rackley Mauldin, 88, wife of the late Osbone J. Mauldin, went to be with her Lord and Savior on
TCBWP seeks scholarship
EASLEY — The Tri-County Business and Professional Women’s Club awards educational scholarships annually to female students, with preference given to students with a financial need who are seeking education necessary for entry, re-entry or advancement within the workforce.
They must live in Anderson, Oconee or Pickens counties.
The club is now accepting scholarship applications for 2019-2020. The deadline to apply is June 7. Contact TCBPW president Jean
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Memorial Day missing man table planned at Chick-fil-As
UPSTATE — The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Keowee Chapter, Oconee County Veterans Affairs, the Pershing Rifles Unit of Clemson University and other local organizations will be setting up the missing man table display for Memorial Day 
Monday, May 27, at Chick-fil-A restaurants in Clemson and Seneca.
The ceremony and display honors the 2.5 million service members who died while serving our country and shows support and respect for those loves ones that they left behind.
The public is invited to attend the ceremonial setting of the table at the store’s opening at each location at 6 a.m., volunteer to sit beside the taAle during the day
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No justice for Earle
Guilty go free as mob acquitted in state’s last lynching
By Dr. Thomas Cloer, Jr.
Special to The Courier
For the last two weeks we have been reviewing some highlights of “They Stole Him Out of Jail: Willie Earle, South Carolina’s Last Lynching Victim.” This most comprehensive book ever written on the subject is by Pickens County native, William B. “Will” Gravely (Will,) and is available from the University of South Carolina Press at uscpress.com or axland@sc.edu. Gravely, a historian and professor emeritus at the University of Denver, has written a book that should be a required textbook for any college course on
Southern history. There would be no better book for understanding Southern culture and how we have struggled with humanitarian progress in law enforcement, religious understandings regarding integration and civil rights for
all the different peoples of the South.
The State Versus the Mob
Last week we ended at the start of the trial for the mob that brutally beat, stabbed and shot 24-year-old Willie Earle at close range with a shotgun in February 1947. The mob took him from the old Pickens jail and murdered him just over the county line in Greenville County. At no point in the trial of the 31 defendants, with their 26 written confessions, did the Pickens jailer, Ed Gilstrap, suggest he had the responsibility of protecting his prisoner.
The defense team for the lynchers undermined the state’s case against the mob by bringing focus away from Earle to their fellow cab driver, World War I veteran and friend, Thomas Brown. He had been knifed by one or more assailants, and Earle had been accused in the death. Of course, Brown’s death was irrelevant by law to Earle’s death, but not to the clever defense lawyers.
Another wedge into the state’s case was driven by defense lawyer Thomas Wofford when he scowled that “for some unknown reason” the FBI had led the investigation. Wofford insisted
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Boughman presented FSL scholarship
By Bru Nimmons
Staff Reporter
bnimmons@thepccourier.com
LIBERTY — The Friends of the Sarlin Library presented their annual scholarship award to Liberty High School senior Houston Boughman at last week’s Liberty City Council meeting.
“When I think of this young man, I think of a lot of things,” Sarlin committee chair Lisa Carpenter said. “I think of baseball, I think of
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