Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
1937 - 2025 (88 years)| Name | Robert Lewis ALDERMAN [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9] | |
| Prefix | Dr. | |
| Suffix | Sr. | |
| Birth | 23 Apr 1937 | Kingstree, Williamsburg County, South Carolina  |
| Gender | Male | |
| HIST | of Roanoke, Virginia ALCOLU, South Carolina- Robert Alderman likes to think that, in its heyday, this small town would have been an ideal setting for a Norman Rockwell painting or a Mark Twain novel. ¶ It might be hard to imagine now, but once upon a time, Alcolu, located about 20 miles south of Sumter and just outside Manning, was a thriving community and home to what is believed to have been the largest, county-based industry in Clarendon. ¶ Life there was simple, though folks worked hard for what they earned. ¶ And everybody knew his neighbor by name. ¶ “Sadness and joy were experienced by all when one experienced it,” Alderman said. ¶ Like many picturesque, tiny Southern towns form a bygone era, the town was built around a large church and general store, surrounded by charming houses, many that featured white picket fences. ¶ But most of that has been replaced with deserted houses, empty fields and old railroad tracks. ¶ “If you’re not careful, you could drive right by Alcolu and miss it,” said Alderman, 63. ¶ But on Saturday (19 Aug 2000), about 200 people who can remember what life once was like there or have at least heard the stories told over and over again will gather at the Clarendon Bpatist Church in Alcolu for the town’s fourth reunion. ¶ The event also is for the descendants of the town’s founders, David Wells Alderman and Martha Priscilla Alderman, for whom a memorial will be dedicated. ¶ Robert Alderman, the oldest of five children, grew up in Alcolu. In fact, he is a member of the fourth generation of the Alderman family. The two large houses he grew up in still stand on Main Street. ¶ His great-grandfather and his father before him, founded and owned the “village,” as Alderman calls it. His family also owned and operated D. W. Alderman and Sons Company, a lumber mill that was sold to Georgia Pacific in the 1940’s. ¶ Alderman, who lives in Roanoke, VIrginia, where he pastors a Baptist church, moved away when he went off to study at the University of South Carolina in Columbia in 1958. ¶ Like a lot of men from his era, Alderman, a father of four, married his childhood sweetheart. ¶ Ameila Burke Alderman’s father served as a supervisor for the Alderman family farm. ¶ “We’ve never known a day we didn’t know each other,” he said. “We started talking about marriage in the first grade. I tease her and tell her that.” ¶ In the late 19th century, D. W. - or David Wells Alderman - moved to the area just above Manning to start a lumber mill. Founded in 1888, “Alcolu” is derived from three local names: The “Al” comes from Alderman; “co” from Coldwell, and associate of Aldermans, and the “lu” from Lulu, D. W. Alderman’s daughter. ¶ Clarendon Baptist Church was built after the turn of the century, and from that point on, the town began to grow. The Aldermans soon opened their own country store, which sold everything from corn meal to plows. As workers came to the lumber mill to earn a daily wage, they decided to call Alcolu home. ¶ There are no official numbers, but Alderman believes as many as 700 to 1,100 people once lived in Alcolu, compared with less than 200 now. ¶ The population began to thin out in the 1950s, after the lumber mill was sold and many people were forced to move elsewhere to find work. ¶ Alderman believes there could be some renewed interest in revitalizing the town. He said there has been talk about creating an industrial complex there. ¶ “I concentrate on the kind of life we had there and the beauty of it,” he said. ¶ But despite its charm, Alcolu wasn’t immune to the violence and horror that find their way to larger communities. ¶ Alcolu was home to George Stinnney Jr., the youngest person to die in the state’s electric chair. It also was home to the two girls the 14-year-old Clarendon County boy was convicted of killing more than half a century ago. ¶ Alderman has devoted a chapter to the case in a 90-page essay he has written on Alcolu, but it’s not something he or others in town for this weekend’s reunion will dwell on. ¶ “One of the reasons we are doing these kinds of things is to put an emphasis on the need of America to draw from its Godly heritage in order to shape its future,” he said. Proposed Change: Dr. Robert Lewis ALDERMAN (I108726) Tree: Singleton and Related Families Link: http://singletonfamily.org//getperson.php?personID=I108726&tree=1 Description: The CO in Alcolu was for Algernon E Colwell who was a partner of D.W, Alderman and postmaster of Alcolu Post Office. He married D. W.'s sister SUSAN and sold his fourth share in DW Alderman Company in January, 1893. He then managed the Alderman Lumber Company at Georgetown, SC. I found no one named COLD-well. Tom Tom Fetters tfetters1@comcast.net Robert Lewis Alderman, Sr. April 23, 1937 - September 5, 2025 Share Obituary: Robert Lewis Alderman, Sr. Obituary & Events Robert Lewis Alderman, Sr. Obituary On September 5, 2025, Robert Lewis Alderman, Sr. came to know the complete fullness of the joy of his salvation when he entered the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Born April 23, 1937, in Kingstree, SC, he was the son of the late Ben Geer Alderman, Sr. and the late Mary Jones Alderman. He was the great-grandson of David Wells Alderman and Martha Priscilla Alderman, founders of the Alcolu village in South Carolina which remained dear to his heart as his childhood home. He was the faithful husband of his childhood sweetheart, Amelia Burke Alderman, for 67 years and a loving father and Pa to his children and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his beautiful daughter, Mary Amelia Alderman Kessler. He is survived by his wife, Amelia, their children, Susan (Ed) Bailey, Lewis (Terri) Alderman, Anne (Robert) Mullen, son-in-law Jimmy Kessler; nine grandchildren, John (Rachel) Kessler, Meghan (Bradley) Kuebler, Ben (Hannah) Bailey, Joe Bailey, Robbie (Savannah) Alderman, Bryan (Kayli) Alderman, Ben (Allison) Alderman, Amelia (Sean) Gillenwater, Andrew Mullen and 18 great grandchildren, Jack, Cora, Connor, Grady, Lola, Beau, Emma Kate, Evelyn, Ava, Brody, Cade, Evie, Lucy, Ava Grace, Eli, Louie, Aubrey and Kinsley. He is also survived by his sister, Mary Geer Clark and his brother, Jim (Sharon) Alderman. His brothers, Ben Geer Alderman, Jr. and David Alderman preceded him in death. Robert graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BS degree in accounting. He studied in the Graduate School of Bible and Missions at Columbia International University and graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. He received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Having served in the pastoral ministry since 1959, Pastor Bob founded and pastored Shenandoah Baptist Church in Roanoke, VA, from 1971 to 2004. In June of 2004, he became Shenandoah’s Minister-at-Large. Pastor Alderman led in the establishment of Roanoke Valley Christian Schools, as well as Camp Eagle in Fincastle VA, both vibrant, continuing ministries of the church. His great passion was that every person would have the opportunity to hear the life saving message of Jesus Christ and he regularly shared the gospel with those he encountered. Under his leadership, Shenandoah Baptist Church became a recognized leader in the role of the local church in global missions. By the grace of God he lived a principled life based on the Bible, as evidenced by his wisdom, faithfulness, kindness and humility. His sincere pastor’s heart and love for others was reflected in his unselfish ministry to countless people. He esteemed others more highly than himself and was dearly loved. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Missions Fund of Shenandoah Baptist Church, 6520 Williamson Road, Roanoke, Virginia https://sbc-family.churchcenter.com/giving/to/faith-promise-missions The family will receive friends Tuesday, September 9, 2025 from 5-8 pm at Shenandoah Baptist Church. Services will be held Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 11:00 am at Shenandoah Baptist Church. Interment will follow services at Sherwood Memorial Park. Arrangements by Simpson Funeral Home Peters Creek Chapel. (540)366-0707. Services will be livestream from Shenandoah Baptist Church on the following links. https://www.youtube.com/@shenandoahbaptistchurchroa2974 https://sbcfamily.org/watch-live Events Fellowship, Gathering Of Family And Friends Tuesday, September 9, 2025 5:00PM - 8:00PM Shenandoah Baptist Church 6520 Williamson Road Roanoke, VA 24019 Funeral Service Wednesday, September 10, 2025 11:00AM - 12:00PM Shenandoah Baptist Church 6520 Williamson Road Roanoke, VA 24019 Final Resting Place Sherwood Memorial Park 1250 East Main Street Salem, VA [2, 5, 7, 9, 10] | |
| Occupation | he is currently interim pastor of First Baptist Church of Manning, South Carolina; formerly the full-time pastorate of Shenendoah Baptist Church, Roanoke, Virginia [11] | |
| _UID | BB2E185F13E0454B82214F6B556EA87520A9 | |
| Death | 5 Sep 2025 | |
| Burial | 10 Sep 2025 | Sherwood Memorial Park Cemetery, Salem, Virginia [9] |
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| Person ID | I108726 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 19 Sep 2025 | |
| Father | Ben Geer ALDERMAN, Sr. d. Bef 1 Oct 2004 | |
| Mother | Mary Walker JONES d. Bef 1 Oct 2004 | |
| _UID | 37208A78FC6C42F5BE3155B6DBF060304D98 | |
| _UID | 37208A78FC6C42F5BE3155B6DBF060304D98 | |
| Family ID | F80729 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family | Amelia Ann BURKE | |||||||||
| Marriage | 1958 [9] | |||||||||
| _UID | C07260A00F1F4F0589DE478732ACCB57E9BA | |||||||||
| _UID | C07260A00F1F4F0589DE478732ACCB57E9BA | |||||||||
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| Family ID | F75148 | Group Sheet | Family Chart | ||||||||
| Last Modified | 19 Sep 2025 | |||||||||
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