Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
1921 - 2025 (103 years)| Name | Mary Olive WHAM [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] | |
| Birth | 17 Nov 1921 | Laurens County, South Carolina  |
| Gender | Female | |
| HIST | from Mountville, South Carolina of Sumter, South Carolina MARY WHAM JAMES Posted Saturday, August 9, 2025 6:05 pm Mary Wham James, 103, widow of William Edwin James, passed away Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, at Sumter Grove. Born in Laurens County on Nov. 17, 1921, she was the daughter of the late George Sims Wham and Nellie Mellette Wham. Mrs. James graduated from Mountville High School and Clevenger Business College. She was employed by Sumter School District 17 as a bookkeeper for many years. She moved with her husband to Anderson and was employed by Anderson District 5 in the Accounting Department. After her husband died, she returned to Sumter from Anderson and worked for the Sumter County Library in the Accounting Department. Mary’s love for reading was satiated, and the bestsellers were always on reserve for her. In addition to her long work career, Mrs. James volunteered her time with the First Baptist Church Sandwich Ministry, sang in the FBC Senior Adult Choir, served as a Tuomey Hospital volunteer and was an active member of the Pilot Club. Until her death, she was the oldest living member of First Baptist Church. Surviving are one son, John Charles James (Mary Wayne) of Sumter; a daughter-in-law, Harriet James (Bill) of Anderson; three grandchildren, Katie Kinard (Brad) of Moore, Laura Tisdale (William) of Sumter and Van James (Lauren) of Anderson. G-Mama, as she was called, was also a proud great-grandmother of John Bradley, Elizabeth, Mary Frances, Daniel, Jacob, James, Monroe, Eli, Eva Lu and Smitty. Mrs. James was very close to her Sumter sister, Eleanor. In fact, the two Wham sisters married two James brothers. Mary’s children and Eleanor’s children, Bubba (Judy) and Pat (Phil), were double first cousins. Mrs. James was predeceased by her son, William Edwin James Jr.' granddaughter, Meloni Patrice James; four brothers, Mellette, Norman, Bob and Buck; and two sisters, Betty and Eleanor. The family would like to thank Prisma Hospice, the staff of Sumter Grove and caregivers Cindy Gamble, Mary McKnight and Ivy Felder for their tender care. A graveside service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, at Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Brad Kinard, John Bradley Kinard, Daniel Kinard, William Tisdale, Van James, Michael James, Camden James and Jamie Fidler. Honorary pallbearers will be great-grandsons, Jacob Sanders and James Tisdale. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church Sumter, PO Box 867, Sumter, SC 29150. Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements. [5, 7, 8, 9] | |
| _UID | D119058E8F3648C7A21FEA44B679239C2EB6 | |
| Death | 8 Aug 2025 | Sumter Grove Senior Living, Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina |
| Burial | 13 Aug 2025 | Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery, 802 N. Guignard Drive, Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina [7] |
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| Person ID | I15679 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 14 Aug 2025 | |
| Father | George Simms/Sims WHAM, Sr., b. 15 Sep 1888 d. 3 May 1956 (Age 67 years) | |
| Mother | Nellie MELLETTE, b. 18 Jul 1889 d. 20 Dec 1985 (Age 96 years) | |
| Marriage | 18 May 1911 | |
| _UID | 3E53CBB0C3064B57B2BB2EC56011834F1ACC | |
| _UID | 3E53CBB0C3064B57B2BB2EC56011834F1ACC | |
| Family ID | F11116 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family | William Edwin JAMES, Sr., b. 29 Jul 1916 d. 7 Aug 1987 (Age 71 years) | |||||
| Marriage | 29 Jan 1943 | Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina |
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| _UID | EA11F400769A42DA996E764C4F208F0FF12E | |||||
| _UID | EA11F400769A42DA996E764C4F208F0FF12E | |||||
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| Family ID | F12146 | Group Sheet | Family Chart | ||||
| Last Modified | 23 Mar 2026 | |||||
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