Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
1932 - 2003 (70 years)| Name | Eartha Lee WEEKS [2, 3, 4] | |
| Birth | 19 Aug 1932 | Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina  [4] |
| Gender | Female | |
| Education | She attended the public schools of Sumter County and was a graduate of Lincoln High School. | |
| Education | She attended the public schools of Sumter County and was a graduate of Lincoln High School. | |
| HIST | Religion cont. She was a member of the women’s ministry and a volunteer at the M.H. Newton Family Life Enrichment Center and a class assistant for the Jehovah Baptist Church vacation Bible school. She was a faithful member of the Morris College WQMC Bible scholars. She was also a certified poll manager for the Sumter County Registration and Election Commission. She was a member of the Sumter Branch NAACP. Mother Brunson was joined in holy matrimony to Goliath Brunson Sr. at death- she had a daughter-in-law, Elaine Brunson of Houston, Texas; a special god-daughter, Keysa Rogers (Gregory) of Sumter at death- she had 20 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren 'Cherishing memories' on Mother's Day: Eartha Brunson taught integrity, hard work, faith to 10 children, Sumter's Rep. Weeks says Eartha Brunson is seen with three grandchildren in the late 1980s. Posted Saturday, May 8, 2021 6:00 am BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com Eartha Lee Brunson's home was like many in Sumter in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Mom stayed at home as the homemaker raising a large family while Dad worked in a local factory. Before she became Mrs. Brunson, she was Eartha Lee Weeks, and her first child was David, better known today to many Sumterites as state Rep. David Weeks, D-Sumter. Weeks sat down recently with The Sumter Item and shared the story of his mom's life of love and determination ahead of Mother's Day 2021 on Sunday. David Weeks was born in 1953, but when his mom married Goliath Brunson in the mid-50s, he became the only father Weeks would ever know, he said. Eartha and Goliath Brunson would go on to have nine more children together for a total of 10 with Weeks being the oldest. From their home on Brand Street on the south side of the city, Eartha Brunson instilled in her children many values and qualities, including integrity, honesty and hard work, Weeks said. Before marriage, Eartha - like many women in south Sumter at the time - would clean homes in the Alice Drive area and the historic district for primarily white families who lived in those areas. It was called "domestic" work, Weeks said, and he remembers his mom telling him and his siblings that people were always trying to test your integrity and honesty in those days. For example, it was common for the woman of the house to leave a penny or two by a nightstand or another area that needed to be cleaned to test you and see if you would pick it up and take it. Weeks' mom said she would always clean the area and then put back any coins right where they were because she didn't want her integrity or honor to be destroyed by showing she would remove anything that she wasn't supposed to have. "So, she taught us and me that you must maintain a level of integrity and understand whatever you needed, you worked for it," Weeks recalled. "You don't try to take advantage of situations by taking things you are not supposed to have, regardless of what the value may seem to have been at that time. A penny is a penny. It wasn't her penny, and so she wasn't going to take it." Hard work went right along with that, and Weeks said he had his first job at age 9 or 10 selling boiled peanuts by the bag. A portion of his earnings and that of his siblings' would have to go to the household; "So, we were taught then that we must be contributing members of the household," Weeks said. Another life lesson his mom taught the kids was to try to protect your name to make sure the name means something to you. Weeks said she would often quote what she learned as a student at Lincoln High School in Sumter. "One of her favorites, she would say, 'He who steals my purse, steals trash. But he who steals my good name robs me of all that I have, indeed,'" he said. Education was also important in the Brunson household, and Mom was also adamant that all the children attend church, Weeks said. That church was Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church, and Weeks and his siblings also regularly participated in youth activities there. "She was the one who introduced God to me," Weeks said. "We didn't know who God was or who Jesus was. But she introduced them by her own teachings." There was also a sense of pride in family at the time. Many mothers like Brunson were known throughout the community for their sense of caring and sharing with others, he said. Weeks recalled friends coming over often and Brunson regularly sharing guidance and food. All 10 children turned out good, Weeks added, and there has never been a sibling conflict or fallout. That is amazing in itself, he said, and Mom gets the credit for all that. "We're just an example of many families who have done well with the nurturing of a good mother," he said. Mom taught the children with a lot of love and taught them how to love others. Lastly, Weeks said, his mom taught him how to die. Cancer caused the decline in her body, he said, but not in her spirit. "She would say to me on her deathbed," Weeks said, "'I might give out, but I will never give in.' That was a powerful teaching to me about life and how to deal with struggles of life. She wasn't going to give up on life while she still had life. She was going to try to do as much as she could as often as she could." Brunson passed in June 2003, and a large number of people attended the funeral. That was a great tribute to see all those people there that day, Weeks added. When she passed, Brunson had 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. When she was still living, always on Mother's Day it was important for the whole family to get together. "Those days now are days of reflection and cherishing memories," he said. "We miss her, of course, greatly. But, we also feel good that the spirit of her lives on within us. And that is very, very important to us." [1, 4] | |
| HIST | Religion cont. She was a member of the women’s ministry and a volunteer at the M.H. Newton Family Life Enrichment Center and a class assistant for the Jehovah Baptist Church vacation Bible school. She was a faithful member of the Morris College WQMC Bible scholars. She was also a certified poll manager for the Sumter County Registration and Election Commission. She was a member of the Sumter Branch NAACP. Mother Brunson was joined in holy matrimony to Goliath Brunson Sr. at death- she had a daughter-in-law, Elaine Brunson of Houston, Texas; a special god-daughter, Keysa Rogers (Gregory) of Sumter at death- she had 20 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren 'Cherishing memories' on Mother's Day: Eartha Brunson taught integrity, hard work, faith to 10 children, Sumter's Rep. Weeks says Eartha Brunson is seen with three grandchildren in the late 1980s. Posted Saturday, May 8, 2021 6:00 am BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com Eartha Lee Brunson's home was like many in Sumter in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Mom stayed at home as the homemaker raising a large family while Dad worked in a local factory. Before she became Mrs. Brunson, she was Eartha Lee Weeks, and her first child was David, better known today to many Sumterites as state Rep. David Weeks, D-Sumter. Weeks sat down recently with The Sumter Item and shared the story of his mom's life of love and determination ahead of Mother's Day 2021 on Sunday. David Weeks was born in 1953, but when his mom married Goliath Brunson in the mid-50s, he became the only father Weeks would ever know, he said. Eartha and Goliath Brunson would go on to have nine more children together for a total of 10 with Weeks being the oldest. From their home on Brand Street on the south side of the city, Eartha Brunson instilled in her children many values and qualities, including integrity, honesty and hard work, Weeks said. Before marriage, Eartha - like many women in south Sumter at the time - would clean homes in the Alice Drive area and the historic district for primarily white families who lived in those areas. It was called "domestic" work, Weeks said, and he remembers his mom telling him and his siblings that people were always trying to test your integrity and honesty in those days. For example, it was common for the woman of the house to leave a penny or two by a nightstand or another area that needed to be cleaned to test you and see if you would pick it up and take it. Weeks' mom said she would always clean the area and then put back any coins right where they were because she didn't want her integrity or honor to be destroyed by showing she would remove anything that she wasn't supposed to have. "So, she taught us and me that you must maintain a level of integrity and understand whatever you needed, you worked for it," Weeks recalled. "You don't try to take advantage of situations by taking things you are not supposed to have, regardless of what the value may seem to have been at that time. A penny is a penny. It wasn't her penny, and so she wasn't going to take it." Hard work went right along with that, and Weeks said he had his first job at age 9 or 10 selling boiled peanuts by the bag. A portion of his earnings and that of his siblings' would have to go to the household; "So, we were taught then that we must be contributing members of the household," Weeks said. Another life lesson his mom taught the kids was to try to protect your name to make sure the name means something to you. Weeks said she would often quote what she learned as a student at Lincoln High School in Sumter. "One of her favorites, she would say, 'He who steals my purse, steals trash. But he who steals my good name robs me of all that I have, indeed,'" he said. Education was also important in the Brunson household, and Mom was also adamant that all the children attend church, Weeks said. That church was Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church, and Weeks and his siblings also regularly participated in youth activities there. "She was the one who introduced God to me," Weeks said. "We didn't know who God was or who Jesus was. But she introduced them by her own teachings." There was also a sense of pride in family at the time. Many mothers like Brunson were known throughout the community for their sense of caring and sharing with others, he said. Weeks recalled friends coming over often and Brunson regularly sharing guidance and food. All 10 children turned out good, Weeks added, and there has never been a sibling conflict or fallout. That is amazing in itself, he said, and Mom gets the credit for all that. "We're just an example of many families who have done well with the nurturing of a good mother," he said. Mom taught the children with a lot of love and taught them how to love others. Lastly, Weeks said, his mom taught him how to die. Cancer caused the decline in her body, he said, but not in her spirit. "She would say to me on her deathbed," Weeks said, "'I might give out, but I will never give in.' That was a powerful teaching to me about life and how to deal with struggles of life. She wasn't going to give up on life while she still had life. She was going to try to do as much as she could as often as she could." Brunson passed in June 2003, and a large number of people attended the funeral. That was a great tribute to see all those people there that day, Weeks added. When she passed, Brunson had 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. When she was still living, always on Mother's Day it was important for the whole family to get together. "Those days now are days of reflection and cherishing memories," he said. "We miss her, of course, greatly. But, we also feel good that the spirit of her lives on within us. And that is very, very important to us." | |
| Religion | While a young lady, she attended Shiloh Baptist Church (now First Baptist Church) and later joined Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church, where she was a faithful member until her death. [4] | |
| Religion | While a young lady, she attended Shiloh Baptist Church (now First Baptist Church) and later joined Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church, where she was a faithful member until her death. [4] | |
| _UID | AC97413549894620AACC47801E34A14566AC | |
| _UID | AC97413549894620AACC47801E34A14566AC | |
| Death | 17 Jun 2003 | Tuomey Healthcare System, Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina [5, 6] |
| Burial | 23 Jun 2003 | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, Sumter County, South Carolina [4] |
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| Person ID | I274322 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 8 May 2021 | |
| Father | Lewis WEEKS, Sr. d. 1943 | |
| Mother | Mary Ethel WITHERSPOON, b. 11 Sep 1906, Privateer section of Sumter County, South Carolina d. 25 Mar 2006, Tuomey Regional Medical Center, Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina (Age 99 years) | |
| Marriage | 1932 [5] | |
| _UID | B47E3FB8B5D44E918816833E7CF3BE2E4BBE | |
| _UID | B47E3FB8B5D44E918816833E7CF3BE2E4BBE | |
| Family ID | F184609 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family | Goliath BRUNSON, Sr., b. 25 May 1930, Sumter County, South Carolina d. 2 Aug 1999, at his home, 35 Brand St. (Sumter, South Carolina) (Age 69 years) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Marriage | 21 Dec 1957 | Sumter County, South Carolina [7, 8] |
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| _UID | A1917E826C3644F0BB688C4F52FA9A241098 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| _UID | A1917E826C3644F0BB688C4F52FA9A241098 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Children |
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| Family ID | F184607 | Group Sheet | Family Chart | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Modified | 10 Jan 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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