LATTA, SC – Florence Manning Bethea, 101, widow of the late Dr. William S. Bethea, died November 29, 2017, at her residence. Funeral services were held at 3:00 p.m., Monday, December 4, 2017, at Latta Southern Methodist Church. The family will receive friends at the church before the service from 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Kannaday Funeral Home of Latta is assisting the family.
Mrs. Bethea was the daughter of the late L. A. Manning, Jr. and Minnie Holland Manning. She was born February 17, 1916, in Fayette, MO. and moved to Latta with her parents in 1919. She graduated valedictorian from Latta High School and valedictorian from Columbia College. She was a charter member of Latta Southern Methodist Church where she previously served as organist, pianist, Sunday School teacher, President of the Women’s Missionary Society and a member of the Board of Trustees. She was a member-at-large of the D.A.R., the Huguenot Society of S.C., the Dames of the Magna Carta, the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Ellerbe Family Association, and the American, South Carolina, and Dillon County Medical Alliances. Following her husband’s death in 1955, and during her father’s illness, she began working with Manning & Shine. After her father’s death she and D. B. Shine, Jr. carried on the family business established in 1919 until 1991.
She is survived by one child, Charles Albert Bethea (Janice) of Darlington, SC; four grandchildren, Gretchen Squires Allen of Latta, SC; Robert W. Squires, Jr. (Fatima) of Windermere, FL; Ellen Bethea of Hartsville, SC; William Benjamin Bethea (Tamela) of Hartsville, SC; and Lynn Moody (Scott) of Spartanburg, SC; and thirteen great-grandchildren, William, Thomas, Ibrahim, Maryam, Iman, Yusuf, Yaseen, Jack, Kate, Sophia, Audrey, Elizabeth, and Marshall.
She was preceded in death by her daughter, Florence Manning Bethea Squires and two sons, William Spinks Bethea, Jr. and James Lawrence Manning Bethea.
The family would like to express its sincere gratitude for the thoughtful and kind care given by the staff of Hospice Care of South Carolina, Heather Parrott, Melody Smith, Irene Thompkins, and Yolanda Mumford; Dr. Robin Shealy, and friends and caregivers, Easter Mae Barr, Lura D. McDaniel, Ronnie Crawford, Daisy Cuiman, and Betty Johnson.
Memorials may be sent to Latta Southern Methodist Church, 405 East Main Street, Latta, SC 29565, Latta Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 201, Latta, SC 29565, or to the charity of your choice. You may sign the online guestbook at www.kannadayfuneralhome.com.