William 'Bill' M. Thweatt (NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C.)

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. - Funeral services for Mr. William (Bill) M. Thweatt, Jr., age 94, a resident of National Health Care in North Augusta, SC who died Thursday, May 21, 2009 will be conducted Sunday, May 24, 2009 at 3 PM from Grace United Methodist Church, 639 Georgia Ave, North Augusta, SC. Dr. James C. Adams and Dr. John M. Younginer, Jr. will be officiating with interment immediately following at Pineview Memorial Gardens in North Augusta. Pallbearers will be Mr. David Comer, Mr. Len Collins, Mr. Rick Hargrove, Mr. John Potter, Mr. Kurt Bradley, Mr. Randy Parks, Mr. James Hopkins, Mr. Larry Ellis, Mr. Milledge Murray and Mr. Gene Jones. Honorary Pallbearers will be members of the Stillwell Sunday Class and members of the North Augusta Exchange Club. Mr. Thweatt is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, William (Bill) and Carolyn Thweatt III, two stepsons and their wives, Lark & Christy Jones, Lance and Jenny Lou Jones, all of North Augusta, SC; a nephew Joseph O. Thweatt, Jackson, Miss,; a niece, Barbara Thweatt Brock, Woodlands, TX; a step-brother, Dr. Wade Huie, Atlanta, GA; a step-sister, Mrs. Joyce Scattergood, Satellite Beach, FL; a granddaughter, Michelle Lamberth of North Augusta, SC; two step grandsons and spouse, Tyler Jones, Charleston, SC and Landon & Laura Jones, Memphis, Tenn.; five step-granddaughters and spouses, Lauren Jones, Boston, Mass., McKenna and Andrew Hydrick, Tammy and Park Kingery, Amy and Tony Thomas, all of North Augusta, SC, Becky and Michael Alerding, Indianapolis, Indiana; three great grandsons, Hayden Thweatt, Kendell Lamberth, Merritt Tuttle; two step-great-grandsons, McCall Hydrick, and Carter Kingery, both of North Augusta, SC and five step-great-granddaughters, Caitlyn Kingery, Lilli Thomas, both of North Augusta, SC, Madelyn, Lydia and Gabrielle Alerding, all of Indianapolis, Indiana. Mr. Thweatt was born in Macon, Georgia, September 19, 1914, the elder son of William Milburn and Mattie Pearl O'Neal Thweatt. He was the husband of the late Kathryn Swofford of Woodruff, SC and the late Doris Jones of North Augusta, SC. His childhood and teenage years were spent in Andalusia, Alabama, attending their public schools after which he attended Birmingham Southern College. Upon receiving his formal education, he accepted employment in 1935 with The Buckeye Cellulose Corporation, a subsidiary of the Proctor and Gamble Company, at their Montgomery, Alabama plant. During his career he received assignments with increasing responsibility at company sites located in Atlanta, Georgia; Little Rock, Arkansas; Corinth, Mississippi, and Augusta, GA. He served in various management capacities that included Human Resources Manager, Office and Traffic Manager and as Management's representative and buyer for cottonseed and soybeans in the state of South Carolina. In 1975, after 40 years of dedicated and loyal service, he retired from the one and only company for which he had worked. Mr. Thweatt was a veteran of World War II, serving his country in the War Department Personnel Center, in the Reception Center, in the Special Training Unit and in the Separation Center located at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, for three years during the period of 1943 to 1946. Mr. Thweatt made his home in North Augusta since 1954. He was a member of the Augusta Traffic and Transportation Club and served as their President in 1960. He was a member of the Exchange Club of North Augusta since 1956 and served as their President in 1963, when under his leadership, the North Augusta Club was recognized as the "Most Outstanding Club in the State of South Carolina". In 1965, he was appointed by the National Exchange Club Office to be District Director of South Carolina Clubs within District 5. In February, 1966, he was the recipient of his Exchange Club's "Outstanding Service Award" for his leadership in organizing and staging the first "talent show" to be held in this area. It was in this talent show arena, that a young student at Erskine College name Mac Frampton was discovered and was provided his initial debut to a career as an outstanding professional pianist. During the late 1950's and early 60's, Mr. Thweatt unselfishly contributed countless hours of his time, talents, and leadership skills to help establish, develop, and organize a Youth Baseball Program in the North Augusta area. He, along with many other North Augusta Dads, envisioned and constructed the "Bob Mealing Baseball Complex". With his God given engineering and mechanical talents, Mr. Thweatt designed and built the first "electronic scoreboard" for the Mealing Field Complex. The youth baseball program and the Mealing Field Complex became known as one of the finest youth programs and facilities in the state of South Carolina. In 1960, Mr. Thweatt was elected and served as District Director of "Little Boys Baseball" which later became known as "Dixie Youth Baseball." Shortly after his term as District Director, he was elected and served as South Carolina's State Director of "Dizzy Dean" Baseball Incorporated. Upon completing his tenure as South Carolina's State Director of "Dizzy Dean" Baseball, he was elevated to membership status on the National Board of Director's for the "Dizzy Dean" Baseball Organization. From 1987 to 2000, Mr. Thweatt served as a volunteer with the United Way agency for the Council on the Aging, working with "Meals On Wheels" program in the North Augusta area. In 1995, he was honored by the United Methodist Men's Club of Grace United Methodist Church for his countless hours of devoted service and the constant gifts of his time, energy, talents, and love. Additionally, in 1995, he was selected as recipient of the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce's, Citizen of the Year. In 2000, he was presented the North Augusta Sertoma Club's Service to Mankind Award. That same year he was selected as the Sertoma Club's district level recipient of the Service to Mankind Award. In 2008, he was selected as the North Augusta Exchange Club's recipient of the Golden Deeds Award for his unselfish service to others and the positive contributions he made within the North Augusta community. In addition to Mr. Thweatt's civic service and contributions, he was also very much a part of his beloved Grace United Methodist Church in North Augusta, where he was a member since 1955. There he served in various leadership capacities that included Chairperson of the Stewardship Committee, Chairperson of the Administrative Board, member of the 1983 to 1985 Building Committee, Administrative Director for the Reconstruction of Grace United Methodist Church, Board member of the United Methodist Men, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and a long time member of the Stillwell Sunday School Class. Not only did he serve in leadership roles at Grace Church, but he took on the role of servant and laborer at Grace Church to include: painting restrooms and Sunday school rooms, pressure washing concrete steps and sidewalks, building handicap ramps and driving elderly people to church. He also assumed the role of craftsman at Grace Church, by researching, designing and meticulously hand crafting a replica of the Ark of the Covenant for use during the Church's annual Stewardship Campaigns. He also researched the history line of the Grace Methodist Ministers, reproduced their pictures, framed and matted all for display in the Narthex of the Georgia Avenue Church entrance. It has only been through the unwavering love, encouragement, and support of Mr. Thweatt's wives, Kathryn and Doris, his family, his extended family, friends and our loving God, that has allowed him to serve and contribute to his fellow man. He knew that it was only through God, being his one constant source of strength and faith that he was allowed to live the abundant and blessed life that he enjoyed during his lifetime. Everything he had and everything he was came through the grace and mercy of God. He along with his family, his extended family and friends give the thanks, the praise, the honor and glory to God and together, celebrate Mr. Thweatt's new life with our triune God. Mr. Thweatt's family will be receiving and welcoming friends at Rowland Funeral Home, Saturday, May 23, 2009 from 3 to 5 PM. In lieu of flowers, as you so desire, memorials may be made to Grace United Methodist Church, c/o Building Fund, 639 Georgia Avenue, North Augusta, SC 29841. Visit the online register at www.rowlandfuneralhome.com . Rowland Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

The Augusta Chronicle-May 23, 2009