John Wesley Smith, Jr. John Wesley Smith Jr., 79, of Chesterfield, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001. A funeral service was held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29 from Pee Dee Union Baptist Church. Burial, with Masonic and Military rites was in Foundry Hill Cemetery. Born in Chesterfield, Mr. Smith was a son of the late John Wesley and Fannie Johnson Smith. He attended the public schools of Cheraw and was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served aboard the USS Shadwell in WWII. After being honorably discharged, he returned to Cheraw and attended industrial school and became a master brick mason. He attended Pee Dee Union Baptist Church, was ordained as a Trustee, and was a worker in the building of the Sunday School Annex. He was a member of Sanctorium Lodge #25 Free and Accepted Masons (PHA). Surviving are his wife, Sarah Ford Smith; three daughters, Shelia Diane (Kirt) Jones of Seneca, Valarie Johnetta (Robert) Gregory of Taylors, and Willie Mae (Greg) Burton of Orlando, Fla.; seven grandchildren, Tanika, Tanesha and Toran Jones, Ashley Manley, Noshahere Harris, a grandson he reared, Michele and Jamal Gregory; a special nephew, Elvis Telfair; a brother-in-law; three sisters-in-law; and a host of other relatives and friends. Reid's Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anthony Dywane Sheilds Anthony Dywane Shields, 27, of Cheraw, died Sunday, Dec. 23, 2001 in Cheraw. A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28 from Pleasant Grove AME Zion Church. Burial followed in the church cemetery. Born in Chesterfield County, Mr. Shields was a son of James Thomas and Charlene Davis Shields. He was educated in Chesterfield County schools and was a 1992 graduate of Cheraw High School. He attended Morris College, Chesterfield Marlboro Technical College, and was employed with Dan River, Inc. as a mechanic. Surviving are his wife, Denise Hooks Shields; a daughter, Chania Andrea; a son, Devian; a brother, Damien (Robin) Shields of Cheraw; his grandmother, Mary A. Davis of Chesterfield; his mother- and father- in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Hooks of Wallace; and a host of other relatives and friends. Grooms Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yvette Rogers Yvette Rogers, 24, of Cheraw, died Friday, Dec. 21, 2001. A funeral service was held at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27 from Grooms Memorial Chapel. Burial followed in the Shields Family Cemetery. Born in Cheraw, Ms. Rogers was a daughter of Ruthie Mae Rogers and Roosvelt Rogers. She was employed with Marley Electric and Heating of Bennettsville. Surviving are a son, Zyrel Tyike Purvis; three sisters, Renee Rogers of Wadesboro, N.C., Tawanda Rogers and Nakita Rogers both of Cheraw; two brothers, James Kelly of Florence and Maurice Rogers of Cheraw; six nieces, four nephews; and a host of other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her children, Shakita Sentrell Rogers and TyQuam ShaKeem Rogers. Grooms Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Rev. James Author Floyd The Rev. James Arthor Floyd, 60, of Cheraw, died Friday, Dec. 28, 2001. A funeral service was held at noon Saturday, Dec. 29 from Pee Dee Union Baptist Church. Burial followed in St. James Church Cemetery. Born in Cheraw, the Rev. Floyd was a son of Charles Edward and Lillian Gillespie Floyd Johnson. He graduated from Couther High School in 1959. He moved to Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1969 where he worked for Republic Steel. He was a member of West Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon and was ordained into the ministry in 1982. He was assistant to the late Pastor F. Author Reed of First Baptist Church in Brooklyn. Surviving are his wife, Hattie Nell Floyd; four children, Cassandra Payton, Mark Floyd, Lora McKoy and Raymond Floyd; 11 grandchildren; an aunt, Cealey Floyd; a maternal daughter, Felicia Peterson; and a host of other relatives and friends. Grooms Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Earl Lewis Earl Lewis, 79, of Cheraw, died Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2002. A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 3 from Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. Burial followed in Mr. Olivet United Methodist Church Cemetery. Born in Chesterfield County, Mr. Lewis was a son of the late William Pence and Martha Elizabeth Davidson Lewis. He was a retired textile employee and member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. Surviving are a number of nieces and nephews, including his care givers, nephew, Jack Wallace and his wife, Barbara, of Cheraw. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stephen A. Traynham Stephen A. Traynham, 31, of Massachusetts, died Friday, Dec. 28, 2001 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. A funeral service was held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, 2002 at Reid's Funeral Home. Interment followed in Foundry Hill Cemetery, Cheraw. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Mr. Traynham was a son of Bessie and the late Hilliard Traynham. He was reared in Tompkins Houses in Bedford Stuyvesant, was educated in the New York public school system, and attended George Westinghouse High School were he studied optical dispensing. He attended Interboro Institute and earned an associate's degree to become a licensed optician. He was employed with several optical stores, including Pearle Vision Center, Cohen Optical and Lens Crafters. Surviving are his wife, Kaijia Traynham; his mother; a sister, Sharon Traynham; a niece, Kenesha Traynham-Cooper; four aunts, Clara Shields, Annie Jordan, Theresa Shields and Sarah Huntley, all of Cheraw; three uncles, Emmett and Douglas Jordan of Cheraw, and Stanley Cobham of Springfield, Mass.; two grandmothers, Gussie Traynham of New York City, and Katherine Taylor of Cheraw; his mother-in- law, Vera Wilson; and a host of other relatives and friends. Reid's Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.