RAINS — Funeral services for Flora Avant Atkinson Brown Marlowe, 89, will be held at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 10, at Reedy Creek Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Centenary United Methodist Church Cemetery, directed by Smith-Collins Funeral Home. Mrs. Marlowe died Monday, January 8, in Mullins Nursing Center. Born in Marion County, she was the daughter of Henry Bennett and Daisy Coleman Avant. She was a graduate of Centenary High School and had retired as certified dietary manager of Marion Memorial Hospital. She was a member of Reedy Creek Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school for many years, was a member of WMU where she held many offices, and was a member of the church choir. She was a longtime member of the Rains Grange, Pomona Grange and Rains and Marion County Home Demonstration Clubs, holding various offices in each. Surviving are sons, James B. (Sherry) Atkinson of Centenary, Benton Lavern (Audrey) Atkinson of Mullins, Keith (Missy) Atkinson of Brittons Neck and Van (Marie) Atkinson of Rains; daughters, Shirley A. Hunt of Sumter, Rosemary A. (Marcus) Bethea of Dillon and Beth A. (Frank ) Collins of Raleigh, N.C.; a sister, Irma Evans of Charleston; and 13 grandchildren, 10 stepgrandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren. Mrs. Marlowe was preceded in death by husbands, Benton Atkinson, Arthur Brown and John Marlowe. She was preceded in death by siblings, H.B. Avant, Whilden Avant, Dr. Earl Avant, Grace Craven, Evelyn Smith and Gladys Williams. Memorials may be made to Reedy Creek Baptist Church, 2508 S. Hwy. 501, Marion, SC 29571. The family would like to express appreciation to the staff at Mullins Nursing Center for their care and compassion during Mrs. Marlowe’s extended illness. «Obituary posted: January 10, 2007» The State Newspaper