Beulah Gamble

Beulah China Merchant Gamble, 62, widow of John Merchant and wife of Wilford Gamble, died April 29, 2007, at Clarendon Memorial Hospital.

Born Aug. 31, 1944, in the Alcolu section of Clarendon County, she was a daughter of the late Rev. Benjamin China Sr. and Mary McCray China. She received her formal education at Manning Training School. In her youth, she accepted Christ as her Savior and joined Mount Nebo Missionary Baptist Church. After marriage, she joined Mount Calvary Fire Baptized Holiness Church and later joined Grace Cathedral Ministries. She was employed with Jerry’s Truck Stop.

Survivors besides her husband, Wilford Gamble of the home, include one son, John E. Merchant (Linda Ward) of Columbia; three daughters, Annette (Minister Trevern) Howard of Sumter, Mary Ann Brown (Rodney Prioleau) of Manning and Caroline (Jerme) Brown of Barnwell; two brothers, Benjamin China Jr. of Alcolu and Herman (Ruth) China of Norwalk, Conn.; five sisters, Jannie China of Manhattan, N.Y., Rhunette Little of Bridgeport, Conn., Bertha (Elder Arthur) Fairnot of Savannah, Ga., Maggie (Lee) Tindal of Alcolu and Ella (Leroy) Gibson of Manning; and nine grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Saturday, May 5, 2007, at Grace Cathedral Ministries in Sumter, with Apostle Sammy C. Smith officiating, assisted by Bishop Thomas C. Bell, Elder Marlin Clemons and Elder Anthony Gibson, eulogist.

Burial was in Manning Cemetery.

Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning was in charge of arrangements.