Sarah Woods

Sarah Tomlin Wells Woods, the daughter of the late Willie Tomlin and Violet McKenzie-Tomlin Chapman and stepdaughter of the late Joseph Chapman, was born Oct. 4, 1925, in New Zion. She died Sunday, July 1, 2007, at Clarendon Memorial Hospital, Manning.

She was preceded in death by one brother, the Rev. Robert L. McKenzie; one adopted sister, Gertrude Reardon; one aunt, Lillian W. Gamble; and her companion, Harold Woods.

She received her formal education in the public schools of Clarendon County. In her early years, she joined Howard Chapel AME Church in New Zion, where she served on the Women’s Missionary Society. She moved to Brooklyn, N.Y., for more than 30 years and later returned to Turbeville in 1996.

She was joined in holy matrimony to the late Freeman Wells. This union was blessed with five children.

She leaves to cherish her memory: two loving daughters, Johnnie Mae Wells and Sylvia (Anthony) Wells Rogers, both of Turbeville; three loving sons, Joseph (Dorothy) Wells of Bridgeport, Conn., Leroy (Elsie) Wells of Mayesville and Willie (Jonelle) Wells of Sumter; three adopted sisters, Alice (James) Grant of Columbia, Rosa Lee Black of Miami, Fla., and Julia Young of Philadelphia, Pa.; one sister-in-law, Clara Bell McKenzie of Lynchburg; one adopted brother, Manning (Teresa) Chapman of Port St. Lucie, Fla.; one brother-in-law, Clyde Reardon of Miami; two aunts, Carrie Kennedy of New Zion and Mary Chapman of Rembert; 21 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, July 7, 2007, at Howard Chapel AME Church, Old Manning Road, New Zion, with the Rev. Alfred Bradley, pastor, officiating, assisted by the Revs. Jerome McCray and Edward Roberts and Minister Curtis Martin.

Burial followed in the churchyard cemetery.

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