Leon C. Lowder Sr.

EASTOVER – Leon Clyde Lowder Sr. died at age 100 on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007, at National Healthcare of Sumter.

Born Nov. 19, 1906, in Clarendon County, he was a son of the late Thomas Junious Lowder and the late Alice Gertrude Tindal Lowder.

Having descended from Revolutionary War-era patriots, Thomas and Zilpha Lowder, his roots go deep into the annals of time in Clarendon and Sumter counties. He moved across the Wateree River into Richland County in 1940, where he farmed and ran a mercantile store for many years. After the death of his second wife, Madeline, he continued to live on his farm outside the town of Eastover until well past his 100th birthday.

Mr. Lowder was the widower of Madeline Zeigler Lowder of Eastover, having first been married to the late Inez Scurry Lowder of Sumter.

The beloved father and grandfather is survived by two sons, Howard Dickson (Dot) Lowder Sr. and Derle Alden (Rachel) Lowder Sr., and four daughters, Floree Dell Lowder Bethea, Joan Lowder (Sammy) Jackson, Gertrude Lowder (Wayne) Morris and Jacqueline Lowder (Jimmy) Tanner, all of Sumter. Mr. Lowder also left 19 grandchildren; a number of great-grandchildren; several great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The last surviving child of his parents, Mr. Lowder was predeceased by brothers, Junius McLaurin Lowder, Burrell Tindal Lowder, Thomas Marion Lowder, Edward Carl Lowder and Clayton Lowder Sr.; and sisters, Gertrude Lowder King Childers, Alice Lyda Lowder Barwick, Virginia Lowder Johnson Stokes, Corine Lowder Dukes Canty, and Jessie Mae Lowder Stewart Michaels. He was also predeceased by sons, Thomas William Lowder, Leon Clyde Lowder Jr. and Wilfred Oakley Lowder Sr.

Mr. Lowder was the oldest living Lowder, and for many years, on the first Sunday in June, he was the oldest attendee at the annual Lowder family reunion. Second to his love for his family, he loved baseball. He especially enjoyed following the Sumter P-15’s games. It was only in recent years that he gave up his license and stopped driving himself from Eastover to Riley Park in Sumter for their home games. After that, he faithfully relied on family members and friends to drive him to the ballpark, and later to share with him stories of how his beloved team was doing once he could no longer attend their games. He was also an avid Atlanta Braves fan, never missing one of their games on television.

He was an avid quail and dove hunter. After Hurricane Hugo took the roof off the historic plantation house that was part of his farm, he lived for 18 years in what had been the bird-hunting clubhouse until his health began to decline recently.

Mr. Lowder was a longtime self-employed farmer and businessman in Richland County, and he tirelessly worked for his community by serving on the Richland County Soil and Water Conservation Commission for 10 years, six of those as chairman. He volunteered thousands of hours promoting soil and water conservation practices and was honored as Conservationist of the Year for Richland County. He was a member of Richland Presbyterian Church in Eastover for more than 50 years.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, Nov 6, 2007, in the Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Brian Peake officiating.

A graveside service followed in Greenlawn Memorial Park, Columbia.

Pallbearers were grandsons, William “Bill” A. Bethea Jr., Derle A. Lowder Jr., Michael Q. Lowder, D.V.M, Howard “Chip” D. Lowder Jr., Robert “Robbie” W. Morris Jr. and Joel Jackson.

Honorary pallbearers were Clayton Lowder Jr., James “Jimmy” A. Lowder, Dr. Clayton Lowder III, Alan Sikes, Herbert Lovett, Robert “Bob” Woods and Sheriff Leon C. Lott.

Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter was in charge of arrangements.