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Councilwoman Widener's Roots Lie Deep in Wagener

By Valerie Sliker
Courtesy Wagener Monthly

Wagener native Ann Widener was re-elected to the town council in November of 2015 and began her second term this past January.  Ann comes from a family of civil service as a daughter of former mayor and councilman Lawrence McLaurin and former town clerk Iris McLaurin.  Ann is married to Philip Widener and has 2 sons and 4 grandchildren.  She works in town at the Wagener Vision Clinic.

Ann's maternal roots lie deep in Wagener.  Ann's grandmother grew up on the 300-acre Cofer Plantation just west of town on Highway 39.  Family legend has it that Sherman's troops stopped at the Cofer Plantation on Sherman's March to the Sea in 1864 and that Sherman himself held Ann's grandmother's sister Dora "Dodie" on his lap.  He asked her where they hid the silverware and food, but the family had coached her not to reveal the hidden treasures.  This became a famous family story about the "first time Aunt Dodie told a lie."

The Cofer girls moved into Wagener.  Dodie moved into what is now the home of Orine Casey while Ann's grandmother moved into a home her husband, Oscar Jones, built for her in 1912.  Long-time Wagener residents might remember Oscar Jones, a painter and employee at Tyler Brothers, who created a buzz in town when he constructed a Sears and Roebuck house on Louie Street in which Ann's son, Chris, currently resides over 100 years after construction.  

Four Educators Retire after 114 Combined Years

 Photo:  Joy Holman (second from left) is surrounded by friends after announcing her retirement

By Valerie Sliker
The Wagener Monthly

The Busbee Corbett Elementary Middle School Staff Luncheon was held Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at 1:30 in the Wagener school cafeteria.  The PTO sponsored lunch was primarily focused on the four retiring teachers who have accumulated a combined total of 114 years of educational services, but many other awards were given out as well and Melissa Burke was announced as Busbee Corbett’s Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Debbie Black, Assistant Principal is retiring after 29 years of service in the field of education.  A Clemson graduate, Black went on to Winthrop for her Master of Education and to the University of South Carolina for her Doctor of Education.  Black was unable to attend the luncheon.

Physical Education teacher Joy Holman is retiring after 33 total years of service, 30 of which have been at Busbee Elementary.  Holman came to Busbee Elementary in 1985 to teach for one year and then move on to the high school where she planned to coach as well.  “I’d never taught elementary,” Holman said, “I was so afraid.”  Holman fell in love with the small children and never made it to the high school.  “Every day at lunch Mr. (Richard) Sumpter would tell me what to do and answer my questions.  Every day I couldn’t wait for lunch!  The first three years were tough.  My gym was outside.  Then I took over the cafeteria.  Eventually, I got a room.”

Saron Baptist Church Dedication Service

Photo: Saron Baptist church shown while under construction this past spring.

This last year has been exciting for us as a congregation as we have both watched and participated in the progress of our new addition and renovations. As the finishing touches are being made, we want to take this opportunity to invite you to our dedication service which will be held on Sunday, July 12, 2015, at 2:00 pm. Our guest speaker for this special occasion will be the Reverend Joseph Cook, Pastor of Culbert Branch Baptist Church, Williston, South Carolina.

We look forward to sharing how God has truly blessed us and we are amazed at what He has done over the last 126 years here at the Saron Baptist Church. We want to share this blessed and sacred event with you.

Allen Williams Retires from WSHS

By Valerie Sliker    Photo:  Spencer Smith, Allen Williams

After more than thirty years at Wagener Salley High School, Mr. Allen Williams has retired.  An honorary luncheon was served Sunday as hundreds came to wish him well, thank him for his work and tell stories of how he influenced lives.  Visit the Aiken Standard for the full story.  

Williams is a living example of his personal FFA motto:  Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.  Williams is one of many in a long line of men of character and integrity who have permanently influenced many lives through both the FFA and the vocational agriculture departments at WSHS.  Roy Warner preceded Spencer Smith as the WSHS vocational ag teacher and was a mentor to Smith.  "The agriculture program is a means of teaching rural leadership," claims Smith, to create good rural and state leaders alike.  As Smith credits Warner, Williams credits Smith, claiming that his success is due to Smith's strong foundation.

A Hero's Welcome Includes Wagener Resident Spencer Smith

By Valerie Sliker

Early Wednesday morning, May 13, 2015, Wagener resident, World War II hero and former WSHS FFA Advisor and Ag Teacher Mr. Spencer Smith joined nearly 100 other South Carolina World War II and Korean War Veterans in an Honor Flight to Washington DC for a day of touring their memorials, many of which these heroes have never seen before.  These veterans were selected for the one day Honor Flight event and treated like royalty for the day.  Smith was nominated by former student Donald Shumpert who also escorted Smith to Washington.  Read more about Smith's involvement in the War and selection for the Honor Flight in Valerie Sliker's Aiken Standard article.

The Wagener First Baptist Church Children In Action class led by Debra Thomas and Marjorie Sliker attended the Honor Flight SC's Hero's Welcome at the Columbia Airport as the veterans returned home, landing at 8:01 pm.  The girls lined up near the start of the veterans' walkthrough to shake hands with the veterans.  Some girls shook their hands and thanked them for their service and one girl was even given a kiss on her forehead.  It was a beautiful tribute.

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