Mrs. Deloris Cunningham, 94, Branchville, died Friday, April 13, 2012, at Stokes Residential Care in Orangeburg. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later.

Funeral services for Minister Cyrene “Naye” Holman Hyche, 42, Denmark, were held Thursday, April 12, 2012, at Honey Ford Baptist Church, Denmark. Minister Holman, as she was known to her many friends and church members, was born February 2, 1970, in Denmark to Betty Holman Warren and Glennon Holman Sr. She was also known by “Naye” to her close family and friends. At an early age, she joined Honey Ford Baptist Church and continued her spiritual journey there for many years. Under the leadership of the Rev. C. F. Mitchell, she became an ordained minister. Cyrene was a graduate of Denmark-Olar High School, class of 1989, where she was the marching band’s drum major, and went on to graduate from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, with a degree in business administration and telecommunications. For a number of years, she worked at the Senate building in Washington, D.C.

Dorothy Louise Johnson, 89, of Orangeburg, died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at Jolley Acres Healthcare Center in Orangeburg. The funeral was held Saturday, April 14, 2012, in Orangeburg. She was born February 20, 1923, in Bamberg County, the daughter of the late Frank Mixon and the late Kathleen Jones Varn.

Mary E. Beard Jones, 75, of Jesup, Ga., formerly of Bamberg, died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at her home in Jesup after a long illness. The funeral was held Sunday, April 15, 2012, in Bamberg. Mrs. Jones was born August 8, 1936, in Bamberg, daughter of the late Charles Malone Beard and late Ann Williamson Beard. She was a retired bookkeeper and retail store manager for 30 years. She volunteered with the Cheese & Cracker for over 13 years, enjoyed helping people, and loved her family.

Dr. John Francis McLaughlin, Jr. passed away on Thursday, April 14, 2012. He was 90 years of age. John Francis McLaughlin Jr. was born February 23, 1922 to Marguerite Behlmer McLaughlin and John Francis McLaughlin Sr. Growing up in Charleston, he lived on both Magazine and then Smith Street in an extended family with his maternal Grandmother, uncle and cousins with his Mother Father, and brothers James, Donald, and Ralph. He attended Cathedral School and graduated from Bishop England High School in 1939. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 1943, and then the Medical College of Charleston in 1946. He was a member of Phi Ro Sigma Fraternity. He enlisted in the Army Scholastic Training Program during WWII. He married Mae Jordan Dunson of LaGrange, GA in 1949. Upon graduation from medical school he was commissioned in the United States Army where he served in Korea as a medical officer commanding a Medical Clearing Company in combat. After serving in Korea he served in the South Carolina Guard and Army Reserve for 32 years. He commanded a Station Hospital in Charleston, SC. He also served as Surgeon General for the 120th Army Reserve Command. He retired as a Colonel, and his personal awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal. Upon returning from Korea he opened his first medical practice on Yonges Island. In 1954 he began to practice in Ehrhardt, South Carolina, as a General Practitioner. For 25 years he cared for this rural community including house calls and delivering newborns at home. This is where he raised a family of five including three daughters and two sons. He also served on the Bamberg County Hospital Board and Board of Education. After leaving Ehrhardt, SC he worked for Raybestos Manhattan Manufacturing in Charleston, SC and Llyod Noland Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.

Margie Diane Nelms, 62, of Bamberg, passed away April 12, 2012 resulting from a fire in her home. A memorial service was conducted in Bamberg on Saturday, April 21, 2012. The two surviving siblings conducted the eulogy in her remembrance. She was born on June 11, 1949 in Bamberg. She was a retired Lab Technician and she enjoyed gardening, antiques, and especially, her animals. She was preceded in death by her parents, the late Henry Rupard Nelms and the late Annie Margie Davis Nelms.

Frances Alla Metts Smith, widow of Rue Eugene Smith, entered into eternal rest on Saturday, April 14, 2012. Funeral services were held Tuesday, April 17, 2012 in Branchville. Mrs. Smith was born March 17, 1919, in Branchville, the daughter of Clarence Marion Metts and Fannie Idella Walters Metts. She worked at the former Charleston Cigar Factory and was a retiree of the State of South Carolina. She was a member of Wesley Memorial UMC of Hollywood, S.C.