Obituaries – December 5, 2018

DARLINGTON – Tommy J. McElveen, 67, passed away Monday, Nov. 26, 2018. Funeral services were held 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, in the chapel at Belk Funeral Home, with burial following in Indian Branch Cemetery. The family received friends Thursday from 6-8 at the funeral home.

Born May 18, 1951, Tommy was the son of the late Blease McElveen and Mollie Welch McElveen. He loved spending time with his family and grandchildren, he loved his puppies Sara and Pepper, and he enjoyed fishing.

Tommy was a loving and patient man who loved helping people he knew, and helping the elderly. He attended Piney Grove Holiness Church and was a member of their Sunday school class.

Surviving are his wife, Patsy A. McElveen; children, Ray (Tanya) McElveen, Sharon McElveen, both of Timmonsville, Jay (Christy) Ashbaugh of Darlington, Carolyn (Steven) Mcquaig of St. Augustine, Fla., Tina Carr (Terry Hale) of Columbia, Kyle (Sandra) Stephens of Kansas, and Stewart (Gina) Stephens of Tennessee; 19 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; sisters, Annie Rae (Larry) Davis of Darlington, and Ethel Mae Kenlaw of Columbia; brothers, Ernest McElveen of Manning and “Boot” (Stelia) Welch of Florence.

The family would like to give a special thanks to Tiny Johnson for all of her help to Tommy.

A guestbook is available online at belkfuneralhome.com.

FLORENCE – Rev. James Howard Allen, 67, passed away Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018. Funeral services were 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at South Florence Baptist Church, with burial following at Mt. Hope Cemetery, directed by Belk Funeral Home. The family received friends from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at South Florence Baptist Church.

Born March 13, 1951, Howard was the son of the late Hugh Willis Allen and Willie Mae Faulkenberry Allen. He served in the U.S. Army as an E-4 Specialist. Rev. Allen served as a Southern Baptist pastor for 40 years, 26 of those years as pastor of South Florence Baptist Church, retiring in 2017.

He served as president of the S.C. Baptist Convention Pastors Conference and served two terms on the S.C. Baptist Convention Executive Board. He enjoyed watching the Lamar Silver Foxes football team, traveling and was a member of Lamar First Baptist Church.

Surviving are his wife of 49 years, Nancy Darlene Wright Allen; children, Rev. Adrian (Tammy) Allen of Lamar, Daniel Allen, and Jeffery (Dori) Allen, both of Florence; grandchildren, Hanna Allen of Florence, Kelsey Allen, Landen Allen, Micah Allen, all of Lamar, Caleb Allen, Kaden Allen, Collin Allen, all of Florence; step-grandchildren, Evan and Taryn Defee; brothers, Hugh Willis (Linda) Allen Jr. and John Marshall (Cathy) Allen.

He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Elizabeth Allen.

Memorials may be made to Lamar First Baptist Church Youth Fund, PO Box 431, Lamar, SC 29069. A guestbook is available online at belkfuneralhome.com.