25 Years Ago

The Easley Progress

Wednesday, Jan. 2, 1985

• Easley Police recovered almost $55,000 in stolen goods after conducting a two-week investigation. Some of the items found had been reported missing 10 months earlier.

• A new Bookmobile was puchased by Pickens County for its library system.

• Pickens County’s unemployment rate dropped to 7.4 percent.

• Birthday announcements were printed for Cherish Nicole Ballard 1, Kerri Michelle Dodgents 3, Crystal Leigh Gossett 3, Misti Dawn Stegall 4 and Heather Lynn Rampey 5.

• James Matthew Hendricks, longtime pharmacist for Frierson’s Drugs in Easley, died at age 80.

• Obituaries were printed for Osborn Stokes Jones, Leon Eady, Edward H. Barnes, Lester Norman Batson, Mable Gross Parton, Clem Levon Lovell, James Walter Pridmore, Bertha Chapman Gebron, William Folger Price, Luther Clayton Black, Lois Chumley Appling, Evelyn Banks Freeman, Paul Edward Davis, Ruby Couch Lesley and Mary Caroline Ellison King.

• Progress sports editor Jim Gilstrap resigned to accept a position with a daily newspaper.

• Wedding announcements were printed for:

— Tracy Lynn Dill to John Christopher LaBoone;

— Beverly Jeanne Singleton to William Lloyd McLean;

— Amantha Starr Ferguson to Michael Joseph Perro; and

— Elsie McQueen to John Talarico.

• Birth announcement were printed for Zachary Taylor Burroughs and Jeremy Adam Gravely.

• Mr. and Mrs. James Donald Sheriff of Central celebrated their 50th anniversary.

• Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Howard Sr of Easley celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

• Sherri D. Grayden was engaged to Russell William Cooper.

50 Years Ago

The Easley Progress

Tuesday, Dec. 29, 1959

• A 13-year-old Glenwood boy was accidentially shot and killed by his friend. The children had found the gun at the home of one child’s grandparents. The victim was hit in the chest when the gun accidentially discharged.

• A film of Billy Graham’s “Mid Century Crusade” was set to be shown as part of Easley First Baptist’s “Watch Night” services.

• The new officers of the Easley Ministerial Association elected for 1960 were:

— President: The Rev. C. Frank Dubose Jr. of First Methodist Churdh;

— Vice-president: The Rev. Dick Bright, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church; and

— Secretary-treasurer: The Rev. Cecil Callis, Easley Presbyterian Church.

• Daniel football standouts Jimmy Howard and Walter Cow were honored as the Upstate AA Back and Lineman of the year.

• Wedding announcements included:

— Anni Marie Ragsdale to Charles Owne Dundas; and

— Nannie Bet McJunkin to James Thomas Boggs.

• Laura Maddox Smith was engaged to David Ralph Spearman.

• Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Kennemore of the Arial community celebrated their 57th anniversary.

• Births announced were Angela Starr Barber and Tony Edward Powell.

• Obituaries were printed for Tony Hayes, Allen Frank Turpin, Claude L. Ballentine, George “Pop” Benett; Thomas Justice Ponder and Lulie Smith.

75 Years Ago

The Easley Progress

Thursday, Jan. 3, 1935

• S. O Cappell took over as the new postmaster for the Easley branch of the U.S. Postal Service.

• The Easley magistrates office of E.M. Ellenburg reported collecting a total of $4,501.15 in 451 cases in 1934.

• Easley Mayor F.F. Williams resigned so he could assum his duties as the newly-elected state senator for Pickens County. Mayor Pro Temp Wayne C. Johnson assumed Williams’ duties until the April 7 city elections.

• Wedding announcements were printed for:

­— Madadge LaVerne Farmer to Jack Lester Rich;

— Effie Holder to Melvin B. Hall;

— Maybeth Johnson to John Lee Camp; and

— Evelyn Burdette to Frank Wyatt Hinton.

• An editorial note, most likely written by Progress owner Arthur Cox:

We feel that the good people of Easley are due congratulations for the manner in which they celebrated the Christmas holidays. It has been but too generally the custom in the past to make the festival an occasion of almost riot, with plenty of drinking, and fights galore, and like amusements. But this Christmas was marked by an absence of any of these unruly demonstrations; everyone seemed to have a good time, but in an orderly fashion. Our town was marked by an absence of drunkenness, and — as far as we have heard — there was not a fight in town. Easley is getting to be each day a better place in which to live.