Thomasena Sanders Singleton was born on June 18, 1938, in Sumter County, a daughter of the late Isaac and Carrie Hollimon Sanders. God saw the road was rough and the hills hard to climb, so on Thursday, June 15, 2023, he gently closed her eyes.
Thomasena was educated in the public school system of Sumter County. She accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and became a member of Hopewell Baptist Church, Dalzell, where she was a faithful member of the Missionary and YWA ministry and assisted with other ministries as well. She was united in holy matrimony to the late Charlie Singleton Sr. She was a homemaker most of her life, but in her later years, she worked at Manchester Farms and was an alterations specialist at Brody’s and Taps Department Stores.
Thomasena actively attended several senior community centers until her illness. Thomasena was an excellent seamstress and quilter. She entered many of her quilts, sewn items and canned goods in the Sumter County Fair and won numerous first place prizes. Thomasena also enjoyed crocheting, arts and crafts, gardening, canning, cooking, dancing and helping others. She also volunteered many hours in the community.
She leaves to celebrate her memory: one daughter, Carol (Ronald) B. Gailliard of Sumter; three sons, Charlie (Nicola) Singleton Jr. of Jacksonville, Florida, Clinton (Juanita) Singleton of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Nathan Singleton of Sumter; one sister, Bessie (Fred) Sanders-Gordon of Sumter; one brother, Marion (Gwen) Sanders of Lake Worth, Florida; one aunt, Myrtle H. Wright of Rembert; one sister-in-law, Edna Sanders of Brooklyn, New York; 11 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by one son, Terence Owens Singleton; three brothers, Isaac Sanders Jr., Melvin Sanders and Willie Gene Sanders; and four sisters, Naomi Sanders, Shirley S. Jenkins, Miriam P. Scott and Geneva A. Black.
In accordance with the COVID-19 guidelines, the family is requesting no visitation at the home.
Wake services will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. today in the John Wesley Williams Sr. Memorial Chapel of Williams Funeral Home Inc., 821 N. Main St., Sumter.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Hopewell Baptist Church, 3285 Peach Orchard Road (U.S. Highway 441), Dalzell, with Pastor Richard Addison, pastor.
The remains will be placed in the church at 10 a.m. for viewing until time of the service.
The funeral procession will leave the home at 10:30 a.m.
Services directed by the management and staff of Williams Funeral Home Inc., 821 N. Main St., Sumter. Online memorial messages may be sent to the family at [email protected]. Visit us on the web at www.WilliamsFuneralHomeInc.com.