Jennie Ruth Chatham Geddings, widow of the late Marvin Thomas “Tommy” Geddings, Jr., passed away Thursday, May 11, 2017, at the home of her son.

Born August 29, 1933, in Washington, D.C., she was the daughter of the late Phares E. Chatham, Sr. and the late Georgia Eagerton Chatham. Jennie graduated from Anderson College with a degree in Church Administration and Early Childhood Education. She was on the staff of Grace Baptist Church for approximately 25 years. Later working for and retiring from South Carolina Emergency Management Division in Columbia as the South Carolina Mitigation Officer.

She was an active member of First Baptist Church where she taught three year olds in Sunday School for a number of years and helped with various activities of the church. She has volunteered many hours with the American Red Cross in disaster relief.

She is survived by two daughters, Marguerite Helms (Jimmy) and Debra Troop (Clint); a son, Marvin Thomas Geddings, III (Lynn); five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

The youngest of six children, she was preceded in death by siblings, Phares E. “Jack” Chatham, Jr., Elizabeth Atkinson, Louise Catoe, Oscar Chatham, and Lula Kate Davenport.

Funeral services will be held at 1 P.M. Monday at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Dan Barber and the Rev. Woody Catoe officiating. Burial will be in the Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be grandsons, Jamie Hartfield, Joey Hartfield, Kasey Beymer, and Joshua Geddings, and Carl Carraway and Tim Faulling.

Honorary pallbearers will be nephews, Leroy Atkinson, Woody Catoe, Allen Catoe, Raymond Davenport, and Littleton Chatham.

The family will receive friends from 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. Monday at First Baptist Church and other times at the home.

Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, 107 E. Liberty St, Sumter, SC 29150 or the American Red Cross, Sumter Heroes, PO Box 592, Sumter, SC 29151

Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements.

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