James Harold Lown Sr.
WEST COLUMBIA — James Harold Lown, Sr., age 81, of West Columbia, died July 10, 2006, at his home on Lown Pond, on land where his family has lived since 1840. Mr. Lown was born August 25, 1924, the fourth of nine children to the late Mr. & Mrs. Ardis Lawrence (Dessie Corley) Lown.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 12, 2006, at St. David Lutheran Church in West Columbia, with burial to follow in the church cemetery. Officiating will be Rev. James Laurence of St. David Lutheran, with Rev. Richard Webber, Pastor of Shepherd of the Sea Lutheran Church in Garden City, SC, as assisting minister.
Mr. Lown is remembered as a true “southern gentleman” by the many persons whose lives he touched with his gentle manner, his slow speech and his genuine sincerity and love for others. As a lifelong member of St. David Lutheran, he was frequently seen greeting the congregation before and after services, and especially looking for new faces to welcome into the church family. Evangelism was his passion and nothing pleased him more than to see a full sanctuary of worshipers in the church of which his family has been members for eight generations. Mr. Lown served in many positions of responsibility and leadership in the church to include several terms on the Church Council and active participation in Lutheran Men.
After service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he and his three brothers began working together organizing Lown Brothers Basket Factory, and in 1948, they bought half interest in Hook Brothers General Store on U.S. 1 in West Columbia. In 1951, they formed Lown Brothers, Inc. and Harold served as President until his death. They opened their own 8,000 square-foot grocery store a block away and later named it Lowntown after adding additional retail rental spaces in the shopping strip. In 1954, they joined the Piggly Wiggly organization and in 1970, the Lown brothers opened a second Piggly Wiggly on Platt Springs Road. In 1980, Mr. Lown served as President of the Food Retailers Association of South Carolina. After 38 years, 1983 marked the closing of a lifelong concept of four brothers in business together, a unique working relationship most certainly. The brothers and their wives were celebrated and honored with a retirement dinner attended by 500 friends and family.
Mr. Lown was an active member of the West-Metro Chamber of Commerce, serving in various positions to include a seat on the
Board of Directors. In 1983, the Chamber of Commerce honored him with the Citizen of the Year Award. In that same year, he led the West Columbia-Cayce Christmas Parade as Grand Marshall. Also active for years in the American Legion Congaree Post 90, Mr. Lown was presented the Outstanding Post Commander Award in 1983 by the American Legion Department of South Carolina District 10. His community service also included involvement in the Lexington State Bank organization from its inception, the organization that became the dominant financial institution in Lexington County. He served on the Advisory Board from 1968 - 1987, at which time he became a Director of Lexington State Bank as well as a Director of LSB Bancshares of SC, Inc. He served in these Director positions until the bank was sold to BB&T.
Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Marjorie Hook Miller Lown; daughter and son-in-law, Mr. & Mrs. James Henry (Janet) Riddle, Jr. of West Columbia; and son and daughter-in-law, Mr. & Mrs. James Harold (Sandie) Lown, Jr. of Mooresville, NC; grandchildren, Mr. & Mrs. James Henry (Beth) Riddle, III of Lexington, Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Henry (Celeste) Schnabel of Morganton, NC, Mr. Patrick Lawrence Riddle of Mt. Pleasant, SC, James Christopher Lown, Emily Elizabeth Lown and Steven Joseph Lown of Mooresville, NC; great-grandson, Trevor Henry Schnabel; sisters and brother-in-law, Jewell Shull and Mr. & Mrs. Robert (Sybil) Quattlebaum; brothers and sisters-in-law, Mr. & Mrs. Ardis Leon (Ruby) Lown, Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Corley (Virginia) Lown and Mr. & Mrs. Ervin Francis (Mary) Lown, all of West Columbia. He was predeceased by sisters and brothers-in-law, Miss Emily Celeste Lown, Mr. Norman L. Shull, Mr. & Mrs. Ralph W. (Lorene) Sox and Mr. & Mrs. Alton O. (Velda) Livingston, Jr.
The pallbearers are nephews representing each family of Mr. Lown’s seven brothers and sisters. The honorary pallbearers are members of Young At Heart senior group at St. David Lutheran Church and members of South Congaree American Legion Post
90.
The family wishes to thank everyone for their support, visits and prayers during Mr. Lown’s illness. They will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 11, at Thompson Funeral Home of Lexington. Memorials may be made to St. David Lutheran Church, 132 St. David’s Church Road, West Columbia, SC 29170 or to the National Cancer Institute, 6116 Executive Boulevard, Room 3036A, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-8322.
www.thompsonsfuneral.com
«Obituary posted: July 11, 2006»
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