Thelma Stanley Tuten

Mrs. Thelma Stanley Tuten of Varnville, SC died at her home Monday, June 16, at the age of 95. Mrs. Tuten was born April 6, 1930, to Ferdinand S. and Gertrude Davis Stanley. She was preceded in death by James W. Tuten, her beloved husband of 67 years; and by eleven sisters and brothers:  Iola Priester, Florence Langford, Lavinia Ramsey, Addie Ends, Marie Shuman, Eleanor Stone, Evelyn Gibson, Lester Stanley, Norman Stanley, Earl Stanley, and Oliver Stanley. She was a graduate of Wade Hampton High School.

Surviving Mrs. Tuten are one daughter: Gail Tuten Via and her husband Craig of Lawrenceville, GA; three sons: James F. "Buddy" Tuten and his wife Diann of Hampton; Steve Tuten of Lexington; and Doug Tuten and his wife Angie of Walterboro; and one son-in-law: Bobby Roszell of Dublin, GA. Mrs. Tuten was preceded in death by her daughter, Barbara Tuten Roszell of Dublin, GA; and her daughter-in-law, Deidra Tuten of Lexington. Mrs. Tuten is also survived by seven grandchildren: Wes Tuten and Lysa of Charleston; Jessica Via Smith and Stephen of Buford, GA; Chris Tuten and Marcie of Atlanta, GA; Ashlie Tuten Weeks and Jeremy of Columbia; Sarah Tuten Niedzwecki and Karl of College Station, TX; Alexa Tuten Sumner and Kyle of Walterboro; and Joshua Tuten and Kallie of Walterboro; and fourteen great-grandchildren: Zoe, Marianne, Devin, Caroline, Vera, Cooper, Kelsey, John, Alice, Maura, Turner, Charlotte, Ryan, and Kennedy. She is also survived by her sister, Marian and her husband, Dr. Marshall Jones, of Lodge; along with many beloved nieces and nephews, and by dear friends Van and Barbara Steadman of Varnville and Cathy DeLoach and Bill Wingard of Hampton, among many others.

A devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, Mrs. Tuten spent her life caring for everyone she knew. An avid gardener, she could effortlessly grow the smallest cutting into a thriving plant, and everything around her, from friends and family to flowers, couldn't help but flourish in her care. She was a life-long member of Sandy Run Baptist Church and lived her deep faith daily, loving her neighbors, holding up everyone she knew in prayer, and beginning each morning by opening her blinds and declaring, "This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. All this beauty that I see is made by God for you and me. And only God can make a tree as beautiful as the ones I see." A dedicated recycler in her later life, she was committed to leaving a better planet for future generations. Funny, independent, and fiercely competitive, she insisted on living alone and driving herself until her last day. She never caught a fish too small to be a "keeper," and she never thought she'd gotten her Thanksgiving dressing quite right. She will live on in stories, laughter, and treasured recipes we try to prepare just like she did.

Funeral services will be held Monday, June 23, 2025 at 11AM at Sandy Run Baptist Church, conducted by Rev. Thomas Kelly and Rev. Douglas Tuten and directed by Peeples-Rhoden Funeral Home. Burial will follow in the Sandy Run Cemetery. Friends may call Sunday evening from 6 until 8 PM at Peeples-Rhoden Funeral Home, 300 Mulberry St. West, Hampton, SC (803-943-3352). In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to: Sandy Run Baptist Church, 2100 Sandy Run Road, Hampton, SC 29924, or the Sandy Run Cemetery, PO Box 252, Hampton, SC 29924.