Ellis Graves Townsend

ELLIS GRAVES "RED" TOWNSEND FLORENCE, SC ELLIS GRAVES "RED" TOWNSEND, 66, of Florence, died Monday, December 27, 2010 at McLeod Hospice House after an illness. Mr. Townsend was born in Lumberton, NC a son of the late Kesler Graves Townsend and Nellie Prevatte Townsend.He was a US Marine Corps veteran having served during the Vietnam Era and retired from Union Carbide/LTEC Welding and Cutting and Simplex Grinnell. He was a member of Mizpah Baptist Church and an avid Gamecock fan. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Edwin Townsend. Surviving are his wife, Frances Landers Townsend of Florence; children, Ellis Page (Sissie) Townsend, Sr., Melanie T. (Thad) Ward, Jr. and Beth T. Blackwell, all of Florence; grandchildren, Courtney Cumbie, Brandon Cumbie, Megan Townsend, Brittni Ward, Elizabeth Ward, Sydney Blackwell, Ellis Page Townsend, Jr. and Sullivan Blackwell, all of Florence; brother, Luther (Jackie) Townsend of Dillon; sister, Mildred (Jesse) Matthews of Homosassa, FL; sister-in-law, Linda McElveen of Lake City and Faye (Bud) Miller of Lakeview, SC; brothers-in-law, Bob Landers and David Landers, both of Florence and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins. Memorials may be made to McLeod Hospice House, PO Box 100551, Florence, SC29502, Gideons, PO Box 4964, Florence, SC29502 or to the Mizpah Youth Fund, 233 N. Price Road, Florence, SC29506. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Thursday, December 30, 2010 at Mizpah Baptist Church.Burial will follow in Mizpah Cemetery directed by Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 6 – 8 PM Wednesday at the funeral home.