Jeanne Aimar a Beaufort jewel

Beaufort has lost one her most cherished native daughters with the death of Jeanne Sams Aimar. I write to pay homage.

Mrs. Aimar’s impeccable Beaufort lineage traces all the way back to Tuscarora Jack Barnwell and all the Sams, Barnwells, Jenkins, Fripps, and other early settlers of our dear town. I had the pleasure of growing up across the street from her on The Point.

Not being able to say “Mrs. Aimar,” I named her Memar. She will always be Memar to me and my family.

No one loved her native town more than she did. Memar taught us the wonders that could be had from gardening and yard work, the joys of a devoted marriage, the pleasures of family, the beauty of the river, the fun of oyster roasts on cold winter nights, and the raucous fun of Fourth of July picnics.

I will miss her sweet Beaufort accent, especially as she called out to me “Hey, dahlin” more times that I can count.

Hers is a dying breed that our once smaller, less harried, more genteel Beaufort shall not see again anytime soon. She leaves behind a mighty nation of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends and family, including my family, whom she adopted without reservation.

She truly took the words of Ruth to heart: your people shall be my people. She was our people, indeed. We will miss you, Memar.

This story was originally published June 21, 2017 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Jeanne Aimar a Beaufort jewel."