Bluffton group unites to recognize all those we lost to the ravages of war

Have you ever looked at something for a long time and then suddenly decided to take a closer look?

Ansley Hester Manuel grew up here, went to Clemson and has become a much sought after architect in Bluffton and the surrounding area. Ansley noticed a small monument outside of Bluffton Town Hall that is a memorial to Bluffton High School alumni who died serving their country in World War II and the Korean War.

The monument was dedicated in 1953 during the segregation era. Ansley found out while researching the history of its’ origin that the names of local African-American soldiers were missing. Bluffton Town Hall used to be the town high school and the names on the plaque were of white students who attended school there.

Ansley has placed flowers on the plaque for years each Memorial Day and realized the injustice of the missing names must be made right. A group was formed that includes Laura Bush and Jacob Martin, two well-known members of Bluffton’s African American community, who helped in the quest to find out more about the young men whose names are listed and those who were not. They discovered the three missing names of African-Americans. Bluffton was a very small village during these years and the loss of anyone, especially in a war far away, was felt by all.

Ansley has proposed a new monument that will include the names of those three men and the names of all fallen soldiers from Bluffton who served in World War I, World War II, thee Korean War and the Vietnam War.

The proposed monument will be three feet wide byfive feet tall and would sit at The Promenade facing May River Road near the Calhoun Street intersection. State Rep. Bill Herbkersman was kind enough to donate the spot so the monument will be in a very prominent place.

This is where we all come into play. The monument will cost about $6,000 to build and install. Nearly $1600 has been raised so far. Now donations are being sought to help bring this wonderful tribute to reality.

You can drop your donations off at The Store on Calhoun Street or mail them to Ansley Manuel c/o The Store, 56 Calhoun Street, Bluffton, SC.29910.

Thank you in advance for your kindness and for helping build a beautiful new piece of Bluffton history.

Garden tour blooms in Beaufort

The public is invited to Beaufort for the popular tour of the 23rd annual Garden-A-Day event set for the week of June 5-9.

The tour is free and that is a wonderful reason not to miss this. You will stroll through lovely gardens — a different one each day — and if you feel thirsty or a bit hungry, you will be offered peach tea and homemade cookies. Tours are open from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., rain or shine. There will be Master Gardeners on hand to answer any questions you may have. This beautiful event is sponsored with love by the Beaufort Garden Club.

For information go to beaufortgardenclub.com.

Meet the ‘first Carolinians’

The Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage in Ridgeland is hosting a free event from 1 to 3 p.m. on June 10 to celebrate the exhibit “The First South Carolinians.”

You will be taken back thousands of years to experience what life was like for our original inhabitants. Long before anyone in Europe hopped in a boat to explore the “New World,” these civilizations were busy developing societies, cultures and working the land. The program is open to the public and guest will be offered complimentary food and drink.

“The First South Carolinians” will be on display through January 13, 2018.

New magazine debuts

The beautiful new magazine “Shrimp, Collards and Grits”, a new quarterly publication , is now available.

The magazine, a new offering brought to us by Branning Publishing Company, is available at many outlets throughout South Carolina and Georgia and by subscription. The magazine features wonderful articles about coastal happenings and interesting people.

Growing your own colors

I think it might be fun to plant a natural dye garden if you have a space for it.

There are many of us who are becoming interested in a natural and eco-friendly lifestyle. Plants of all kinds — native ones are best — can produce all shades of colors. Color intensity has to do with climate and plant life cycles.

There are several books to help with your choice of plants and growing habits, among them “The Textile Artists’s Studio Handbook” (Quarry, 2012); “The Modern Natural Dyer: A Comprehensive Guide to Dyeing Silk, Wool, Linen and Cotton at Home” (Abrams, 2015); and “A Garden to Dye For” (St.Lynn’s Press, 2014).

Natural fibers like silk, cotton, wool and muslin take very happily to a dye bath. Don’t forget to wear rubber gloves or you will have rainbow fingers.

This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 9:53 AM with the headline "Bluffton group unites to recognize all those we lost to the ravages of war."