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Funeral services for Elizabeth Byrd Watson, 96, will be held at 2:00 pm Tuesday, September 16, 2014 at Bethlehem United Methodist Church. The Rev. Troy Metzner and Rev. Milton Frazier will officiate with burial in Cedar Creek Cemetery, Bishopville, SC. The family will receive friends from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Monday at Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home. Mrs. Watson died Friday, September 12, 2014. Born in Darlington County, SC, she was a daughter of the late Edward Jerry and Elizabeth Carrie Hogge Byrd. Elizabeth “Byrd” Watson was born in Hartsville on February 2nd, 1918. In a house full of children, she always had someone to take care of, so she decided to use her talents in caregiving to become a nurse. She came to Florence for Nurse’s Training after finishing school, and started working at Byerly Hospital in Surgical Services on December 15th, 1940. She loved nursing and didn’t give it up for over 50 years, still coming to work when she was well into her 70’s. With her late husband T.W., Elizabeth had one daughter, Jane, who followed in her footsteps and became a nurse. Jane had one daughter as well named Lauren. Elizabeth moved to Florence shortly before Lauren was born to help raise her, and finally retired from Byerly a few years later. The most important thing in Elizabeth’s life, besides working, was family. Coming from a house of twelve children, she watched her family grow and grow over the years. She has more nieces, nephews, and cousins than she could ever count, and she loved every single one of them. Elizabeth dedicated her life to hard work and taking care of her family. I’m sure that each one of her relatives can think of a time when she helped them, whether it was with a favor or a kind word. Elizabeth touched so many lives, whether it was a patient, neighbor, family member, or a friend. She was known by many, and I’m sure they would all agree that to know her was to love her. She was sharp as a tack, but funny, kind, and caring too. She simply left her mark on those who knew her. For a paper titled “My Hero” that her granddaughter interviewed her for many years ago, she said that her philosophy was “work as hard as you can and love what you do.” She truly lived a good, honest life, and was a faithful servant to our Lord. Elizabeth is very missed and deeply loved, but she is at peace with our Lord, surrounded by so many friends and family members in Heaven whom she has been missing for many years. She will always be remembered in our hearts. Surviving are her daughter, Jane (Frederick) Tracy of Florence, SC; brother, Gary Lanier Byrd of Hartsville, SC; sister, Jewel Sherron of Greenville, SC; grandchild, Lauren Elizabeth Tracy; and her beloved dachshunds, Scooter & Hansel. She is preceded in death by her brothers, Charlie Byrd, Jay Byrd, Les Byrd, Orren Byrd, Merlin Byrd; sisters, Nellie Sherrill, Carolyn Griggs, Robin McLean, Harriett Peele. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Darlington County Humane Society Box 1655, Hartsville, SC 29551, the Florence County Humane Society, 1434 S McCurdy Rd, Florence, SC 29506, or to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, PO Box 650309,Dallas, TX 75265-0309.

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Mrs. Elizabeth Byrd Watson

February 2, 1918 - September 12, 2014