Katherine Rivers Braswell

Laurens, SC

       Katherine Ward Rivers Braswell passed away on Sunday, April 16, 2023. She was a kind and loving person who always wore a smile. She loved her family unconditionally. She was the daughter of the late Charles Vogal Rivers and Katherine Bookhardt Ward Rivers. Katherine Ward was born on February 20, 1932 in her maternal grandmother’s home in Bethune, SC. She grew up in Chesterfield, SC and graduated in 1950 from Chesterfield High School where she was President of the Senior Class. She attended Wake Forest College and in 1951 she married her husband of 51 years Jimmy

Braswell.

Katherine Ward and her husband were former owners of Chesterfield Drug Co. She worked alongside her husband for long as they owned the business. Many young people learned the art of gift wrapping from her while working parttime at the drugstore.

She was a member of Chesterfield Baptist Church from 1944 to 2004. Over the years she served as Training Union Leader, GA Leader, RA Leader, church Clerk, church Treasurer and Deacon. She also worked as church secretary. She joined First Baptist Church Laurens, SC when she moved to Martha Franks Baptist Retirement Community after the death of her husband in 2002.

Katherine Ward was a member of the Old Cheraws Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She served on the Board of Directors for the Carolinas Chapter of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation.

She enjoyed playing bridge and all board games, going to the SC beaches and fishing with her husband. One of her hobbies was knitting and she knitted a Christmas stocking for every one of her children, their spouses, grandchildren and great grandchildren. These stockings will be forever cherished.

She is survived by her children James Braswell and his wife Amy, Kate Braswell, Ward Braswell and his wife Kaye, Flora Wallace and her husband Perry, Tom Braswell and his wife Lyee and Jack Braswell. Grandchildren Christy Braswell, Jessica Braswell, Matthew Braswell (Chrissy), Kirkley Renwick (Robert), Laura Traxler (Shana), Thomas Braswell (Courtney), Victoria Braswell, Kelsey Braswell, Kaylee Braswell, Kobi Malka, Ilan Malka, Zephaniah Malka, Judah Malka and Aitan Malka. Also, seven great grandchildren, Mattison, Carter, Miles, Grayson, Walt, Kaylen, and Eliza. A brother Charlie Rivers and his wife Mary.

       A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM Thursday, April 20, 2023 in the Miller Rivers Caulder Funeral Home Chapel in Chesterfield, SC. The visitation will be from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Thursday prior to the service at the funeral home. A private interment will be held at the Rivers Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Chesterfield Baptist Church, 207 East Main Street, Chesterfield, SC 29709, Hospice of Laurens County, 1304 Springdale Drive, Clinton, SC 29325 or Rivers Cemetery, Elizabeth Rivers, PO Box 9177, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582.

          Miller-Rivers-Caulder Funeral Home (www.mrcfuneralhome.com) of Chesterfield, SC is serving the Braswell family.