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Conway….. Elsie Arline Collins Vaught, 95, died on February 6th at home, surrounded by her loving family. Born in Tilly Swamp to Jonah David and Emma Jane Parker Collins, she was a graduate of Conway High School and Spartanburg Methodist College. Mrs. Elsie taught at Red Bluff Elementary and Tilly Swamp Elementary schools. In 1946 she married the love of her life, her childhood friend John Marion Vaught, Jr., after he returned home from serving during WWII. She then worked as bookkeeper and clerk for Schild's Department Store, as in that era school teachers were not allowed to teach while pregnant. They lived in Myrtle Beach for a period of time until the Korean War began. Mrs. Elsie became a military wife after her husband was called back into active duty for the Korean War, which sent them and their young son Johnny to Fort Benning, GA. When Marion was discharged from service, he and Mrs. Elsie returned home to SC, purchasing the old Tilly Swamp School property located at the intersection of Highway 90 and Bear Bluff Road. Dismantling the original school, they renovated the lunchroom to be their home, using excess materials to build a general store/gas station, along with an automotive shop, naming it Vaught's Variety Store. Mrs. Elsie served as bookkeeper, clerk, and manager of the store until it closed in 1967. During the years of 1949-1955, she also delivered four children. Later, her love for books and education led her to a sales job, representing World Book and Childcraft Encyclopedia, becoming one of their top sales persons in the area and winning a trip to Chicago, a highlight of her brief time with the company. Mrs. Elsie used her God-given talent to teach Sunday School at Tilly Swamp Baptist Church for over 50 years, started a Vacation Bible School program, and presided over it for two decades. With her daughter Ruthie and Mrs. Andean Campbell, she helped begin a VBS program at True Vine Missionary Baptist Church. As her children grew older, she returned to the classroom as a substitute teacher, embracing elementary students again. She and Marion joined the International Gideons and began to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ by making Bibles available in hotels and hospitals and New Testaments to elementary schools. Their passion for making Bibles available to all people led them to serve in local and state positions on the staff of SC Gideons International. When Marion retired from Santee Cooper, they enjoyed traveling, particularly with a group of Conway friends to the Grand Canyon. They enjoyed traveling to Dollywood, attending family reunions near and far, and visiting their children and grandchildren in Kentucky, Hawaii, New York, Virginia, and Kansas. Mrs. Elsie was a Proverbs 31 wife and mother: "Who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies? The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She reaches forth her hands to the needy. Strength and honor are her clothing; she opens her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness. Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her." Mrs. Elsie's husband of 69 years, John Marion Vaught, Jr, predeceased her in June of 2015. She was also preceded in death by all her siblings: Luther, Victor, Lumina, Pauline, Lindsay and Grady. Her children, John Marion "Johnny" Vaught, III (Margaret Ann), David Collins Harmon-Vaught (Darlys), Emma Ruth "Ruthie" Vaught Warren (Kevin) and Paula Vaught Adams (Jon) will miss her guidance and loving presence. Her grandchildren, Jonathan (Stephanie) Vaught, Jeremy (Andrea) Vaught, Jonathan "Jon" Adams (Michelle), David Adams (Caitlin), Christian Warren, Collins Warren, Mark Harmon-Vaught, Sarah Harmon-Vaught, Emily Thompkins and John Kelly Thompkins will miss her hugs and smiles, as will her great-grandchildren Bre' Peoples, Joshua Vaught, Sydney Vaught, Courtney Vaught, LJ Vaught, Kendall Vaught, Clara Adams, and Elsie Adams. The family expresses its heartfelt gratitude to Jackie Weaver and Hallie Palmer who became part of our family through their loving care of our mother and us in the final year of her life. As we celebrate our mother's life, our farewell is to "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18) A Celebration of Life service will be at 3PM, Thursday, February 13, 2020, at Tilly Swamp Baptist Church, Highway 90, with visitation from 2PM until 3PM at the church. A private burial will be held by the family at Tilly Swamp Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Tilly Swamp Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 4619 Highway 90, Conway, SC 29526 or Gideons International, Conway Chapter, PO Box 304, Conway, SC 29528. Please sign an online guest book at www.goldfinchfuneralhome.com Goldfinch Funeral Home, Conway Chapel, is serving this family.

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Elsie Collins Vaught

August 6, 1924 - February 6, 2020