Graydon E. "Rhett" Watkins, Jr.

Funeral Services for Graydon Everette “Rhett” Watkins, Jr., 76 of Westville, will be held at 3:00 o’clock p.m., Monday, June 4, from the chapel of Baker Funeral Home, Kershaw. Burial will follow in the Damascus United Methodist Church Cemetery, Westville with military honors and masonic rites. Mr. Jimmy Faile will officiate.

Mr. Watkins died Thursday, May 31, at PalmettoHealth Richland Columbia. Born in Columbia, he was a son of the late Graydon Everette Watkins, Sr. and Maggie Mae Gunter Watkins. He retired from the US Navy as a Chief Petty Officer. Mr. Watkins was a Vietnam veteran, a member of Flat Rock Lodge # 178, where he had served as past master and a member of York Rite, Kershaw 29.

Surviving are his wife Frances Case Watkins of the home; 3 daughters, Laura W. Hilton of Kershaw, Dee Watkins of the home, Melody Martin and her husband Robert of Chapin; a son, Chris Watkins of Camden; 4 grandchildren, Amanda (Kent) Williams of Kershaw, Angela Hilton of Kershaw, Katie Watkins of Darlington and Andrew Watkins of Lugoff; 3 great grandchildren, Connor Williams, Caroline Williams and Griffin Martin; a sister, Patricia (Cleveland) Moore of Ridgeway; a brother, Gary Watkins of Columbia; mother-in-law, Madge Holtzclaw of Charlotte, NC and a sister-in-law, Diane Griffin of Plano, TX. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Hildegard Oerding Watkins and a sister, Edith Blizzard.

The family will receive friends, Sunday, June 3, from 3:00 to 5:00 o’clock p.m. at Baker Funeral Home, Kershaw.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in memory of Mr. Watkins may be made to Wreaths Across America, P.O. Box 249, Columbia Falls, ME 04623.