Mary Etta Shaw

Mary Etta Brigman Shaw, 87, passed into eternal life on December 24, 2008 in Richland, WA. The daughter of John Grant and Mary Ethel Rowell Brigman, she was born in Chesterfield County near Pageland, SC on August 23, 1921. She was married to the late John Dewey Shaw of Kershaw, SC.

Her formative years were spent near Pageland; in Rock Hill, SC; and finally in Charlotte, NC, where she graduated from Central High School and was an active member of Charlottes First Church of the Nazarene. One of her memorable experiences at that time was playing first violin in a city-wide performance of Handels Messiah. After high school, she worked as a secretary, eventually moving to the Washington, DC area during World War II, where her children were born and where she worked for the Department of the Navy and later for the National Institutes of Health. In 1964, with J. D. Shaws retirement, she returned to Kershaw. She was active as a Sunday School teacher and as a member of the Esther Sunday School class at Kershaw First Baptist Church. She continued to work, eventually retiring in 1998 from Kanawha Insurance Company in Lancaster, SC, where she had many dear friends. In 1986 she completed an Associate of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of South Carolina at Lancaster. In her later years, she greatly enjoyed her opportunities to travel, which included trips across the United States and to Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Canada. To the end of her life she showed a unique ability to love those around her graciously, transparently, and with gentle humor. She understood this as showing Gods love to others, and in turn she became much loved.

She is survived by daughters Faye Shaw Yates of Charlotte and Anita Shaw (Bill) Veach of Mesa, AZ; son William (Maja) Shaw of Richland, WA; children of her husbands first marriage Edith Kerley, Carson (Margaret) Shaw, and Clifford (Jean) Shaw of Charlotte, Margaret Ferrell of Huntersville, NC, and Ginger Shaw (wife of the late John Shaw, Jr.) of Frederick, MD; brothers Coit (Muriel) Brigman and Arthur Brigman of Charlotte; grandchildren Michele Yates of Charlotte, Tony (Felecia) Yates of Harrisburg, NC, Linnea (Adam) Banta of Pasco, WA, Jason Shaw of Seattle, WA, and Michael, Benjamin, and Rebecca Veach of Mesa, AZ; and great-grandchildren Jacqueline Yates of Monroe, NC, and Andrew and Matthew Yates and Christian Lindler of Harrisburg, NC. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and their children.

Visitation will be at 11 am on Friday, January 9 at First Baptist Church, 210 N. Matson St., Kershaw. The funeral service will begin at noon, with burial following in the Kershaw City Cemetery.