Tony Thurmond: “Throughout the Nation, whenever a community leader passes, his or her death is noticed and mourned by many. In small…”

“Throughout the Nation, whenever a community leader passes, his or her death is noticed and mourned by many. In small towns, however, the impact of such a loss is always magnified, for in such places, the deceased is more than a well known, but distant figure, he or she is a neighbor, a member of the local church, and more often than not, a friend. Such was the case on June 29 when Edgefield, SC suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of my friend, Joanne Tisdale Rainsford. Mrs. Rainsford first came to Edgefield to work as a teacher, and it was not long before she became a well known and liked figure around town. Her civic mindedness led her to become involved in a multitude of organizations and causes, and though not originally from Edgefield, she worked hard on behalf of her new hometown. Among other groups, the Edgefield United Way, the Olde Edgefield Trade Association, and the Edgefield Community Development Association all benefited from the efforts of this tireless, devoted, and enthusiastic woman.”