Arthur Benjamin "Ben" Stone

FLORENCE — Arthur Benjamin Ben Stone, 82, of Florence died Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008, in a Florence hospital after an illness.

Mr. Stone was born in Florence County, a son of the late Arthur Bingley Ossie and Vonnie Viola Barnhill Stone. He was a charter member of Hillside Free Will Baptist Church, where he was a former deacon, a Sunday school director and teacher, was a trustee of the church and had been co-initiator of the nursing home ministry. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Free Will Baptist Childrens Home in Turbeville for 16 years. He had been employed as an agent and later sales manager for Southern Life Insurance Co.. He was a member of the Life Underwriters.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Raymond Bingley Stone and Ossie Bully Stone.

Surviving are his wife of 61 years, Ruth Evelyn Rogers Stone of the home; sons, Ronald Lefay Stone and his wife, Kathryn Wiggins Stone, of Florence and Rev. Daniel R. Stone and his wife, Angela Timmons Stone, of Coward; daughters, Sharon Teresa Parrott and her husband, Larry Parrott, of Georgetown and Jean Stone Williams of Florence; sisters, Mary Frances Welch of Socastee, Geraldine S. Kiker of Florence, Christine Rabon of Columbia and Vonnie Driggers Leigh and her husband, Lloyd, of Bucksport; grandchildren, Erin Leslie Ivey, Laura Ashley Drayton, Ronald Lafay Stone Jr. and Daniel Joel Stone, all of Florence, Lawrence Benjamin Parrott and Casie Elizabeth Parrott, both of Georgetown; and great-grandchildren, Kenneth Braxton Ivey, Leslie Kathryn Ivey and Ronald Stone III, all of Florence.

Memorials may be made to Hillside Free Will Baptist Church, 2405-A S. Purvis Drive, Florence, SC 29505.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, in Hillside Free Will Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Hillside Cemetery directed by Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.