Women of Main Street: Yvonne Samuels

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Yvonne Samuels of Samuels Funeral Home is one of nearly 100 local businesswomen who will be recognized Sept. 23 during Main Street Manning’s annual meeting. The Manning Times will be featuring a few of these women each week throughout September in The Manning Times, and posting stories daily on manninglive.com.

Yvonne Samuels is the other half of Samuels Funeral Home LLC, one of the oldest continually operating funeral homes in Clarendon County.

Born in Society Hill, she was one of 11 children of the late Woodrow and Edna Thomas James. She attended Rosenwald High School and was selected to sing on the radio for WDAR-AM; selected most talented student for two years; was the winner of the S.C. Talent Contest in Columbia for drama; and graduated valedictorian of her senior class.

She is an honor graduate of Benedict College, graduating with a degree in English. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. She received a master of arts degree from S.C. State College in speech and special education. She taught at Williamsburg Training School in Greeleyville and for three years at Manning High School.

She met and married Hayes F. Samuels Jr. and became involved in the funeral business and now works with families planning arrangements and in other facets of the business.

She joined Trinity AME Church after her marriage, and served as youth director for more than 30 years. She is co-chairwoman of the Pride Program of Clarendon County. She and Hayes are the parents of Yvette Samuels-Jackson and the grandparents of Sarah Alexis Jackson.