CHERAW – Mrs. Ruth Raines Tillman, 81, wife for 57 years of the late Daniel Lee Tillman, Jr. died Aug. 7, 2010. The service was held at First Presbyterian Church on Aug. 9, at 3 p.m., with burial at Old St. David’s Cemetery. The family received friends at the residence, Aug. 8, 4 - 6 p.m.

She was born Sept. 2, 1928, the daughter of Helen Stevens Raines and Tallie Durham Raines. Mrs. Tillman graduated from Blythewood High School and Columbia College where she received a B.A. degree in English. Until her retirement in 1987, she taught for 31 years in the Hartsville, Bennettsville, and Cheraw Public Schools.

She was a member of Omicron Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an educational, honorary, and professional society. This society is to honor women who have given evidence of distinctive service in the field of education.

Mrs. Tillman was also a member of Old Cheraws DAR and a former member of Chesterfield County Hospital Board of Trustees, Pee Dee Area Girl Scouts Board of Trustees, and Cheraw Civic League Garden Club.

She was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Cheraw where she served in many leadership capacities, including member of the Session and Board of Deacons. She served as President of Women of the Church and chairman of other church and Presbyterian Women Committees. She received an honorary Life Membership Award from the Presbyterian Women of the Church.

In 2005 she was given the Mary Dean Brewer Woman of Achievement Award for distinctive service in many areas by the Pee Dee Area Girl Scouts.

Mrs. Tillman was preceded in death by a sister, Sarah Raines Pazderski.

Surviving are two sons, Daniel Lee Tillman, III and William Raines “Bill” Tillman both of Cheraw; four grandsons, Daniel “Lee” Tillman, IV, Robert “Blake” Tillman, William Raines “Will” Tillman, Jr. and Benjamin Charles “Ben” Tillman; a granddaughter, Carolyn Marsch Tillman Crawford; a great-granddaughter, Catherine Grace Crawford; siblings, Charlene Harvey Tillman, Richard Pazderski, Steve Pazderski, and Mac Pazderski.

Memorials may be made to: Old St. David’s Cemetery, P.O. Box 1196, Cheraw, S.C. 29520 or the Helen and Tallie Raines Youth Ministry Memorial Fund, Sandy Level Baptist Church, 408 Blythewood Road, Blythewood, S.C. 29016, or to the Carter Blake Tillman Scholarship Fund at Presbyterian College, 503 S. Broad Street, Clinton, S.C. 29325.

Miller-Rivers-Caulder Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.