Lake Estelle Waldrop White

Lake Estelle Waldrop White, born on September 1, 1915, in Pickens, South Carolina is finally in Heaven with her husband, mother, father, and countless nieces, nephews, and friends that she has missed for so long. Most importantly, she is in the loving arms of her Savior, Jesus Christ whom she has loved and served faithfully since she was a child. Lake was 109 years old and was ready to go to her eternal home. 

Lake was a shining light in the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her journey on this earth was one marked by love, compassion, and unwavering faith in God. Her passing has left a void in the hearts of her family, friends, and many more whose lives were inspired and encouraged by her Christian testimony and determination to live a long and full life. She attributed her long life to God’s fulfillment of His promise in Deuteronomy 5:16, Exodus 20:12, and Ephesians 6:2, which says that if you honor your Father and Mother your days will be long, and it will go well for you.

Lake White is survived by her two children, Gary Robert White and wife Harriet of Central, SC and Glenda Frances White Rhyder, who lived with Lake in her home in Central for almost 11 years. She is also survived by a niece, Bettie Ross Waldrop Ellenburg (Sam) and nephew, Guy Ansel Waldrop (Elaine) and countless great, great-great, great-great-great, and great-great-great-great nieces and nephews. 

Lake was predeceased by her husband of 49 years, Orville Martell White; father, Elbert Robert Waldrop; mother, Nettie Frances Nelson Waldrop; 4 brothers Ansel Waldrop (Grace), Glen Waldrop (Gertrude), Robert Roy Waldrop (Alliene) and Ross Vardy Waldrop (Eva), 3 sisters Dora Irene Stephens (Arthur), Pearl Garrett (Vard), Bessie (Snyder) Cater, and a host of nieces, nephews, and their families. 

At about age 10, Lake accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior and was an active member of Mountain View Baptist Church, (Six Mile, SC) Wolfstake Baptist Church (Seneca, SC), Calvary Baptist Church (Wilmington, NC), and Cannon Memorial Baptist Church (Central, SC). As a teen, Lake drove her mother to churches in the Six Mile and Pickens area to teach them about a new program called Women’s Missionary Union (WMU) and organized the first WMU groups in the upstate SC area. She began teaching Sunday School in her teens and continued well into her 60s. She also worked in Bible School through age 100. She was a strong prayer warrior throughout her life. 

She worked in her parent’s country store, Excelsior Tire Cord Mill, a shirt factory, Belk’s as a bookkeeper (Greenville, SC), greenhouse/florist, and multiple other jobs. She loved to work outside the home and at home, mostly in the yard or her kitchen. Around age 22, Lake worked as a companion to the wife of a railroad official, Charles Willingham, in Clarksville, GA, for about three years, making $10/week.

In her late 20’s, Lake became a “Rosie the Riveter” at Brookley Field in Mobile, AL. Working as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician, she bucked rivets to repair holes in B29 army aircraft during World War II. This service earned her a “Quilt of Valor.” She also got to see one of the Wright Brothers’ planes when it was brought to Pickens, SC for an exhibition.

In 1971, Lake joined Orville as an employee at Clemson University. Lake worked for two years in the cotton fiber testing lab to help Gary and Glenda get their bachelor’s degrees from Clemson. She left this position to be a caregiver for Orville’s mother, Leila Kelly White, who passed away on July 20, 1977, at age 91.

Those who knew Lake will remember her for her infectious smile and overwhelming laughter, her deep-rooted faith in Jesus, and her unwavering commitment to spreading love and kindness to everyone she encountered, her flowers, her love of cooking, and being an accomplished seamstress.  She had a rare gift for making others smile and laugh with her many stories from the past, leaving a lasting impact on all who crossed her path.

Special thanks to David Niemi for his countless hours spent talking to Lake, listening to her stories and sitting patiently with her, to give her daughter breaks from caregiving. Also, deepest gratitude to Lake’s niece, Bettie Ellenburg, great nephew Rickey Ellenburg, great niece, Carolyn White, great-great-great nephew, Nathaniel Berry, and Virginia Powell for their faithfulness in visiting, loving, and gifting Lake, especially in the last four years. Many thanks go to Home Instead for doing such a great job taking care of Lake for four years, especially Cynthia, Veronica, Amanda, and Edna. 

The Celebration of Life service to honor the life of Lake White will be held on Friday, November 15, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at Duckett Robinson Funeral Home in Central, SC. The service will be officiated by Lake’s former pastor, Rev. Randall Perry, and current pastor, Rev. Carl Poole. The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. prior to the service. Flowers will be accepted, or donations may be made to the building fund of Cannon Memorial Baptist Church, Central, SC. Friends and Family are invited to attend the internment at Memory Gardens, 586 Issaqueena Trail, Central, SC, following the Celebration of Life.

Visit RobinsonFuneralHomes.com or Duckett-Robinson Funeral Home & Cremations, Central-Clemson Commons.