"Thank you for honoring me. It is so good to be loved by God. If it hadn't been for love, this wouldn't have happened today," said Mary Lee James of Eutawville, one of nine women honored at the first Women of Essence Appreciation Gala.

The event was held at the Garden of Prayer Church's Family Life Center in Orangeburg on Sept. 26.

The gala was "designed to recognize women from all walks of life for their contributions to ministry, education and the community," gala committee member Beverly Jones said.

"These are wise women born of wise women ... and these are strong women born of strong women," she said.

Three years ago, sisters Keisha Watson and Tracy Watson watched in admiration as Oprah Winfrey honored 25 women for their roles in arts/entertainment and civil rights through her "Legends Ball" event. The Watsons began to develop their local version of a "Legends Ball" black-tie affair. Dozens of church and community members joined together to ensure the event was a success.

Three years in the making, the Women of Essence Appreciation Gala on Saturday honored the following women:

Brenda Austin -- A Bowman native and 1985 graduate of Bowman High, Austin is a 22-year banking and credit union veteran who has two daughters. She serves in several community organizations and was recently accepted into the National Association of Professional Women. She's a member of New Mount Zion Baptist Church in Orangeburg.

Helen Carson -- A member of Calhoun County Council, Carson and her husband own Carson's Funeral Home in St. Matthews. She is also the owner of Helen's Florist and Namebrand Furniture Warehouse, both in St. Matthews. Carson serves in the Calhoun County Democratic Party, the Calhoun County Black Caucus and as a member of the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency Board. She has four children and four grandchildren.

Eloise Shuler-Guinyard -- Shuler-Guinyard holds education degrees from S.C. State and Claflin universities. For the past 13 years, she has owned and directed MeMeNett Learning Daycare Center. She is involved in several Orangeburg and Calhoun community organizations and is a member of Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church in St. Matthews. Shuler-Guinyard, widow of the late Staff Sgt. Ulysses Guinyard, has two daughters and four grandchildren.

Sheridan Murph Hamilton -- Hamilton retired last year after a 33-year career in education. In 1999, the State Department of Education honored her as Vocational Director of the Year. In 2008, the Calhoun County Branch of the NAACP recognized Hamilton for her work at Calhoun County High School, in the school district and the community. She earned a bachelor's degree from Johnson C. Smith University and a master's degree from Fort Valley State College in Georgia. She is a member of Williams Chapel AME Church in Orangeburg.

Frankie D. Henderson -- For nine years, Henderson served as assistant pastor of The Garden of Prayer Church and has been affiliated with the church since 1978. One of her passions is working with prison ministries, and she has led many inmates to salvation through Jesus Christ. Henderson is the wife of the late George W. Henderson. She has three sons and two grandchildren.

Mary Lee James -- Known as "Pudding" in the Eutawville community, James can often be found ministering to individuals who are sick or shut-in. She prepares and distributes meals to the sick, and the community respects her "loving thy neighbor as thyself" character. Nearly five years ago, James became ill and doctors informed her family that all treatments had been exhausted. However, she praises the Lord for restoring her strength and often says, "It ain't over until God says it's over." Married for 62 years to William James Sr., she has 12 children, 21 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren.

Rowena Green Loadholt -- In 2007, Loadholt retired after working 34 years in the Calhoun County School District. She is now an English teacher at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School. Loadholt is affiliated with several professional state and national teaching and education organizations. She also owns Rose Affairs LLC, where she plans weddings and events. She earned a bachelor's degree from Claflin University and a master's degree from S.C. State. Married to Frank L. Loadholt for 35 years, she has two children and a grandson.

Ebell Tucker -- Tucker is the pastor and founder of The Garden of Prayer Church, established in 1978. Her motto is "God will pick up the pieces of your broken life and put it back together again, but the key is you've got to give God all of the pieces." She is the widow of the late David Tucker Sr., to whom she was married for 48 years, and she has six children.

Pearline Washington -- For the past 11 years, Pearline Washington has assisted patients with their hospital bills and serves as the revenue cycle manager at the Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg. She also serves in various capacities at St. James Baptist Church in Eutawville. Married to Paul Washington Jr. for the past eight years, Washington has three children and three stepchildren.

Each of the honorees received a personalized award and decorative paperweight.

T&D Correspondent Martha Rose Brown can be reached by e-mail at marfawose@aol.com. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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