Bamberg County Council Honors 101-Year-Old Lena Sherman with Resolution

Lena R. Ford Sherman, born on New Year's Day 1925 on her family's farm in Bamberg, received a formal county resolution at the March 10 Bamberg County Council meeting, with District 3 Councilman Larry Haynes sponsoring the honor to mark her 101st birthday.

Haynes brought the resolution forward to recognize Sherman for her "lifetime of faith, devotion to family, and service to the community." The full agenda title called for "honoring and commending Mrs. Lena R. Ford Sherman on the occasion of her 101st birthday and recognizing her life of faith, family and service to the Bamberg County community." The council expressed gratitude and admiration, celebrating her "extraordinary life and enduring legacy."

Sherman grew up as the only daughter among four children, attending public school in the Clear Pond community before building a life firmly rooted in Bamberg County. She raised a large family with her late husband, James Herman Ford, and later with Deacon George Sherman, blending seven additional children into the household. According to council documents, she is now grandmother to 38, great-grandmother to 40, and great-great-grandmother to 42.

A longtime member of Union Baptist Church, Sherman remains active under Pastor B.J. Donaldson. Her daily life at 101 still includes reading the Bible, doing word searches, fishing, and driving.

Sherman's recognition was one of several ceremonial items on the March 10 agenda. The council also considered a resolution honoring Mrs. Carrie Burgess Eaddy for her centennial milestone, sponsored by District 4 Councilman Spencer Donaldson, and a resolution recognizing the Bamberg-Ehrhardt Girls Track and Field Team as Class A State Champions. The same meeting included the presentation of the FY2025 audit for Bamberg County by Controller Gina Smith and Love Bailey CPA's partner Will Walls.

A century of living in one county, spanning a family farm in Bamberg to 120 descendants across four generations, is the foundation the council placed on record.