CHAPIN Lera Mae Kempson Wingard has gone to be with her Lord and Savior on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2015, following a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s and heart diseases. She was 95 years old and was Reformation Lutheran Church’s oldest living charter member. She had joined Reformation with her family when the Church was organized in 1926 and retired after serving for more than 50 years as its Church Organist. Mrs. Wingard was born in Prosperity, SC, and as a young girl, had moved with her family to Columbia where she lived most of her life. On Flag Day, June 14, 1941, she married E. Bernard Wingard prior to his overseas tour of duty in the U.S. Navy during World War II. They had known each other since their high school days at Columbia High. Lera Mae and Bernard were active members of Reformation Lutheran, where he had served for many years on Church Council, and both were in Lutheran Women’s and Men’s groups. After she retired as Organist, she joined him in the Choir as an alto, and he was tenor. He taught Adult Sunday School classes for 40+ years, and she played piano at the opening worship of many Sunday School classes. Not long after Bernard’s retirement from the City of Columbia, they moved to their Chapin address in 1986. Mrs. Wingard was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Bernard Wingard; her two sons, Darryl Lee Wingard and Lynn Kempson Wingard; her parents, Forrest O. Kempson and Ethel Mae Shealy Kempson; her brother, Garvis O. Kempson; sister-in-law, Helen Slice Kempson; as well as her husband’s sister, Elizabeth Wingard Hamner; and his five brothers, Lewis, William, Marion, Charles, and Jacob Wingard. Mrs. Wingard is survived by daughter, Lucy Wingard (Hepner); sister-in-law, Ellen Wingard Cobb; grandson, Brian Kempson Wingard; granddaughter, Catherine Hepner Miano Johnson; and great-grandchildren, Gabriel Lynn Wingard, Emelia J. Miano, Elizabeth Mae Johnson and Eleanor M. Johnson. She is also survived by former daughter-in-law, Vicky Wingard Shealy, her husband Jerry Shealy, and son, Tyler Shealy. Many other dear family members and friends will also cherish her memory. Her funeral service will be at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, 2015, at Reformation Lutheran Church, with family visitation in the Church parlor one hour prior to the service. Her service will be conducted by the Rev. Tim Bupp and the Rev. James Nichols, with interment following in St. Andrews Lutheran Church Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be the Wednesday Morning Sunday School Class and the Choir. Dunbar Funeral Home, Dutch Fork Chapel, Irmo, is assisting the family. Memorial contributions may be made to Reformation Lutheran Church’s organ fund, 1118 Union Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Mrs. Wingard’s family extends its heartfelt gratitude to the staff and caregivers at Agape Hospice House and Agape Senior-Harbison, as well as Generations of Irmo, for their care and loving kindness during her illness.
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