Esther Holland Pitts
1906–2006 · Clinton, Laurens County, South Carolina
Everything here started for me with Mrs. Pitts. Although I never got to meet her, her booklet on the Adairs and Hollands was my first look at our family history. It piqued my curiosity like nothing else, and started a lifelong passion for history. I’m forever indebted, and grateful for all the groundwork she laid.
At a Glance
- Born: 29 January 1906
- Died: 14 December 2006, Clinton, aged 100; buried at Rosemont Cemetery, Clinton
- Parents: Thomas Hampton and Mattie Henry Holland; granddaughter of Bluford Russell Holland
- Husband: Pascal Mark (Pack) Pitts, Jr. (died 1939)
- Work: Secretary of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce for 25 years; Clinton Woman of the Year, 1967
- Her legacy: compiled books on family genealogy and Laurens County history, including the Holland and Adair family booklet that started this website
On This Page
Her Obituary
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Ester Holland Pitts
DATE OF BIRTH January 29th, 1906
DATE OF DEATH November 14th, 2006
CEMETERY Rosemont Cemetery
Esther H. Pitts, age 100, of 1000 Musgrove St. died Thursday, December 14, 2006 at the NHC of Clinton.
She was the daughter of the late Thomas Hampton and Mattie Henry Holland and lived in Clinton her entire life.
Mrs. Pitts was a member of the Broad St. United Methodist Church where she was Superintendent of the Children’s Division for many years.
In 1974 she was presented a Life Membership Pin by the United Methodist Women.
She was the Secretary of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce for 25 years.
The Clinton Lion’s Club and Business and Professional Women’s Club named Mrs. Pitts as the Clinton Woman of the Year in 1967.
Mrs. Pitts was active and held offices in the American Legion Auxiliary, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Laurens County Historical Society, Cub Scouts, United Way and the Business and Professional Women.
She had a great interest and compiled books on family genealogy and Laurens County history.
She was predeceased by her husband, Pascal Mark (Pack) Pitts, Jr. in 1939, a son, Thomas Griffin Pitts and a daughter-in-law, Anne Digby Pitts.
Surviving are two sons, Pascal Mark Pitts, III (Monnie) and Edward Holland Pitts; daughter-in-law Sue Rucker Pitts; eight grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.
Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, December 16th in the Rosemont Cemetery. The family will receive friends immediately after the service.
Gray Funeral Home of Clinton.
Editor’s note: the memorial card’s heading gives the date of death as November 14th, but the obituary itself says Thursday, December 14, 2006, with the graveside service on Saturday, December 16th. December 14, 2006 was a Thursday, so the December date is used on this page. “Ester” is the card’s spelling.
Photographs
Esther and her husband Pack Pitts appear in the Holland family photograph of about 1934, and there is a photograph of her from 2000 alongside Margaret Holland Adair on the Thomas Hampton Holland page.
Sources
- Obituary and memorial card, Gray Funeral Home, Clinton, South Carolina, December 2006.
- Esther Holland Pitts, “Holland and Adair Families Genealogy” (manuscript, Clinton, SC, 1967). See Adair and Holland Families, the original welcome page of this site, dedicated to her.
Open Questions
- Where was the photograph of the shaded path taken?
- What other books did Mrs. Pitts compile on family genealogy and Laurens County history, and where are copies kept today?
How You Can Help
If you knew Mrs. Pitts, have a copy of one of her books, or have photographs or memories of her to share, I would love to hear from you.
Holland Family: Family History · Hollands of Maryland · Abraham Holland Family · Thomas Hampton Holland · Esther Holland Pitts · Thomas Holland / Mary Leake Bible · Eula Mae Holland Hansen