[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 22, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S7858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO THE LATE JOANNE RAINSFORD

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, throughout the Nation, whenever a 
community leader passes, his or her death is noticed and mourned by 
many. In small towns, however, the impact of such a loss is always 
magnified, for in such places, the deceased is more than a well known, 
but distant figure, he or she is a neighbor, a member of the local 
church, and more often than not, a friend. Such was the case on June 29 
when Edgefield, SC suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of my 
friend, Joanne Tisdale Rainsford.
  Mrs. Rainsford first came to Edgefield to work as a teacher, and it 
was not long before she became a well known and liked figure around 
town. Her civic mindedness led her to become involved in a multitude of 
organizations and causes, and though not originally from Edgefield, she 
worked hard on behalf of her new hometown. Among other groups, the 
Edgefield United Way, the Olde Edgefield Trade Association, and the 
Edgefield Community Development Association all benefited from the 
efforts of this tireless, devoted, and enthusiastic woman.
  One of the cornerstones of a small town is the community newspaper, 
and Joanne Rainsford played an important role in helping produce the 
local paper, the Citizen News. In the mid-1980's, she spent about a 
year and a half as the managing editor of that publication, and she 
later became the president of Edgefield County Communications, the 
parent company of the Citizen News.
  Though Mrs. Rainsford enjoyed many pursuits, she was particularly 
interested in history, and she worked hard to save and showcase the 
unique and rich history of Edgefield County. In recognition of her 
service as their president, and her leadership in any number of 
preservation projects, the Edgefield County Historical Society just 
this past June voted to rename its museum the Joanne T. Rainsford 
Heritage Center. This was an honor of which I know she was especially 
proud and the action of the society is all the more meaningful as they 
approved this recognition shortly before Mrs. Rainsford's death.
  Whether it was through her work as a teacher, in her role as a 
newspaper executive, or as a civic booster, Joanne Rainsford worked 
hard to promote Edgefield, to build the local economy, and to make her 
hometown an even more prosperous and desirable place to live. She was 
an articulate proponent of the heritage corridor, a unique project that 
blends history and tourism together over a 14-county region in our 
State stretching from the coast to the mountains. I was so impressed by 
her desire to bolster tourism, the No. 1 industry in the Palmetto 
State, that I appointed her as a delegate from South Carolina to the 
White House Conference on Tourism.
  Mr. President, many people in Edgefield and throughout South Carolina 
mourned the passing of Mrs. Joanne T. Rainsford, as she was a woman who 
was liked and admired by all those who knew her. She was also a woman 
who approached life with great enthusiasm and who sought to leave her 
mark on the world through projects that benefited others. I can say 
without reservation that the work of the late Mrs. Rainsford had a 
positive effect on Edgefield County and that her work strengthened that 
community in many different ways. I ask unanimous consent that a copy 
of an article from the Citizen News be included in the Record following 
my remarks, it very nicely captures Mrs. Rainsford's accomplishments 
and her spirit. Her husband, Ben Rainsford; her stepchildren, Neely and 
Todd; her two sisters, Nancy and Mary; and all her friends and 
relatives, have my deepest condolences on this terribly sad event. We 
shall all miss Joanne Rainsford.

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