Ms. Sandra D. Clarkson

Sandra Deloris Clarkson was 78 when she departed our earthly world on September 17, 2023. She was battling pancreatic cancer at Prisma Baptist Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, when she passed peacefully during hospice care. She was a resident of West Columbia. Sandra was born in Elloree South Carolina in June, 1945, to Dorothy May Haigler and O’Neil Clarkson. She moved with her mother, sister, and brothers to South Haven, Michigan, in 1954. An avid fan of American novelist and short story writer, Louis L'Amour, Sandra loved reading his “frontier stories” about the Western United States. Her love of Western’s sprang in part from a tradition she, her sister, and brothers had of surrounding their uncle, Tom Cloud, on the floor where they watched Western television programs and movies. Sandra would often read the book and watch the movie too. Sandra was a member of the Spiritual Church of Christ, a church started in South Haven in the 1950’s by her uncle, who was its first minister. Sandra was in the first class to graduate from the new L.C. Mohr High School in South Haven, Michigan, in 1963. She earned an Associate’s Degree from Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, Michigan and later worked very hard to receive her bachelor’s degree in business, on-line. Often referring to herself as a Jack of all trades, Sandra held a variety of jobs during her life. From a cashier at Harding’s Supermarket in Bangor, Michigan, to an assembly line worker at Ford Motor Company’s River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan, Sandra did a little bit of everything. She was the cook and operator of a soul food restaurant in Detroit, Michigan. Sandra and her sister, Doretha, were two of the first employees at the original Target store in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They stocked the store with its opening inventory. She started as a cashier and went on to become an area specialist with Target. Later, while helping to care for her aging mother, Sandra had a long tenure with Walmart in South Haven, Michigan, where she was a supervisor in the photo and print shop. After returning to Columbia, South Carolina in 2002, she continued her work with Walmart. Next, Sandra worked for the Columbia Metropolitan Airport and later became a security officer at Koyo - Jtekt Corporation, a company that produces bearings, driveline components, steering systems, and machine tools. Like many in her family, Sandra, loved to play cards. From Bid whist to Spades, Gin Rummy, Hearts, Tonk, Solitaire, and on-line Poker, a card game was one of her favorite past times. Sandra’s favorite color was blue. One of her favorite foods was chicken, cooked any way. And she held the gift of gab. Sandra enjoyed crocheting in her earlier years and one of her signature afghans still makes an appearance on cold winter nights in one child’s home. Sandra acquired the nickname “the Pound Cake Lady” from her excellence in baking this classic Southern confection, a tradition passed down to her from her mother and aunties. The base recipe allowed her to expand the dessert into layer cakes, which could be chocolate or pineapple-coconut. Another specialty of Sandra’s was Sweet Potato pie, and only Pillsbury Pet-Ritz Frozen Pie Crust would do. Sandra was always warmly appreciated for her Southern cornbread dressing and her classic baked macaroni and cheese casserole. Her candied yams began with whole sweet potatoes submerged under water in a large pot, boiled with a splash of vegetable oil, then cooled; peeled, sliced thin, lengthwise, layered in a buttered or sprayed with Pam, Pyrex, 1.5-quart Glass Loaf Pan, and covered abundantly in sugar, butter, and dusted with nutmeg before being baked at 350 degrees to candied perfection. Smothered porkchops and brown sugar and honey glazed chicken were also staples in her repertoire. These family heirlooms were passed down from the elders. Sandra passed those lessons on to her children, grandchildren, and loved ones, who continue to uphold that legacy of distinction and skill in African-American Southern cooking. Sandra was preceded in death by her brother, Otis Clarkson. She is survived by her eldest sister Doretha (Clarence) Thigpen, and two brothers, Greggory (Val) Clarkson and Thomas (Nancy) Clarkson; her son’s Samuel (Sandi) Clarkson and Marcus (Rob) Smith; and daughters, Shawna Smith, and Rayna Clugston; seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; special cousins, nieces, nephews, expanded family, adopted family, and friends. In keeping with her wishes, Sandra was cremated and her remains will be interred in South Haven, Michigan, at a future date. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 2:00 PM, Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Extension, Columbia, SC 29223. A repast will be held at Senate’s End at 4:00 PM, 300 Senate Street, Columbia, SC 29201.

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Ms. Sandra D. Clarkson

June 3, 1945 - September 17, 2023