By Iris Creswell DeMates

“No, I don’t want a chair, I’ll be standing long after these younger ones have to sit down,” laughed Mrs. Charles M. Furman, Sr. who was in the receiving line greeting her friends who had come to be with her and help celebrate her 85th birthday Tuesday eventing.

When the last guest left after midnight, “Mama Furman,” as she is affectionately called by her many friends of all ages, was still standing and still enjoying every minute of her party.

For the occasion, she was radiant in a pink silk shantung sheath with a lace bodice. Complementing her dress was a lavender orchid corsage.

Hot ham biscuits, sliced turkey sandwiches, cheese crescents, nuts, candies, individual cakes decorated with a single red rose bud and a fruit punch were among the refreshments enjoyed by her friends. the party was held at the home of her daughter and son-in-law with whom she lives, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Hewitt of 2836 Stratford Road.

Centering the dining table was a white birthday cake with red roses and inscribed “Happy Birthday, Mama Furman.” Flanking the cake were silver candelabra with white burning tapers and throughout the home were beautiful arrangements of flowers sent by her friends, as well as a huge stack of cards and telegrams and dozens of presents.

Mrs. R. H. Gayle greeted the guests at the door and among those serving were Miss Judy Kaiser, Miss Henriette Kropp and Miss Jill Archer.

Mama Furman is the former Miss Ina Jones of Rockingham, N. C. She graduated from Flora Macdonald College at Red Springs, N. C., in the class of 1905. She has four children, all of which helped celebrate her day – one daughter, Mrs. Hewitt, and three sons, Alester G. Furman II and Henry J. Furman of Columbia and Charles M. Furman Jr. of Charlotte, N. C.

“Mama Furman, 85 years young, May 16, 1967,” was engraved in gold on the white napkins. This was a special day she will always remember.

More than 100 of Mama Furmna’s close friends called during the evening. Among them were Mrs. B. C. Hewitt and Mrs. Edgar L. Nalley from Florence, Miss Anne Herbert and Miss Nannie Black from Sumter, Mr. and Mrs. DuPre Rhame from Greenville, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles V. Verner from Asheville, N. C.

Also Mr. and Mrs. Graham C. Reich, Mr. and Mrs. W. Frank Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Garrett, Dr. and Mrs. R. Archie Ellis, Mrs. J. G. Hollis, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Nettles, Dr. and Mrs. Thad G. McCullough, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Adams, Mr. and Mrs. S. F. Lever, Mr. and Mrs.E. M. Atkinson, Mr. and Mrs. Walter I. May, Dr. and Mrs. E. M. Atkinson, Mr. and Mrs. Walter I. May, Dr. and Mrs. Darrell E. Richardson, Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Nelson and Mrs. Thomas B. Madden.

and Mr. and Mrs. James C. Furman, Mrs. John L. Kaiser and her mother, Mrs. Bertha Refo, Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. LaMont, Mr. and Mrs. John G. Farmer, Mr. and Mrs. Horace T. Jacobs (Clara Mae Jacobs), Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Hawkins, Mrs. H. B. Robinson, Julian Hennig, Mr. and Mrs. Julian Henning Jr., Dr. W. L. Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Sam M. Pace, Mr. and Mrs. Grayson C. Meetze, Mrs. Roy Somerset and Mr. and Mrs. W. Pickney Sullivan.

Prof. Vale Speaks At E-SU Banquet

Shrimp cocktail, roast prime ribs of beef au jus, potatoes au gratin and broccoli were served with burgundy wine to the members of the English-Speaking Union and their formal banquet held at the Forest Lake Club.

Vivian Vale, a visiting professor at the University of South Carolina, was the after-dinner speaker and his talk was as entertaining as it was informative. Mr. Vale, and extremely witty person, spoke on the development of what he called the “red brick colleges” in England.

A native Englishman, Mr. Vale is a graduate of Cambridge, a noted lecturer on goverment and warden of South Stoneham House at the University of Southhampton.

Capt. Charles H. Witten, incoming president of the local branch of E-SU, commented that much of what Mr. Vale told the group could well be applied to current problems facing the colleges in the United States today.

An engraved silver tray was presented to Gen. (ret.) Andrew C. Tychsen, outgoing president, for his many years of service to the Columbia Branch of the E-SU and the purposes of the overall international organization. He recieved a long round of applause from the appreciative members.

During World War II, Capt. Witten served in a diplomatic post as a navy liaison with a British Government in England. Before he unveiled the tray that was being presented to Gen. Tychsen, he carried it in his diplomatic pouch which was inscribed with the identification of Capt. Witten’s service to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Among the other members and their guests who were enjoying the evening were. Mrs. Tychsen, who was wearing an aqua floor-length sheath gown with a matching lace jacket; Mrs. Witten in a long black silk gown with a round neckline and a full skirt; Professor Felix Markham, the Rev. Charles Scott May, who asked the invocation, Prof. John K. Adams, Miss Ellen Butler, Miss Ruth Hall Graham, Col. and Mrs. R. K. Charles, Mrs. R. A. Childs, Mrs. Berthe McLain and Mr. and Mrs. Emert S. Rice.

Also Dr. Peyton C. Teague, Mrs. R. L. Bailey, Miss Toni Child, John M. Harden III, Miss Harriette Cleveland, Dr. and Mrs. E. M. C. Henderson, Col. and Mrs. Dwight S. Hollis, Col. and MRs. Thomas Faris, Dr. and Mrs. Nicolas P. Mitchell, Miss Lucia Murchison, Miss Adelene Rainey, Miss Gertrude Thurmond, Mr. and Mrs. Hagood Bostick, Miss Paula M. Patrick, and Cmdr. and Mrs. L. A. L. Herbert and their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Herbert Jr. Mrs. Herbert was wearing a floor-length gown which had a gold background with a white print design and Mrs. Herbert Jr. was wearing a royal blue gown. Cmdr Herbert is a retired British Naval officer.

Pretend Mothers

Fifty-five children from the Carolina Children’s Home had lots of “pretend mothers” Sunday when the B’nai Birth Women held their annual Mother’s Day event at the Columbia Jewish Center.

Fried chicken, French fries, hot rolls, ice cream, candy, and cake were enjoyed by the youngsters who each year look forward to this annual treat. Mrs. Charles E. Miller was chairman of the event.

The highlight of the day for the children was Abuzzi Ya, Ya, who held the children spellbound with his magic tricks and delightful personality. (The grand magician was Don Frank Miller, and his assistant was his wife, Claire Miller.)

Drop-In Honors Mrs. McAtee

Dressed in blue Irish linen sheath, Mrs. Lyle J. (Mary Lou) Campbell of 632 Westover Road greeted her guests recently at a drop-in she was giving in honor of Mrs. Lawrence F. McAtee from East Orange, N. J.

Mrs. McAtee and her husband have been in town for several days visiting their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence F. McAtee Jr. (Larry and Jo Ann), who moved to Columbia less than a year ago from Charlotte, N. C.

Larry was transferred to Columbia as branch salesmanager in the electronic data processing division of a nationally-known firm. They have two children, Kim, 5 and Kathy, 2.

Larry’s father is a business consultant, a position which takes him to many parts of the world. He recently returned from a five-week stay in San Jose, Costa Rica.

For the party honoring Larry’s mother, Mary Lou served stuffed celery sticks, cheese-olive cocktail puffs, cream cheese bridge sandwiches, and thin bittersweet chocolate mints. The dining table was centered with a large arrangement of red roses.

Among those invited were MRs. Robert R. Johnson, Mrs. James W. Fuller, Mrs. David Wheeler, Mrs. C. M. Lewis, Mrs. Thomas McDonald, Mrs. Norton E. Carter, Mrs. Thomas Powers, Mrs. Jack R. Filson, Mrs. Thomas E. Wolfe, Mrs. James L. Chandler and Mrs. Kurt Anderson.