Mr. Harold Ray Lowery Sr., 79, passed away peacefully on May 25, 2025, surrounded by family and loved ones at home, in the place he loved...God’s Country—Walterboro, South Carolina. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sheba Warren Lowery; his parents, Norman and Florence Lowery; and a sister, Patsy Lowery.
Born in 1945, in Emory Texas, Mr. Harold grew up hard on the family farm, where work wasn’t an option—it was a way of life. Those long days in the field shaped a man who could outwork anyone and never once complained. He worked roofing for years, then construction with Piggly Wiggly for many years before retiring. He knew what hard work was, and he didn’t waste time on anything else.
Mr. Harold eventually found his true peace among the Cyprus and live oaks in the woods of Salkehatchie Swamp, Salt Catcher, as he called it. He always said, “This here’s God’s country,” and the way he lived made it feel that way for everyone lucky enough to know him. He was a master trapper, an avid deer hunter, a great fisherman and a woodsman to the core—more at home in the swamp than anywhere else. A storyteller, a true friend and the kind of man whose word meant something.
His garden stretched like a promise, and he made good on it. Tomatoes, okra, beans—you name it, he grew it. But what made it special wasn’t the harvest. It was the way Mr. Harold handed out bags of fresh-picked produce to his family and anyone who needed it, no questions asked. He gave because giving was in his bones. If you came by hungry, he’d feed you. If you were cold, he’d give you his jacket—and maybe tell you a story while you warmed up.
Mr. Harold had the gift of telling great tales about life. Sitting on the porch with a glass of sweet tea, he’d spin yarns that made you laugh, cry, or see the world a little better. But the truest story he ever told was the way he loved his family.
He is survived by his children, Wendy “Shug” Lowery Martin, Anthony “Tony” Lowery, Harold Lowery Jr., Melissa Parrish; his grandsons, Tyler (Skyler) O’Quinn and Dustin (Tori) O’Quinn; a great granddaughter, EllaLeigh Mae O’Quinn; his sisters, Laverne Martin, Norma Lee Weeks, Judy (David) Campbell and Kathleen (Wayne) Shell; and brothers, Eugene (Dorothy) Lowery and Kenneth Lowery. A special mention to Wayne Dandridge and Charles Dandridge, Bill Bryan, Wendell Valentine and a wide circle of kin and kindred spirits who will carry his stories, his lessons, and his love forward. Last but not least, his girlfriend, his best friend, his love, Bessie Cumbie, whom he cherished.
He may be gone from our sight, but we reckon God’s country just got one of its own back.
Arrangements By: The Brice W. Herndon And Sons Funeral Homes And Crematory, Walterboro Chapel, 1193 Bells Highway, Walterboro. 843.538.5408. Visit the registry online at: www.briceherndonfuneralhome.com.
