There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens … Ecclesiastes 3:1.

Thelma Watson Bentley, affectionately known as "Pel", transitioned to her heavenly home on February 3, 2021 during a brief stay at Self Memorial Regional Hospital. She was 90 years old.

A Time to be Born: Thelma was born March 10, 1930, in Greenwood, South Carolina. She was the oldest of eight children born to the late Horace and Macie Griffin Watson. She accepted Christ and was baptized at a young age at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. Her roots run deep at Mt. Moriah in that her Antrom, Bowie, Griffin, and Watson great grandparents were among the founders. She was enrolled as a toddler in the Woman Aid Society #87 at Mt. Moriah by her grandmother, Carrie Bowie Griffin Hackett, and remained a member of the society and the church no matter where she lived.

A Time to Love: Thelma was united in marriage on June 12, 1953 to her college sweetheart, John Willie Bentley of Bessemer, Alabama. They were married for 39 years and from this union, they were blessed with two daughters – Pamela Bentley-Robinson formerly of Lindenhurst, Illinois and Beverly Bentley of Forestville, Maryland. She was a devoted, loving wife, mother, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, and neighbor.

A Time to Learn: Thelma matriculated through the Greenwood School System before integration. She began her formal education at the historic Whitehall School and graduated from Brewer High School in 1947.  In 1951, she received her bachelor's degree in Social Studies from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina.  While at Benedict, she was initiated into Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc, Beta Epsilon Chapter, where she served as Grammateus and Pan-Hellenic Council representative. Her other college activities included secretary of the Social Science Club and a reporter for the Benedict College newspaper. In 2001, she was inducted into the Benedict College Half-Century Club.

A Time to Live: After graduation, Thelma returned to Greenwood and taught 5 ^th grade at East End Elementary from 1953-1957. She moved back to Columbia in 1957 to join her husband who had accepted a professorial appointment at Allen University. She often said that she really enjoyed her life as a stay-at-home mom because she could be the queen of the castle. She supported her husband in many, many ways through his career in academia. She was affiliated with the South Carolina Federated Women and Girls Club, involved in her community, loved baseball, football, cruising, dressing up as a clown for the elementary school bazaar, and parlaying a love for sewing into an at-home business. Once a teacher, always a teacher. Thelma always found a way to use her teaching background and skills in rearing her daughters so that their souls would shine.

A Time to Mourn: Thelma was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her father- and mother-in-law, John and Sue Bentley of Bessemer, Alabama; her son-in-law, Daryl J. Robinson of Lindenhurst, Illinois; her brothers, Henry Watson and Clarence Watson both of Greenwood, Horace Watson Jr. and Charles Watson both of Rialto, California; two sisters-in-law, Ann Lites Watson of Greenwood, Josephine Whittington Watson of Columbia; and her brother-in-law, Rev. Norris Turner of Greenwood.

She leaves to cherish her memory, her two daughters, Pamela Bentley-Robinson and Beverly Bentley; her sister, Ella Watson Turner of Greenwood; two brothers, Robert (Anna) Watson Sr. of Greenwood and Anthony (Juanita) Watson of Columbia; three sisters-in-law, Adell Watson and Betty Watson both of Rialto, California and Debra McGurk Watson of Greenwood; and a dear cousin, Ireatha Christopher Chenault of Ellicott City, Maryland, who resided in the Watson home in her early youth. A host of nieces, great nieces, nephews, great nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends are also left to cherish the memory of this graceful, virtuous, woman of God.

Graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, 2021 at Mount Moirah Baptist Church Cemetery with the Rev. Raymond Adams, Pastor and Presiding, assisted by Rev. Robert McClinton and Rev. Willie N Norman.

Pallbearers will be Joe Bolden, George Watson, Russell Booker, Robert Watson, Jr., Pierce Sullivan, Robert J. Watson, Donald Watson and Leonard White. Honorary Flower Bearers will be the Women's Aide Society #87.

Public viewing will be held on Friday, February 12, 2021 from 1-6 p.m. at the funeral home.

Parks Funeral Home is assisting the Watson-Bentley Family.