02/27/2026
Hattie Mae Dantzler
Hattie Mae Dantzler, 99, passed away peacefully on February 26, 2026, at Magnolias of Santee.
Hattie Mae spent nearly a century on earth in faithful service to her community, her family, and her God - a life made evident through the many milestones, quiet sacrifices, and meaningful accomplishments she achieved along the way.
Born on December 10, 1926, in Providence, SC to Hattie Cornelia and Samuel Lee Dantzler, Hattie Mae grew up on the family's small farm alongside her three older siblings: George ("Georgia") Lees, Blanche, and Robert. After graduating from high school in Providence, she pursued a degree in nursing. She later worked alongside Dr. J. L. Browning in Orangeburg, until she met the man that would become her lifelong companion and husband, Ben Connor ("Benny") Dantzler of Elloree. They married in 1950 and began building a life rooted in faith, family, and community.
Soon after, Hattie made the decision to leave her nursing career to focus on raising their four sons - Danny, Ben Jr., Jim, and Hal - a role she embraced with unwavering devotion.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, a familiar sight in Elloree was Hattie sitting on the loading dock of the local post office with one of her boys, rolling copies of The T&D - The Times and Democrat - securing them with rubber bands before they pedaled off on their one-speed bicycles to deliver newspapers throughout town. When her sons eventually outgrew their paper routes, Hattie took them over herself and continued delivering the paper to subscribers in and around Elloree for more than a decade.
Though raising four boys was no small task, Hattie always found time to invest deeply in her community. Whether working with the American Legion Auxiliary to secure donations for disabled veterans or serving as Den Mother to a group of rowdy Cub Scouts, she was always happy to help. At the Methodist Church of Elloree, she taught Sunday school, cared for children in the nursery, helped organize and participated in Vacation Bible School, and served as Director of the MYF youth organization. The friendships she formed there became a cherished second family and remained a steady source of joy and fellowship throughout her life.
Throughout her life, Hattie held a special place in her heart for the elderly. She made it a point to visit those who were ill, homebound, or alone, offering comfort and companionship with effortless compassion. Her kindness was sincere and constant. In the final season of her life, when she left her home of 60 years and moved into an assisted living facility, that same love returned to her in the form of a steady stream of friends and family who came to sit with her, encourage her, laugh with her and remind her just how deeply she was loved.
While we sorrow at the loss of Hattie's gentle spirit, that sorrow is eclipsed by the richness she brought into our lives. Her legacy of faith, service, and steadfast love will endure for generations.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ben Connor Dantzler; her sisters, George ("Georgia") Lees Wiles and Blanche Weymouth; her brother, Robert Dantzler; and her eldest son, Daniel Lee Dantzler.
Hattie leaves behind three generations who will continue to honor her memory: her surviving sons, Ben Connor Dantzler, Jr, (Ben) and his wife Cindy, James Robert Dantzler (Jim), and Hal Dantzler; her beloved daughters-in-law, Kay Dantzler Lancaster (Glenn Lancaster) and Brenda Hutson Dantzler both of whom she thought of as her own; her grandchildren, Brock Hannay, Ashley Wright and her husband Brooks, Ben Connor Dantzler III (Benji) and his wife Nora, Dano Dantzler and his partner Stormi Middleton, and Kasey Dantzler Goodwin and her husband Michael; and her great-grandchildren, Grace Middleton, Ben Connor Dantzler IV (Connor), Brady Dantzler, Eliza Wright, Bo Wright, and Hattie Lilly Goodwin.
Her life was a testament to quiet strength, enduring faith, and unconditional love - a century well lived
The family would like to express their gratitude to the staff at Magnolias of Santee and Edisto Homecare and Hospice.
They also suggests memorials be made to the Methodist Church of Elloree, a place that meant so much to Hattie Mae throughout her life.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, February 28, 2026, from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM at Elloree Methodist Church, 501 W. Barkley St. Elloree.
The service will be held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, March 1, 2026 at Elloree Methodist Church, 501 W. Barkley St. Elloree. The burial will conclude at Smith-Dantzler Cemetery in Elloree.
Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at avingerfh.com/.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Avinger Funeral Home, 2274 Eutaw Rd, Holly Hill, SC 29059, (803)496-3434.
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