Obituary of Vera Terry Atkins Medlin

Our loving mother, grandmother (Nana) and friend Vera Terry Atkins Medlin, age 83, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on November 5, 2024, in Herriman, Utah. She was born on March 8, 1941, in Orangeburg, South Carolina to her mother, Vera Taft Lawson, and father Andrew Clinton (A.C.) Atkins. Most people don’t know that she was named after her mother because she has always gone by “Terry.” 

When Terry married William (Bill) Hyrum Medlin on October 26, 1974, in Columbia, South Carolina, they blended their two families to include 3 girls and 2 boys (Karen, Wayne, Billy, Sandy and Judy) and just one short year later sealed the deal by bringing a beautiful baby boy into the world (Michael). 

Terry was a hardworking, loving, kind and compassionate woman to all who knew her. While in her early 30’s and working doing data entry for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Columbia she met and fell in love with Bill who also worked there. After Michael was born she raised her baby boy while working from home doing data entry for Blue Cross Blue Shield. She was raised in the Baptist church but after marrying Bill he introduced her to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and she was baptized. Terry was a born leader. After moving to Florida she worked in the family electrical contracting business in which she did most of the bookkeeping. She served in many prominent positions in the church. She was Ward Relief Society President in the Wellington Florida Ward and later Stake Relief Society President of the Stuart Florida stake. 

She loved life and showed it by being very actively involved with her childrens’ lives and helping out at schools and attending many, many sports activities on a regular basis. She even drove a school bus which she loved! She also loved being outdoors, going to the beach and loved golfing and became pretty good at it. She was also involved in a bowling league and was very competitive. She loved any kind of crafts and sewing and made some of her children’s clothes. Especially in her later years she loved to do crossword puzzles and even joined with multiple friends and family members on the “Words with Friends” app. Until her memory started to fail her she could remember some of the strangest words to complete the puzzles. 

She is survived by her sister-in-law Missy, her children Michael, Judy, Sandy (David), Wayne and Karen and her grandchildren Sophia, Justin, Jared, Jonathan, Timothy, Brian, Alex, Rebekah, Gabriel, David, Christine, and Alicia and many great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her mother, Vera, her father Andrew (A.C.), her husband, Bill, her son Billy, and her brother, Andy Jr. and many other members of the Medlin family with whom she was very close. 

Services will be held at 11:00 am on November 16, 2024, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ridgeway Ward building at 1391 Centerville Road, Ridgeway, South Carolina 29130. A viewing will be held prior to services beginning at 10:00am. Her body will be laid to rest beside her husband and son at the Memorial Gardens of Columbia cemetery, 9301 Wilson Blvd. (Hwy 21) immediately following the service. There will be a family luncheon back at the Ridgeway Ward building after the interment.