County officials sworn in

NEWBERRY COUNTY — Prior to the start of 2021, Coroner Laura Kneece, Clerk of Court Beth Folk and Sheriff Lee Foster were all sworn in for new terms following the general election in 2020.

Folk and Kneece were sworn in at the Newberry County Court House. Kevin Worley, the deputy coroner, was also sworn in at this time.

“We are very excited to serve Newberry County for the next four years and are very blessed that the residents have entrusted us to take care of them and their families,” Kneece said.

“I am very honored to be sworn in for my second term and I will work to the best of my ability. This last year has been challenging, but due to the residents of Newberry County everything has worked out well,” Folk said.

Foster’s swearing in took place outside the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, as all of his deputies needed to be sworn in as well.

“(Our) agency requires an oath of office at the end and beginning of the political process. You will be asked to take the oath to the Constitution of the United States of America and to the Constitution of the State of South Carolina. It is a solemn and serious obligation to uphold an oath and to enforce the law and protect the defenseless,” Foster said to his deputies.

After Foster was sworn in, he said this was the ninth time he took the oath, with each time having significant meaning to him.

“The ninth time I put my hand on the Bible, and that Bible was presented to me by Lin Slaton of the Newberry Chapter of the Gideons — that was a special gift to me then. I’m very blessed to have my family with me, this is the first time I’ve taken office that I do not have one of my parents here, and I truly miss that, but I’m truly blessed that I have my wife, Carol, Amelia (daughter), and Joseph (son) with me,” Foster said.

Foster reminisced about growing up in Prosperity in a house that he was raised by his parents, his grandmother and his great aunt. He said they all lived in that house that was in their family for well over 100 years.

“My grandmother and great aunt both endured the Spanish Flu epidemic, they also endured World War I, the Great Depression, then World War II and the problems America suffered during the mid-60s. My parents both were children of the Depression, they suffered hardships that we don’t understand — especially my father, he suffered extreme hardships. However, they overcame,” Foster said. “I suppose as a result of those hardships, kinda made them tough people. Our family wasn’t touchy-feely, we didn’t do a lot of hugging, there was not a lot of ‘I love you’ going around in my family. I always thought it was because of war, the Depression and how they were raised passed on to us. But, we never, never knew that we were not loved. They showed they loved us in other ways and they stood beside us and provided (for) us, even sometimes when they didn’t have the means to.”

Foster added that he is a product of that home and he said, “we often turn back to our roots.”

“I want everyone to know today, even though I do not say it enough, I love each and every one of you, I love you all and I truly appreciate what you do for me and I really am proud of what you do for the people of Newberry County,” Foster said to his deputies. “Especially today, when we are going through political strife and the pandemic. I am honored to work with y’all, I am proud to work with y’all and I’m proud that y’all go forth and do your duties, and continue to do your duties, without complaint when a lot of people do not. As characterized by your profession and by you individually, y’all have not run, y’all have not hid, y’all have chosen to stand in the face of danger and serve the residents of this county and the United States, and for that I am extremely proud.”

Foster ended by saying, “now, let us go forward and do God’s work. Thank you for your service.”