Issaqueena Chapter, NSDAR honors 100-year-old World War II veteran for service to America
GREENWOOD, S.C. — The Issaqueena Chapter, National Society Daughters of the
American Revolution has presented its DAR Certificate and Medal of Appreciation to
Harvey Peurifoy, a longtime resident of Greenwood. The presentation was made June
23 at the Palmetto Patriots Home in Gaffney where Peurifoy currently resides.
It was Peurifoy’s lifetime of service to his state and nation which led the DAR members
to bestow the award, said Stephanie Bowen, regent of the Issaqueena Chapter.
“Harvey Peurifoy is a shining example of the men and women whose military service
has ensured our nation’s freedom since the Declaration of Independence was
announced on July 4, 1776,” she said. “He represents the Greatest Generation with
dignity and humility, and it was our great privilege to recognize him for his
distinguished service to America.”
Peurifoy, a 100-year-old veteran who served in World War II, said he was honored to receive the award. “I was grateful to serve my country. I saw a lot of things that I will never forget. God led me through those days. Some of them were good, and others were not. My faith kept me going.”
A descendant of Revolutionary War ancestors, Peurifoy was born April 11, 1924, to Brooks and Sarah Peurifoy. The family lived in Newberry and then moved to Ninety Six.
It was the era of the Great Depression, and the family moved frequently to find work.
Peurifoy left school in the seventh grade to work on the farm and help take care of his
mother, who was in frail health. At age 16, he began working at Mathews Mill. He was married at 8 and volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army when he was 19.
Peurifoy served with the Fifth Army 91st Infantry Division, which saw action on the
Italian Front of the war, including the long and bloody campaign of the Po Valley. He
returned home at the war’s end and studied to earn his GED. He graduated from Lander
College with a major in psychology and a minor in sociology. He became an ordained
Methodist minister in 1960 and continued his education by taking Bible courses at
Erskine College and studying at the renowned Candler School of Theology at Emory
University.
His career in the ministry included service at 20 churches,including a post in the Dominican Republic. Throughout his life as a minister, Peurifoy served countless veterans and their families.
Active in organizations and philanthropic activities in Greenwood, Peurifoy was among
the group of dedicated citizens who began the drive to save Cokesbury College from
destruction in the late 1960s.
Peurifoy told DAR members that he has written a book, The First 100 Years. “It tells about my life, and the manyopportunities that I’ve had and the people who have been special to me.”
