EASTOVER – Mr. John C. Curt Gwinn, Sr., 74, died December 9, 2003. Born in Spartanburg, he was the son of the late John F. Gwinn and Nellie Layton Gwinn. He was married to Ann Whitener Gwinn and had two sons, John and Layton Gwinn, and four grandchildren. Curt graduated from Union High School, Class of 1946, and The Citadel, Class of 1950. He joined the Army as an engineer and a 1st lieutenant and was stationed in Fort Belvior, Va., in 1951. He was later stationed in Okinawa, Japan, as an amphibious engineer. From there he served as a general’s aide during the Korean War. He returned stateside following his Army commitment in 1953 to start a family and begin his career as a general contractor. He worked for notable Columbia contractors Alvin Creed and Bill Hogan prior to starting his own firm in 1964, following the death of Mr. Hogan. Under his leadership, Congaree Construction Co. built over three dozen of Columbia’s major landmark structures, including the AT&T, IBM, Koger Center, Marion Gressette, Richland County Judicial Center, Solomon Blatt, USC Blatt PE Center, Fraternity Complex, Columbia Hall, Bates House and the Towers Dormitory, Benedict College Library, PE Center and Dormitory, Columbia College Leadership Center, Lutheran Seminary Library, Rutledge Building and many others. His love of rural agriculture led him into supporting the horse and cattle industry. He started Dixieland Arabian Stud farm, which trained and bred Arabian horses for 25 years and owned Congaree Farms Angus Cattle which raised premier Angus Cattle. Surviving are his loving wife, Ann Whitener Gwinn; sons, John C. Gwinn Jr. and his wife, Marie, of Hopkins, and R. Layton Gwinn and his wife, Caroline, of Hopkins; four grandchildren, Savannah, Curt, Ashbrook and Layton Gwinn; brothers and sisters-in-law, Bill and Jeanelle Wingo, J.C. and Mary Ann Wingo and Ernest and Ruth Ann Anthony. A memorial service will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Lebanon United Methodist Church, Eastover, with the Reverend Eddie Usher officiating. The family will receive friends Friday from 6-8 p.m. at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel. The family will be at the home of Layton and Caroline Gwinn, 1205 R.L. Coward Road, Hopkins. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or St. Judes Children’s Hospital.
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