Konstantin Vengerowsky/Clarendon Citizen - Charles Robert Hester stands in front of Clarendon Memorial Hospital, where he worked as assistant administrator/personnel director 39 years. Today he still works part-time on the weekends.
Mr. Hospital turns 80
On Monday, Charles Robert Hester turns 80 years old, although to many he is just known as Bobby or better yet “Mr. Hospital.” That’s because he’s been working at Clarendon Memorial Hospital since 1951, and although he officially retired after 39 years in 1995, he still has not fully stopped working. He comes into the hospital every Saturday and Sunday to do administrative work. He also is treasurer and plays the piano at Union United Methodist Church, and prints the bulletin for the three churches that make up the Jordan United Methodist charge.
Born in Tennessee on Aug. 8, 1931, Hester moved to Clarendon County when he was six years old. His father, James Bert Hester, was a carpenter, originally from Tennessee, and his mother, Tyson Lowder Hester, was a housewife, from Wilson. The family first moved to Foreston where his father served as operator of one of the fire towers in the county. Hester said that one of the benefits that came with being a tower operator is the housing that was right next to the tower. Although all the towers in the county are gone today, the house still stands. Hester said that he was too young to watch for fires from the tower, but his older brother, James Bert Hester Jr., and his older sister, Martha Van Laan, would often do so, as the tower had to be manned 24 hours a day. seven days a week.
Hester’s family soon moved to Wilson, where he went to school at Wilson Elementary, through grade six, and then came to Manning, to attend junior high and high school. In high school he learned to play the piano, and as a senior, in 1950-1951, began playing at his church, the Union United Methodist Church, where he still plays today.
After graduating from high school in 1951, Hester began working for Clarendon School District 2 as a bookkeeper and when a similar position opened up at the hospital in 1956, he began working there. He worked for the business office and eventually moved up to assistant administrator/personnel director.
Hester said that when he began working at the hospital, there were only 52 beds, and less than 100 employees at the hospital. He said that the two story building had the only elevator in town, until the one in the post office was installed, and that the hospital had a small lab and X-ray department, in which technicians worked in double roles. The hospital at the time did not have a full-time doctor. One of the six different doctors in the county would respond if there was an emergency.
“The emergency room consisted of one room, whenever someone who had an emergency came in, they would ring a bell to let someone from the staff know that they needed assistance,” Hester said.
The hospital also had no EMS or transport service at the time. If a patient had to be transported, a rector would ride along in a funeral home vehicle and some of the hospital staff members were taught basic first aid and served as first responders. The building where the modern-day surgeons’ offices are, served as housing for some of the nursing staff.
Hester remembers when the first EKG was done in the 50s, and the first CAT scan in the 70s.
“When you look back into the improvements in healthcare, it’s amazing to see what we have today in terms of diagnosis and treatment nowadays compared to 50 years ago,” he said.
As technology improved and the county grew, as well as certain regulations on the hospital facilities that came into effect, there was a need for a new facility. In the early 90s the new hospital was completed.
“Everyone was really excited about it, really pleased with it,” Hester said. “I think that it was a wonderful improvement for everyone in the county.”
Hester was honored for his 80th birthday this past Sunday, Aug. 7 at the Union United Methodist Church. In addition to his church responsibilities, he also serves as treasurer for the Swamp Fox Murals Trail Society.
Senator John C. Land, III, who represents the counties of Calhoun, Clarendon, Florence and Sumter Counties in District 36, said that he’s known Hester all of his life.
“When I came back to Clarendon County to practice law, he was helping to run the hospital and one of the reasons that our modern-day hospital is so successful is due to the foundation that Charles Hester laid in the administration,” Land said.
Ashley and Daisy Brunson have known Hester for roughly 50 years.
“He’s an inspiration to a lot of people. He’s just a caring, loving person, and is very dedicated to his music, to the church and to the community, those are qualities that we sometimes don’t find in people today,” Brunson said.
