Wilhelmina Davis

Wilhelmina Davis, affectionately known as “Mena” was born on March 27, 1947, in Columbia, South Carolina. She was the third of six children born to Matthew J. and Jessie Lee Davis. She was called home to be with the Lord on April 3, 2019. 

Wilhelmina was a proud graduate of C. A. Johnson High School, where she was known for her style, professionalism, and command of words at an early age. She started her career with Richland School District One in the front office at Hopkins Junior High School. After completing a few classes at Palmer College, she started as an Administrative Assistant at Benedict College and later advanced to Supervisor of the Word Processing Center. There she was responsible for a large staff and high tech (Pre-Internet) technology.  She spent countless hours making sure that every product from the Word Processing Center was perfect. She held high standards for her staff, many of whom were students. They admired Ms. Davis for her attention to detail and quick wit. During her years at Benedict, she was an active member of the Heart of the Midlands Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association. 

Wilhelmina entered the world of politics in the late 1980s, working in the administrative office of South Carolina Governor Richard Riley.  From the Governor’s Office, she went to the South Carolina Senate, where she served as the Administrative Assistant to State Senator Theo Mitchell. She also served as the Administrative Assistant to Senators Darrell Jackson, Kay Patterson, John Scott and Kevin Johnson. Wilhelmina was a mighty force in the Senate. Like her years at Benedict College, she set high standards for the interns and college students who came through the Senate. Her passion was in constituent services, where she helped many working mothers, hungry students, and elderly seniors stay in their homes. Wilhelmina later established her own network of services to help those less fortunate.

She was a classy lady with a unique style, which included beautiful silver jewelry, colorful scarves, high heels, and fashionable suits. She never left the house without being well polished. Her motto was, “You never know where the day is going to take you, so always be ready to take on the day.” 

Wilhelmina took great pride in her daughter Cindy, Son-in-Law Gilbert and granddaughter Lauren. She relished her summer visits with Lauren. You could often see the two of them making their Senate rounds. She often visited Washington, DC where she enjoyed time with family. She also enjoyed visiting Lauren at Temple University. 

She will be sadly missed but never forgotten by her loving daughter Cindy Smith (Gilbert) of Washington, DC; brother, Edward L. Davis of Washington, DC; sister, Ophelia Davis of Columbia, South Carolina; one granddaughter, Lauren Jessica Smith of Washington, DC;  a special cousin, Ruth Legette of Washington, DC; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and other loving relatives and friends.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Wilhelmina Davis, please visit our floral store.