Sarah Anne Bradshaw Copeland

Sarah Anne Bradshaw Copeland, of Clinton, S.C., died February 14, 2026, with her family nearby. Born in Gainesville, Florida, on October 15, 1942, to the late Enice Alton Bradshaw, Sr., and Beatrice Henry Cox Bradshaw, she spent the bulk of her childhood living in such wonderful places as Panama, Venezuela, and eventually, Cross Hill, S.C., a fortuitous and timely location because it placed her in the same high school with Posey Copeland, Jr., who began wooing her at the Senior Prom. After spending her first two years of college at the University of South Carolina while he attended Clemson University, he convinced her to marry him. In their 64 years of marriage, she was Mama to Jennifer E. Copeland, Benjamin W. Copeland (Stephanie Forest Copeland), and Catherine M. Copeland Nordeen. She was Grandmama to six grandchildren, Nathan Cox, Hannah Cox, Jami Copeland, Sarah Copeland, Megan Nordeen, and Janis Nordeen, and three great-grandchildren, Benjamin, Theodore, and Genevieve.

After taking a “sabbatical” to have her children, Sarah finished her B.A. at the University of South Carolina and then sailed straight through to a Master of Education, all while not missing any of the children’s sporting events—and there were many—school productions, graduation celebrations, and birthday parties. She was an amazing seamstress, outfitting her children and grandchildren in clothing that was the envy of all their friends. Once the children grew up, she turned to quilting, knitting, and needlework, again producing items that are priceless heirlooms for her family. She loved to read and successfully instilled that passion in all of her children, who continue passing it along to the next generations.

Her love of math benefitted classrooms full of public school students at Fair Forest Middle School in Spartanburg, S.C., and then Clinton High School, her alma mater, where she taught Algebra II and helped sponsor the Varsity Academic Team. After she retired she continued her involvement with children by assisting with the Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom program, utilizing on her own experience of having grown up on cattle ranches across two continents. She served as Chair of the Lauren’s County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, was a Circle Leader for the United Methodist Women, and was an active member of Broad Street United Methodist Church.

In addition to her parents, Sarah was predeceased by her brother, Enice Alton Bradshaw, Jr., and her sister, Carol Bradshaw Armstrong. She is survived by her brother, Robert Henry Bradshaw, as well as all her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

A service of death and resurrection will be held at Broad Street United Methodist Church in Clinton on February 21, 2026, at 1:00 p.m., officiated by the Reverend Morgan Byars and the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland. The family will receive friends immediately following the service. The committal will follow later in the afternoon at Rosemont Cemetery, 807 Willard Rd., Clinton, SC 29325.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Youth Group at Broad Street United Methodist Church, 310 N. Broad St., Clinton, SC 29325.

Condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting www.grayfuneralhome.com

Gray Funeral Home of Clinton is honored to assist the Copeland family with services.