Iva Maree Faulkenberry Gardner

Iva Maree Faulkenberry Gardner, 86, of Florence, passed away on Thursday, May 26, 2022. Maree was born on October 14, 1935, and was raised in Columbia, SC. She was the daughter of the late Chalmers Faulkenberry and Florence Faulkenberry (nee Shaw). She was graduated from Dreher High School in 1955. She has been a member of Ebenezer Baptist Church since May 1961. Maree loved her family and her friends and always did for others before herself. But her special joy was her three grandsons and five great-grandchildren. She had a great love for children, which she expressed, amongst other ways, by teaching 4K and working in the nursery at Ebenezer for many years. She was an avid sports fan especially The University of South Carolina. She especially loved traveling; eventually covering every state. She has traveled to many countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years Max Gardner, her son, Dexter Gardner, and her parents. She is survived by her daughter, Cindy (George “Buck”) Schnibben; grandsons, Jonathan (April), David (Alix), and Thomas Schnibben; five great-grandchildren, McKinney, Maxton, Alastair, Josephine, and Dexter Schnibben; special niece, Connie (Jimmy) Norton and their daughters, Greer (Zack and son Gunner) Marett and Abbie. Memorials may be made to Ebenezer Baptist Church, 524 S. Ebenezer Road, Florence, SC 29501. The family will receive friends from 2 – 3 pm Sunday, May 29, 2022, at Ebenezer Baptist Church with the service to follow in the old sanctuary at 3 pm. Burial will take place in the church cemetery directed by Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home. Please sign the tribute wall for the family at www.stoudenmiredowling.com.