Ethel Lee Lance

People

Ethel Lee Lance

Outcome

unknown

Ethel Lee Lance (September 25, 1944 – June 17, 2015) was the sexton of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and a lifetime member of the congregation who was assassinated along with eight other worshippers during a Wednesday night Bible study session by white supremacist Dylann Roof. At 70 years old, Lance was described as the "heart of her family"—a woman known for her big smile, snazzy style, love of gospel concerts, and devotion to her church. Security cameras had captured her dancing as she vacuumed the historic building she helped maintain. Ethel Lee Lance was born on September 25, 1944, and grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. She raised five children in West Ashley and lived to see seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She was a cousin of fellow victim Susie Jackson. Lance began working as a custodian in 1968 at the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium shortly after its opening and remained there until her retirement in 2002 after more than 30 years. In her role, she took pride in being the model of discretion. James Brown, Jimmy Carter, Martin Luther King Jr., and other celebrities had been in the rooms she kept tidy, but she never went into details about what she may have witnessed. She had served as Emanuel AME Church's sexton for the five years before her death, taking loving care of the historic building. Known for her personality as much as her dedication, Lance was quick with a joke, adored the opera *Porgy and Bess*, loved gospel concerts, and occasionally enjoyed a little gambling. Her daughter, Rev. Sharon Risher, remembered her as always wanting to help others. On June 17, 2015, Lance was at Emanuel AME for the Wednesday night Bible study when Dylann Roof—a white stranger who had been welcomed by the congregation—opened fire. Lance was among the nine killed. Her funeral was held on June 25, 2015, at Emanuel AME Church, alongside the funeral of Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and was attended by several political figures and civil rights leaders.