Connection Map — How the Land Was Taken

Marion & Dillon Counties, South Carolina only  |  Forgery · Coercion · Title Fraud  |  1946–2026

Central Claim: Willie and Lucile Jacobs owned South Carolina land free and clear. Between 1959–1966, a scheme involving forged signatures on mortgage documents encumbered both tracts, creating leverage for the coerced 1966 sale of their 62.3-acre Marion County homestead to R.M. Fowler for $12,500. The family protected Tract B (32.5ac Dillon) through a 99-year lease and a 1985 deed naming 12 heirs with vested title. The 2022 foreclosure of Tract A is the final stage of a 60-year dispossession. The forgery chain runs through a single notary — S.R. Pridgen — who appears in both the questioned 1959 mortgage signatures and the Fowler deed instruments.
Connection Map
Step-by-Step Narrative
Forgery Evidence
Evidence Matrix
Key People (SC)
Connection Map — SC Instruments, People, and Land
Red dashed = forgery/fraud chain  |  Green solid = family title protection  |  Gold = Fowler actions  |  Blue dashed = 99-year lease
JACOBS FAMILY INSTRUMENTS FOWLER / ENABLERS LAND (SC) WILLIE JACOBS 1912–1990 · Marion Co. SC Farmer · Owned 62.3ac + 32.5ac LUCILE JACOBS 1918–1995 · ONE L · Dillon SC Life estate · Tract B holder 12 NAMED HEIRS Barbara Graves (Tulsa) Carolyn Jacobs · Banton · Minnie Shirley Barnes + 7 others 1985 Deed Book 195 · Dillon VESTED TITLE IN TRACT B 1959 FLB MORTGAGE BOTH tracts as collateral · $4,000 SIGNATURES QUESTIONED Notary: S.R. PRIDGEN 1959 PCA MORTGAGE Book 127/288 · Marion Co. SIGNATURES QUESTIONED · Pridgen NOTARY: S.R. PRIDGEN Notarized 1959 questioned docs ALSO on Fowler/Merck Dower 1966 DEED — TRACT A Willie sells 62.3ac · $12,500 Missing Dower A-85/298 · 85vs62ac gap DOWER RENUNCIATION A12/286 Marion Co. · ~1981 "LUCILLE" 2-L — INSPECT SIGNATURE 1985 LIFE ESTATE DEED Book 195/143 · Dillon Co. Lucile + W.A. Jacobs life estate REMAINDER: 12 NAMED HEIRS 99-YEAR LEASE · 1967 Willie + Lucile + SURVIVOR Expires 13 March 2066 · $1/yr R.M. FOWLER JR. Mullins / Marion Co. SC Died: Nov 24, 1992 Bought Jacobs homestead 1966 CHARLES MERCK Marion Co. SC Co-executed Fowler deeds + Lot 4 ROBERT C. FOWLER Son · Mullins SC 29574 Received Tract A for $5 — 1992 FORECLOSURE CASE 2022 GERALDINE U. FOWLER Wife · Named in both wills Wills conflict with $5 deed CHARLES T. SPETH Attorney · Marion SC 29571 Family attorney · 1985 deed ROBERT H. CORLEY Attorney · Mullins SC 29574 Fowler estate attorney 1992 TRACT A — 62.3ac Marion County SC TMS 019-00-00-101-000 SOLD 1966 · $12,500 FORECLOSURE 2022CP3300316 TRACT B — THE SKILLET 32.5 acres · Dillon County SC Ed Bethea Place · N of Latta Across from Inland Port Dillon FAMILY HAS DEED TITLE Lease expires 2066 TRACT C — LOT 14 ~0.5ac · Ellerbe Heights · Marion Heirs property — needs search LOT 4 — FOWLER S/D ~0.25ac · Plat Book 22 · Marion Lucile paid $1,500 · 1975 SCHED A #16 — 344.5ac Marion Co. S34-23 corridor Fowler held 1/4 only · Jacobs link? Deed chain research needed forced? same notary leveraged forced sale title stolen $5 deed 1992 will: all to Geraldine family deed title names 12 heirs Speth records deed questioned ~1981 sold Lot 4 1975 LEGEND Forgery / fraud chain Family title protection Fowler actions 99-yr lease Perpetrators Victims Protected land Stolen / at risk Named heirs
Step-by-Step: How the Land Was Taken — SC Documents Only
Every step backed by a South Carolina instrument in the case file
1
1946 — Marion County, SC
The Jacobs Family Owns Their Land Outright
Harvey Woodberry deeds 62.3 acres in Marion County to Willie Jacobs (Deed Book A-48, Page 252). The family also farms 32.5 acres in Dillon County (Ed Bethea place). Both parcels free and clear — no mortgages, no encumbrances. Willie and Lucile are working SC farmers raising 16 children.
Woodberry Deed A-48/252 · Marion Co. SC1959 FLB mortgage confirms both tracts owned
2
March 20–25, 1959 — Marion & Dillon Counties, SC
Step 1 of the Scheme: Two Mortgages Placed on Both Tracts — Same Week
Two mortgage instruments are executed within days of each other. The Federal Land Bank mortgage (#S-174-948, March 20) encumbers both Tract A (62.3ac Marion) and Tract B (32.5ac Dillon) for a $4,000 loan. The PCA mortgage (Book 127, Page 288, March 25) adds a second encumbrance on Marion County land. All four signatures — Willie and Lucile on both instruments — are forensically questioned: larger letter size, steeper slant, separate "i" dots, and different formations vs. the 1967 confirmed baseline. Both are notarized by S.R. Pridgen — the same notary who later appears on the Fowler/Merck Dower Renunciation naming Lucile as grantee.
FLB Mortgage #S-174-948 — QUESTIONEDPCA Mortgage Book 127/288 — QUESTIONEDNotary S.R. Pridgen — in both Jacobs AND Fowler instruments
3
October 1965 — Marion & Dillon Counties, SC
Step 2: Financial Pressure — Both Farms Leased Out
Willie leases both the Dillon and Marion farms to E.A. Beeson Jr. for $1,500 total. A man leasing out both farms is a man under financial pressure — consistent with mortgage obligations bearing down on him. This vulnerability is the lever that enables the 1966 forced sale.
1965 Farm Lease to Beeson · Marion and Dillon Co. SC
4
July 1, 1966 — Marion County, SC
Step 3: The Forced Sale — 62.3 Acres Taken for $12,500
Willie signs away the family homestead to R.M. Fowler. Three red flags prove this was not an ordinary arm's-length sale: (1) The June 6 option described 85 acres; the deed describes only 62.3 acres — ~23 acres vanish with no explanation. (2) The mortgages encumbered both Marion and Dillon tracts, but the sale covers only Marion — Dillon was separately arranged via the 1967 lease. (3) The 1966 Renunciation of Dower (Book A-85, Page 298) — required by SC law for valid conveyance — has never been confirmed located. If Lucile's signature on it is forged, the 1966 deed is void under South Carolina law.
1966 Deed Book A-85/297 · Tract A transferredMissing Dower A-85/298 — not confirmed · PRIORITY85ac option vs 62.3ac deed — ~23ac unexplained
5
March 13, 1967 — Dillon County, SC
The Concession: Fowler Leases Tract B Back to the Family for 99 Years
R.M. Fowler — now controlling the Marion homestead — grants a 99-year lease of the 32.5-acre Ed Bethea place (Dillon County) to Willie Jacobs AND Lucile W. Jacobs AND THE SURVIVOR OF THEM. Annual rent: $1.00. The nominal rent and near-permanent term are not market terms — they are a concession, almost certainly part of the arrangement that induced the 1966 Marion County sale. Lease expires March 13, 2066. The survivor clause means Lucile held full leasehold rights after Willie died in 1990.
99-Year Lease — confirmed text · Dillon Co. SCSurvivor clause active through Lucile death 1995
6
~1981 — Marion County, SC
Step 4: Questioned Dower Renunciation — "LUCILLE" (Two L's)
A Renunciation of Dower at Book A12, Page 286, Marion County uses "LUCILLE JACOBS" — two L's — in a document purportedly signed by Lucile. Lucile consistently used one L. The pattern throughout this case is consistent: every document drafted by Fowler-side attorneys or unknown scriveners uses two L's — because they never watched Lucile sign her own name. The original must be physically inspected at Marion County ROD. If the signature itself uses two L's, that is a forgery.
Book A12/286 — "LUCILLE" 2-L · Must inspect signature line
7
November 1985 / February 1986 — Dillon County, SC
The Family Fights Back: 1985 Deed Names 12 Heirs with Vested Title
Attorney Charles T. Speth (Marion SC) executes a deed conveying Tract B (The Skillet) as a life estate to Lucile and William A. Jacobs, with remainder to 12 named heirs including Barbara J. Graves, Carolyn V. Jacobs, Willie Gene Jacobs, Shirley Mae Barnes, and 8 others. Recorded February 11, 1986 at Deed Book 195, Page 143, Dillon County. Barbara J. Graves — who received the 2023 letter claiming "no Jacobs interest of record" on Tract A — is a named remainder heir in this Dillon County deed. She has active title interests. The 2001 FSA letter to William A. Jacobs in Dillon confirms the family continued farming the Skillet 6 years after Lucile died.
1985 Deed Book 195/143 · Dillon Co. — STRONGEST DOCUMENTSpeth letter Feb 17 1986 confirms recordingFSA letter 2001 confirms continuous possession
8
April 1992 / November 1992 — Marion County, SC
Step 5: Fowler Violates His Own Will — Transfers Tract A to Son for $5
Seven months before he dies, R.M. Fowler transfers Tract A to his son Robert C. Fowler for $5 + love and affection (Deed Book A-309, Page 139). Both his 1964 and 1967 wills left all real property to wife Geraldine U. Fowler. Robert C. Fowler acquires Tract A through a deed that conflicts with the standing will — a title defect. Fowler dies November 24, 1992. Probate Case 92-ES-33-180 names devisees as Geraldine, Karen F. Ballenger, and Robert — but only the conflicting deed puts Tract A in Robert's name.
1992 deed A-309/139 — $5 · conflicts with both wills1964 will + 1967 will — all to GeraldineProbate 92-ES-33-180 · death Nov 24 1992
9
June 2022 — Marion County, SC
Step 6: Foreclosure — The Final Act of Dispossession
Robert C. Fowler faces foreclosure on Tract A (Case 2022CP3300316). A 2023 attorney letter tells heir Barbara Graves there is "no Jacobs interest of record" on that parcel. That letter is incomplete — it addresses only Tract A (Marion) and does not address Tract B (Dillon), where Graves holds named deed title. The foreclosure sale, if completed, extinguishes any remaining family claims to Tract A permanently. The window to intervene is open. The case for forgery is based on physical SC documents still in existence at Marion and Dillon County offices.
Foreclosure 2022CP3300316 — TIME SENSITIVEWilliams and Hulst 2023 letter — Tract A onlyTract B: 1985 deed names Barbara Graves as heir · Dillon Co.
Forgery Evidence — SC Documents Only
1967 confirmed SC lease signatures vs. 1959 questioned SC mortgage signatures
THE ONE-L RULE: Lucile Williams Jacobs consistently signed her name with one L — "Lucile." Every document drafted by a Fowler-side attorney or unknown scrivener uses "Lucille" — two L's. This pattern is consistent with those drafters never having directly observed Lucile sign her own name. A genuine witness would copy the spelling from her signature.
1959 FLB Mortgage Copy 1 — MOST CONCERNING
  • Letter size: ~12-15mm — significantly larger than 1967 (~8-10mm)
  • Slant: ~25-30 degrees — steeper than 1967 baseline (~15-20 degrees)
  • "i" dot: Separate dot — 1967 shows NO separate dot
  • Middle letters: Ambiguous — possible different hand entirely
  • J of Jacobs: Less controlled, different formation
1959 FLB Copy 2 + PCA Mortgage — Still Questioned
  • Spelling: ONE L confirmed — "Lucile" readable
  • Slant: ~15-20 degrees — closer to 1967
  • "i" dot: Separate dot — still differs from 1967 baseline
  • Letter size: Still larger than 1967
  • Pattern: All three 1959 signatures show consistent differences from 1967 — larger script, separate "i" dots — across three separate documents
1967 Lease Signatures — CONFIRMED AUTHENTIC (SC)
  • Spelling: ONE L — "Lucile" — authentic baseline
  • Letter size: Compact ~8-10mm
  • Slant: ~15-20 degrees forward
  • "i" flow: No separate dot — flows into "l"
  • Location: Dillon County SC lease instrument
CRITICAL MISSING — 1966 SC Deed Signatures (Book A-85/298)
  • The 1966 Willie Jacobs deed signature has never been produced or compared
  • The 1966 Renunciation of Dower (Book A-85, Page 298, Marion County SC) required for valid conveyance has not been confirmed located
  • If forged — matching the 1959 pattern — the 1966 deed is void under South Carolina law
  • Request from Marion County Register of Deeds immediately
THE NOTARY LINK (SC): S.R. Pridgen notarized the 1959 questioned mortgage signatures in Marion County, SC. S.R. Pridgen also notarized the Fowler/Merck Dower Renunciation naming "LUCILLE JACOBS" as grantee — using the two-L spelling. One SC notary connecting both the instruments encumbering Jacobs land and the Fowler deed instruments, while misspelling Lucile's name, is a central connection in the forgery case.
BOOK A12, PAGE 286 — Marion County ROD: A ~1981 Renunciation of Dower uses "LUCILLE JACOBS" (two L's). The body was drafted by a scrivener — but what does the signature line read? If the signature itself uses two L's, that is strong evidence of forgery. This is the second-highest priority document to physically inspect after the 1966 Dower Renunciation.
Evidence Matrix — South Carolina Documents Only
What each SC instrument proves in the forgery and land theft case
DocumentDateWhat It ProvesSC LocationStatus
Woodberry Deed1946Jacobs owned 62.3ac Marion free and clear before any Fowler contactBook A-48/252 · Marion Co. RODNot yet obtained
1959 FLB MortgageMar 1959Questioned signatures. Encumbers BOTH SC tracts — leverage for 1966 sale. Notary: S.R. PridgenFLB records · Marion + Dillon Co.Forensic exam needed
1959 PCA MortgageMar 1959Questioned signatures. Second mortgage doubles pressure. Same notary S.R. PridgenBook 127/288 · Marion Co. RODForensic exam needed
1965 Farm LeaseOct 1965Financial distress before 1966 sale — both SC farms leased outMarion Co. recordsIn file
1966 Deed — Tract AJul 1966Transfer instrument. 85ac option vs 62.3ac deed. Willie signature never comparedBook A-85/297 · Marion Co. RODOriginal not examined
1966 Dower RenunciationJul 1966CRITICAL. Required by SC law. If forged = 1966 deed VOID. Never confirmed locatedBook A-85/298 · Marion Co. RODNOT LOCATED — #1 Priority
99-Year Lease (SC)Mar 1967Willie + Lucile + SURVIVOR hold Dillon Co. lease to 2066. $1/yr = part of 1966 arrangementDillon Co. SC recordsConfirmed text in file
1967 Lease Signatures1967CONFIRMED AUTHENTIC. One-L Lucile + Willie. SC forensic baselineDillon Co. SC leaseConfirmed baseline
Fowler 1964 Will (SC)Sep 1964All SC property to Geraldine — conflicts with 1992 $5 deed to RobertMarion Co. ProbateIn file
Fowler 1967 Will (SC)Sep 1967Supersedes 1964 will. Same terms. Both SC wills conflict with 1992 deedMarion Co. Probate 92-ES-33-180In file
Dower Renunciation A12/286~1981QUESTIONED. "LUCILLE" two L's. Does SC signature line match? Needs inspectionBook A12/286 · Marion Co. RODSignature line not inspected
1985 Life Estate Deed (SC)Nov 1985STRONGEST. 12 named SC heirs vested in Tract B. Barbara Graves named. Speth recordedBook 195/143 · Dillon Co. SCConfirmed in file — CRITICAL
Speth Letter (SC)Feb 1986SC attorney confirms 1985 deed recorded. Family had SC counsel. Title was intentionalSpeth office · Marion SCIn file
FSA Letter (SC)Aug 2001SC family member farming Dillon land in 2001. Continuous possession of Tract B post-Lucile deathUSDA FSA · Dillon SC 29536In file
Fowler Probate (SC)Dec 1992Fowler died Nov 24 1992 Marion Co. Devisees include Geraldine — conflicts with $5 deed92-ES-33-180 · Marion Co. SCIn file
1992 Deed to Robert (SC)Apr 1992$5 Marion Co. deed conflicts with both SC wills. Title defect in Robert chainBook A-309/139 · Marion Co. RODNeed original
Foreclosure 2022 (SC)Jun 2022Marion Co. Circuit Court. Window to assert SC forgery and title claims before sale2022CP3300316 · Marion Co. SCTIME SENSITIVE — Active
Key People — South Carolina Connections Only
Every individual connected to Marion or Dillon County, SC instruments in this case
Victim · Marion Co. SC
Willie Jacobs (1912–1990)
Born Marion Co. SC. Farmer, 62.3ac Tract A + 32.5ac Tract B. Died Nov 14, 1990, Florence SC. No probate found in SC. Signed 1959 questioned SC mortgages. Signed 1966 SC deed selling homestead. 1967 Dillon Co. SC lease = confirmed authentic signature baseline.
Victim · Dillon/Marion SC
Lucile Williams Jacobs (1918–1995)
Born Dillon SC. One L — "Lucile." Died Jan 21, 1995. Held SC life estate in Tract B (Dillon Co.). No probate found in SC. 1959 questioned SC signatures show multiple discrepancies vs. 1967 SC confirmed baseline. Named in 1985 Dillon Co. deed.
Perpetrator · Marion Co. SC
R.M. Fowler Jr.
Mullins/Marion Co. SC. Died Nov 24, 1992. Purchased Jacobs homestead 1966 ($12,500 Marion Co.). Executed 1967 Dillon Co. lease to Jacobs ($1/yr). Sold Lot 4 to Lucile 1975. Both SC wills conflict with 1992 $5 deed to Robert.
Perpetrator · Mullins SC
Robert C. Fowler
Son of R.M. Fowler. Route 2 Box 75-B, Mullins SC 29574. Received Marion Co. Tract A for $5 in 1992 via deed conflicting with both SC wills. In foreclosure Case 2022CP3300316, Marion County SC. Multiple SC state tax liens on record.
Enabler · Marion Co. SC
S.R. Pridgen (Notary)
Marion County SC notary. Notarized the 1959 questioned mortgage signatures in Marion and Dillon Co. Also notarized the Fowler/Merck Dower Renunciation — spelling Lucile as "LUCILLE" (two L's). Same SC notary in both Jacobs and Fowler instruments — central to the forgery case.
Enabler · Marion Co. SC
Charles Merck
Marion Co. SC. Co-executed Lot 4 deed with Fowler (sold to Lucile 1975). Witness on Fowler 1964 will. His wife Phyllis H. Merck co-executed the SC Dower Renunciation naming Lucile as grantee. Consistently associated with Fowler SC instruments.
Family Attorney · Marion SC
Charles T. Speth
109 E. Layton St., P.O. Box 2186, Marion SC 29571. Executed and recorded the 1985 Skillet deed, Book 195/143, Dillon Co. SC, naming 12 family heirs. Also the SC attorney for the 1992 unsigned partition agreement. Key SC witness to family intent.
Fowler Estate Attorney · Mullins SC
Robert H. Corley
P.O. Box 651, Mullins SC 29574. Phone: 803-464-9765. Handled R.M. Fowler SC estate probate, Case 92-ES-33-180. Has information about the conflict between Fowler SC wills and the 1992 Marion Co. deed to Robert.
Named Heir · 1985 Dillon Co. Deed
Barbara J. Graves
Named remainder heir in 1985 SC Deed Book 195, Dillon County. Received 2023 Williams & Hulst letter about Tract A (Marion Co.) only. That letter does not address her Dillon Co. deed title. She has SC legal standing to enforce her interest in Tract B.
Named Heir + Active Farmer · SC
William A. Jacobs
Named in 1985 Dillon Co. life estate deed. Received 2001 USDA FSA letter at Dillon SC 29536 — confirming active management of the Skillet and crop allotments as recently as 2001. His continued SC presence establishes continuous possession of Tract B.
Named Remainder Heirs · 1985 Dillon Co. Deed
9 Additional SC Heirs
All named in 1985 Deed Book 195, Dillon Co. SC: Minnie Lee Fore, Banton Jacobs, Horace Jacobs, Dorothy B. Jacobs, Carolyn V. Jacobs, Willie Gene Jacobs, Gladys M. Edmunds, Thelma M. Jacobs, Jim Arthur Jacobs, Sylvia Ann Dosey. All hold SC remainder title in Tract B.