Grandson’s journey brings Andrews’ bicentennial film full circle

By Karen Owens
Publisher

On Tuesday afternoon, nearly 100 people gathered at the Andrews Library to watch a locally produced documentary that captured daily life in the small Georgetown County town during the nation’s bicentennial celebration in 1976. The film had been sealed in a time capsule at the Georgetown County Courthouse until it was opened on July 4, 2026, then digitized so the community could see it this summer.

“The Way It Was” was the work of late Andrews resident Lee Parsons, who shot the 15-minute, 16mm film to serve as a snapshot of the town a half-century ago, showcasing local residents, businesses, community organizations, and daily life.

It was moving to see the faces in the room and hear the excited “oohs” and “aahs” as audience members recognized familiar places and people. In speaking with Parsons’ grandson, Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Bill Wisneski, it was clear the film had been a labor of love for a man who loved his hometown.

“My grandfather was proud to be from Andrews, and after spending a lifetime working in places like Washington, D.C., New York City and Connecticut, he was happy to move back to Andrews when he retired,” Wisneski shared. “He was very much a Renaissance man who enjoyed writing, poetry, photography and traveling. He was even a gourmet cook. While I knew he took photos and filmed during his travels, I never knew that he had created a documentary until about 15 years ago.”

That discovery began when Wisneski’s mother, Peggy, designated him the family historian and started passing down boxes of photos and other artifacts. Among them, they found an old newspaper article that referenced the 1976 documentary about life in Andrews, launching Bill’s quest to locate the film and learn what had happened to it.

For Wisneski, discovering the film was not just a matter of family curiosity. It became a way to reconnect with a place and a grandfather whose creative work had been waiting, quietly preserved, for another generation to find.

As he told the audience, his initial efforts to reach out to Andrews Town Hall yielded a puzzled response, as the current staff had no idea of the film’s existence. Having grown up on the west coast and only visiting South Carolina a few times as a very young child, he didn’t realize the connection with Georgetown County.

Fortunately, thanks to Steve Candal’s efforts to make the county aware of the time capsule and its contents, they were able to connect with Wisneski, who thought it would be amazing to travel to South Carolina for the screening.

For Wisneski, this was “a trip of a lifetime,” as the Town of Andrews and Georgetown County officials rolled out the proverbial red carpet for his visit. He toured the community, visiting old homes, including his great-grandparents’ former house; Andrews Mayor Frank McClary took him on a kayaking trip down the scenic Black River, which Wisneski’s grandfather cherished so much; and he waded into the surf at Pawleys Island, while facetiming his mother who was anxious to see how he enjoyed the warmer water temperatures of the Atlantic Ocean.

Lee Parsons

Wisneski grew emotional as he described hearing his grandfather’s voice as he narrated the documentary. Parsons died of cancer in 1984, when Bill was about 12 years old.

I remain humbled by how fortunate I am to witness moments like this in my new life here in Georgetown County — and grateful that I can share them with you, our readers.

There will be a second screening of the documentary on September 15 at the main Georgetown Library, as the county seals a new time capsule for citizens to open in 2076.