GILBERT--Beauty queens, grandparents and politicians briefly escaped the Fourth of July heat in the air conditioned lunch room at Gilbert Primary School on Friday, but one familiar face was missing at the 45th annual Lexington County Peach Festival ceremony.

"You could always figure you'd see Strom," Rep. Larry Koon, R-Lexington said as he welcomed the crowd.

Paper fans stopped waiving and heads bowed as the crowd paused for a moment of silence to remember former U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, who died last week at age 100.

"He isn't with us except in spirit," said Raymond Boozer, master of ceremony and chairman of the festival.

Thurmond loved festivals of all types and only missed the last two peach celebrations in Gilbert, said U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C.

Wilson said one of his favorite memories was Thurmond and former Gov. Carroll Campbell riding horses at the front of the parade.

"He really had a deep affection to come to the festival to be with the people," Wilson said.

Thurmond, who retired in January after serving 48 years in the Senate, holds the record as the nation's oldest and longest-serving senator.

When critics said Thurmond was too old and frail for the U.S. Senate, Thurmond appeared at South Carolina's parades, festivals and celebrations to campaign in person. At 93, he remembered their names, shook their hands and signed autographs without the help of aides.

"He just appeared just as wet with perspiration as everybody else," recalled Betty Buff, who helped coordinate this year's Peachy Contest of top recipes.

Archie Harman, 57, of Lexington, who has attended the festival every year, said the politicking at the festival has faded. "People aren't as interested in political speaking," Harman said. "It doesn't seem the same without him."

But the theme of patriotism and community support from new faces at the festival continued to stir emotions.

Mark Sanford cooled off with a dish of peach ice cream at his first Lexington County Peach Festival as governor.

He watched while local agriculture officials were introduced, those with award-winning recipes picked up their plaques and visiting teens with tiaras stepped on stage to wave. "Y'all have something very, very special here ... with a real sense of community," Sanford said as his wife, Jenny, and four sons looked on. "What we're really celebrating is a way of life."

Gilbert Mayor Phil Price said the festival puts people at ease despite the fact that U.S. troops still are fighting in Iraq and there are threats of lurking terrorists.

"It helps people forget about things that we really don't have any control over," he said.

While fresh peaches were gobbled up, "America the Beautiful" played on a keyboard and the chatter of fellowship among friends echoed, many still thought of days past and South Carolina's former senator. "He just felt like this was home," Price said. "We miss him."