South Carolinians for three-quarters of a century have felt an uncanny bond with Strom Thurmond, whose death Thursday night came peacefully and painlessly 100 years after his birth.

The former senator and governor's place in the history of this state is secure. Nationally, he was the oldest and long-serving U.S. senator in our nation's history. Today's political leaders are saying his passing leaves a void that will never be filled.

Thurmond's strong stand against racial integration was a flawed policy that the South and the nation eventually were forced to disavow. But, to his credit, Thurmond changed as the times changed. That would be one ingredient in South Carolina's ability to finally integrate public institutions largely without the violence that was seen in other states in the Deep South. Thurmond fought national civil rights legislation, but once it passed he sided with the law. He became the first senator from the South to hire a black staff member, and he supported the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday.

It has been noted that Thurmond never got too far out ahead of the people of South Carolina. If his policies are to be skewered, it must be remembered that they closely reflect the populace, and the state's own struggle through history.

His military service, which began at age 40 on the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, may have helped endear him to the people. His ceaseless support for a strong military was in step with his state throughout the Cold War.

But it was Thurmond's constituent service that supplied a steady bond to generation after generation of South Carolinians.

Democrat U.S. Rep. John Spratt of York County, who served with Thurmond for 20 years, said, "There was never before, and may never be again, a politician who took care of the people at home like he did. Strom was a gracious, courtly man who grew with the times, and he should be given credit for that."

The stories are legion. Calls to his office were returned within the hour. Visits back home were so tightly orchestrated that staffers had the names of all in attendance beforehand, enabling Thurmond to greet "strangers" by name.

State Sen. Scott Richardson, R-Hilton Head Island, said that "incredible staff machine" helped give Thurmond a bullet-proof quality he likened to Ronald Reagan. "People felt like Strom was a good person, whether they agreed with him or not," Richardson said. "People felt like they could trust him."

Thurmond is called "amazing," a "survivor" and "an interesting guy."

Part of that reputation is attributable to Thurmond's emphasis on personal fitness. He repeatedly cited his stringent exercise regimen as the reason he could remain fit for office long after most people retired. That mantra kept up even after he became obviously feeble. At his 100th birthday party, Thurmond said he felt like he was 21.

It is fitting that a palatial new fitness center at the corner of Blossom and Assembly streets on the University of South Carolina campus in Columbia bears Thurmond's name.

People joke that there are more buildings, schools, lakes and statues bearing the Thurmond name in South Carolina than there are pieces of legislation to his credit.

That reflects his preference for constituent service, and it reflects an uncanny bond between one amazing man and the people of South Carolina.