THOMAS GOLDING

Vicksburg industrialist Thomas Henry Golding died Tuesday, March 19, 2002, at home. He was 90.

“He was a good friend for many years,” said Emmett Atwood, a colleague in Vicksburg commerce, “and he was a great businessman.

Mr. Golding was a native of Eupora and grew up in the Mississippi Delta near Greenville. Before moving his family to Vicksburg in 1965, he worked on ocean liners and in England, then established a cattle and cotton operation near Winterville north of Greenville.

Five years earlier, he developed the first cotton crops in Guatemala. About the same time, he went into partnership with Jesse Brent of Greenville operating a refrigerated ship between several Central American ports and Memphis.

“When he first came to Vicksburg I was the first one he met,” said friend D.P. Waring Jr. “That was when we got into the shipbuilding business.”

Big River Shipbuilding was started at the then new E.W. Haining Industrial Center and Port of Vicksburg. Mr. Golding later also entered the towing business, founding Ole Man River Towing. The company was sold in 1992 to the Kirby Corp.

In other pursuits, Mr. Golding developed Golding Acres, a neighborhood development near Greenville, operated a radio station, a drug store and a commercial construction company and was involved in commercial real estate.

Mr. Golding retired in 1977.

He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Henry Golding, and his mother, Jimmy Edna Elkins Golding.

He is survived by his wife, Angie Young Golding; two sons, Steve D. Golding of Vicksburg and Thomas Golding of San Diego; his daughter, Carol Ann Wilkerson of Ocean Springs; two sisters, Sara G. Jordan of Greenville and Alice Toler of Cleveland; a brother, James “Buddy” Golding of Panama City, Fla.; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Church of the Holy Trinity with the Rev. Michael Nation, rector, officiating. Burial will be at Green Acres Memorial Park with Fisher-Riles Funeral Home in charge. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. in the Parish Hall.

Pallbearers will be D.P. Waring Jr., Emmett Atwood, Howard Brent, Wick Eatherly, Doug Mauldin, Brad Bradway, Joel Henderson and Robert Rials. Honorary pallbearers will be Eustace Conway, Bubba Buehler, Ted Levi, Scott Warfield, John L. Moody and Alex Shiers.

JULIA DOBBINS

PORT GIBSON Julia Dobbins died Sunday, March 17, 2002, at Claiborne County Hospital. She was 88.

Mrs. Dobbins was a member and mother at First Baptist Church in Port Gibson. She was an associate member and mother at Magnolia M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Virgel Smith and Francis Wade Smith, and her husband, Joseph Dobbins.

She is survived by a daughter, Josephine Dobbins-Hosey of Hermanville; two sons, Joseph Dobbins Jr. and Frank Dobbins, both of Hermanville; three grandchildren; five stepgrandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church with the Rev. James Dorsey officiating. Burial will follow at Thompson Memorial Garden Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 1 until 6 today at Thompson Funeral Home Inc. in Port Gibson and from 10 a.m. Thursday until the service at the church.

LESSIE V. REID

Lessie V. Reid died Tuesday, March 19, 2002, at River Region Medical Center. She was 89.

Mrs. Reid was a native of Dora, Ala., and lived for a number of years in Greenville. She had been a Vicksburg resident for the past four years. She was of the Baptist faith.

She is survived by grandchildren, including Eddie Evans of Vicksburg, and great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Nichols Funeral Home in Haleyville, Ala. Burial will follow at Concord Cemetery in Natural Bridge, Ala.

Glenwood Funeral Home has charge of local arrangements.

WILLIE THOMAS

Willie “Dickie” Thomas died Sunday, March 17, 2002, at his home. He was 61.

Mr. Thomas was of the Baptist faith and a former employee of Anderson-Tully and Baxter-Wilson Entergy.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Willie Thomas Sr. and Malinda Washington, and a sister, Rosa James.

He is survived by a daughter, Cora Clark of Vicksburg; two brothers, William Washington Jr. of Yazoo City and Michael Washington of Vicksburg; three sisters, Mildred Harris, Josie Williams and Linda Washington, all of Vicksburg; his stepfather, Preacher Washington of Vicksburg; and other relatives and friends.

Williams Funeral Service has charge of arrangements.