Funeral Services for Bro. Jim Williams

1885-1962, to be held at  Church of God in Christ, Amite, La. on Thursday, February 1, 1962 at 1:00 p.m. 

Order of Service

Master of Ceremony.....................................................................................................Supt. Monroe McGee 

Presiding.............................................Elder Alex Richardson, Pastor, Church of God in Christ, Amite, LA

Song................................................................................................................Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross

Invocation.............................................................................Rev. Leroy Thomas,  Pastor of Church of God

Christ Dell Chapel, Independence, Louisiana

Talk by Family..................................................................................................................Bro. Monroe Perry

Talk by Friends...................................................................................................................Deacon C. Wheat 

Solo.................................................................................................................................... John E. Forman

Eulogy..................................................................................................Elder J.J. Johnson, Pastor of Church of God in Christ Darlington, Louisiana.

Reprint from the Funeral Program of Jim Williams

Courtesy of Richardson Funeral Home, Inc. Amite

Notes: 

Jim was married twice, first to Lillie Edwards Williams  and secondly to Emma Vining Williams was his second wife. According to the 1940 United States Federal Census, he and his family were living in Amite, La. on Highway 103. His occupation was a farmer and they rented their home. According to the census, he never attended school. He and Emma was the parents of: Ethel, Arthur, Jim, Jr., and Dorothy Williams. He was the stepfather of: Alexander, Josephine, Alma and Rosabelle Richardson.      

Jim and Lillie were the parents of; Viola Williams, E.D. Williams, and J. D. Williams. Jim is buried at Mount Zion also known as Greater Refuge Temple and Bear Creek Cemetery in Montpelier, St. Helena Parish, Louisiana.   

According to his U.S. World War 1 Draft Registration Card, he was born on December 14, 1879. A slender build man, short in height, black hair and black eyes.                  

Thomas Richardson, Sr. of Amite, Louisiana

Thomas Richardson, Sr. 

Thomas Richardson, Sr. was born in Amite, Louisiana on July 4, 1928 to the late Alexander and Melissa Wheat Richardson. He died on October 3, 1971 in Compton Los Angles. He was the first born child to this union. He had had nine siblings: one sister; Helenstine Richardson Williams; eight brothers: Samuel, Walter, Alex, Emmitt, Joseph, Earl, Nathaniel, and Darnell Richardson.

He married his sweetheart Leola Gilbert in 1953 in New Orleans, LA.  They had five children:  Thomas, Jr., Yolanda, Winifred, Malcom, and Russell Richardson.  According to to his Military Draft Card he was eighteen years old and live in Route 1, Box 16 E, Amite, LA.  Thomas was employed by Welton Brumfield in Amite, La. 

He had brown eyes, black hair, dark brown complexion and was 5'2". He listed his father as his next of kin. 

The Celebration the Life of Thomas Richardson

Thomas Richardson, Sr. 

Without warning death pluck a flower from the Richardson's Garden on Sunday October 3, 1971. Thomas was born July 4, 1929/ He was born and reared in Amite, LA. He was married to Leola Gilbert on July 25, 1953. To this union was born five children. To his family he was a loving and faithful striving always to keep them happy and in material comforts of life. He was a faithful husband and a loving father. All the beautiful things in life the most beautiful, is character and he who possesses a beautiful character is worthy of the flowers we give. A beautiful life is the fruit of a beautiful character, he who we memorialize here at this time possessed a beautiful character and lived a beautiful life.

To my mind the highest tribute that can be paid to any man is, that he was loved by his fellows and Christ. Truly  he was a noble gentleman and citizen. He was a hared worker. He sought to help and encourage all who needed such. He was always busy, and alert to find something to do or a word to encourage. 

Thomas leaves to mourn his death, a wife Leola; five children: Thomas, Jr., Yolanda, Winfred, Malcom and Russel of Compton, California, mother and father, Elder. and Mrs. Alex Richardson (Amite), one sister, Mrs. Helestine Williams (Houston, Texas) eight brothers: Walter (Tulsa, Oklahoma), Alex, Jr., (Houston, Texas), Nathaniel and Emmitt (Los Angles, California), Samuel, Earl, Joseph, and Darnell of Amite. A host of relatives and friends. 

Program

Devotion

Mistress of Ceremony.........................................................................................................Helen P. Edwards

Selection...............................................................................................................................................Chorus

Solo.........................................................................................................................................Mr. J.M. Mabry

Talk.................................................................................................................................Mrs. Eunice Rudison

Solo.....................................................................................................................................Mr. Leslie Mabry

Obituary...............................................................................................................................Mr. Leslie Mabry

Acknowledgement of Condolences, Flower, and Telegrams/Mrs. Helen P. Edwards

Solo.........................................................................................................................Miss. Darilyn Richardson

Eulogy..................................................................................................................................Supt. H.H. Evans

Viewing of Cadaver

In charge of arrangements, Richardson Funeral Home and Purple Shield Life Insurance

Reprint: The Funeral Program of Thomas Richardson

East Baton Rouge Parish Library Digitizing Funeral Programs from Richardson Funeral Home, Inc. Amite.

Kay Hurst and Melissa Eastlin
EBPL-Photo
Credit: Dr. Antoinette Harrell

The African American funeral programs contains a wealth of information about the deceased that gives insights into their lives. The funeral programs contains their name, date of birth, date of death, parents names, maiden names of women who were married, occupation, education and civic duties and organization affiliation, names of their siblings, and children.  Valuable information  is provided in these programs that can be a great help to anyone researching their family history. 

In sharing some of the Watson funeral program with  award winning author, radio talk show host, and genealogist Bernice Bennett, she discovered information about her family history and learned about her ancestors on her grandfather side of the family. "These are my relatives on my grandfather side of the family. Bennett explained to me." Each of the people on the Watson funeral programs and funeral home books are in my family tree. 

Kay Hurst, Research Specialist at the Genealogy and Special Collections Department at the EBRPL, sent an email requesting me to meet with   them about the collection. They read the article published  in the Advocate newspaper "Segregation erased generation of  Black history. This Louisiana funeral home rediscovering it." During our meeting they told me that they would gladly digitized the collection and return the originals copies  back to me. Because Richardson Funeral, Inc. Amite has a collection at the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies, I thought it would be best to consult with Dr. Samuel Hyde, the Center Executive Director before I make any decision concerning this collection. He informed me that was alright to get them digitized. I was hoping that he would agree with this process.

East Baton Rouge Parish Library collection is a collaborative effort between the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Special Collection  Department and numerous community contributors to collect preserve and make available this unique resource.

Any archivist's greatest concern during a natural disaster is the loss of historical materials, rare books, audio, video, and photographs.  The Georgia Public Library Service new collection features more than 100 years of digitized African American Funeral programs. The San Antonio Public Library, Texas has a digitized African-American Program Collection. The African American Funeral Programs Collection at the East Baton Rouge Parish. I'm glad to see that this digitized process is happening Louisiana,

Thomas Cook
EBPL: Photo Credit: Dr. Antoinette Harrell

Richardson Funeral Home, Inc., Amite, Nurturing Our Roots Media and Dr. Antoinette Harrell has become a contributors to the preservation for funeral programs at EBPL. Digitization of this collection provides access to the funeral programs of several of the Florida parishes and other parishes in Louisiana to anyone worldwide who are searching for genealogical and historical information through the use of digital technology. In collaboration with my brother Thomas, we gathered the funeral programs and took them to the East Baton Rough Parish Library Special Collection Department for digitization preservation. It will take Kassandra and Kay approximately one month to digitize the collection.

It took me two days to alphabetize 590 funeral programs. I also created a database of the funeral programs for Richardson Funeral Home, Inc., Amite,  The Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Library. Creating this database facilitates a faster processing of the collection. I would definitely say it's my passion and a labor of love. 

Please see the link below for the African American Funeral Program EBRPL:

https://www.ebrpl.com

https://batonrougedigitalarchive.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16340coll17