Obituaries

Frank Dowsing Jr.,
former student-athlete

In 1967, Dowsing became one of the first group of African-American students at Tupelo High School under the state's "Freedom of Choice" integration plan. That same year, he was one of the first three black athletes to play football in the previously all-white Mississippi public schools.

Dowsing enrolled at Mississippi State in 1969 and played defensive back under Coach Charley Shira, subsequently being selected All-SEC and All-American. He graduated with honors in 1973.

Before illness forced his retirement, he was a district manager with AT&T in California. On his return to the Tupelo area, he became very active in Palmetto CME Church and had enrolled at Memphis Theological Seminary. He was instrumental in starting a scholarship program, which the Tupelo-Aberdeen CME District named after him prior to his death.

Dowsing was a steward of Palmetto CME Church, a Sunday School teacher, founding president of the church's Mass Choir, and a lay leader for Palmetto's Lay Council and the Aberdeen-Tupelo District Lay Council.

Acquaintances, former teammates, and coaches have described Dowsing as a pioneer whose quiet determination earned him universal respect and as a positive influence on race relations in the state.

James M. "Jimmy" Yeates ('28) -- 91, Tallulah, La., retired teacher and assistant principal at Tallulah High School. Yeates was a drum major in the Famous 40 Band, a Golden Glove boxing champion, and later, a pioneer aviator. Nov. 8, 1993.

John Robert Boyd Jr. ('30) -- 87, Tallahassee, Fla., retired industrial fire insurance engineer.

Charles Gilbert Boone ('32) -- 85, Canton, retired county Extension Service agent, June 6, 1994.

Samuel Ralph Greer ('32) -- 87, Poplarville, retired manager and appraiser and horticultural writer, May 7, 1994.

Sid R. Harris ('34) -- 83, Houston, retired editor and publisher of the Houston Times Post and civic leader, Aug. 3, 1994.

James M. "Jackie" Mathison ('35) -- 81, Prentiss, retired state Highway Department project engineer and World War II veteran, July 11, 1994.

Eugene C. Truesdale ('35) -- 82, Carthage, retired Mississippi Department of Transportation engineer, Feb. 8, 1994.

Joe Milton Griffin ('38) -- 78, Meridian, retired businessman and World War II veteran.

Edward A. Maxwell ('38) -- 77, Greenwood, retired airport manager and Greenwood code enforcement officer and World War II veteran, April 27, 1994.

L.H. Graves Jr. ('39) -- 79, Brookhaven, retired teacher and farmer, May 2, 1994.

Henry Roger Madison ('39) -- 85, Cairo, Ga., retired agriculture teacher and past president of the Georgia Teachers of Agriculture and the Georgia Vocational Association, March 4, 1994.

W.R. "Billy" Rector ('39) -- 78, Canoga Park, Calif., retired Rockwell and Lockheed Aircraft Co. employee, March 26, 1994.

Richard Cameron Shaw ('43) -- 72, Sidon, farmer, founder and director of First National Bank in Greenwood, and Delta civic leader, July 25, 1994.

Robert Burnette Holmes Sr. ('46) -- 71, Kosciusko, retired owner and president of Nehi Bottling Co., May 14, 1994.

Fred R. Roberts Jr. ('47) -- 71, West Point, former co-owner of Pennebaker Ready-Mix Inc. and civic leader, July 29, 1994.

Charles A. "Charlie" Byrd ('49) -- 69, Tylertown, retired executive director for the Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service for Walthall County and a World War II veteran, June 12, 1994.

A.B. Stevens Jr. ('49) -- 69, Macon, retired farmer and board member of Noxubee General Hospital and World War II veteran, May 6, 1994.

Geoffrey Steele Watrous Jr. ('49, '50) -- 70, Madison, retired senior utilities engineer for the state Public Service Commission and World War II veteran, July 24, 1994.

A.D. "Doug" Fryman ('50) -- 67, Oklahoma City, Okla., retired oil field geologist and World War II veteran, June 4, 1994.

Charles Clinton Davidson ('53, M.S. '58) -- 66, Senatobia, retired teacher, administrator, and counselor, May 27, 1994.

Brooks Avery Lewis Jr. ('53) -- 63, Greenwood, owner of Ramada Inn in Greenwood, July 17, 1994.

Jean M. Ulmer ('53) -- 63, Germantown, Tenn., retired Allstate insurance adjuster, former Reflector editor, and an Eagle Scout and Silver Beaver Award recipient, July 4, 1994.

David H. Sparks ('54, M.S. '55) -- 64, Magee, retired sales manager for Olin Chemical Corp., July 6, 1994.

Luther Ambrose Stowers ('57) -- 58, Natchez, member of Mississippi National Guard and a director of Historic Natchez Foundation, July 20, 1994.

James E. Noblin ('58) -- 57, Jackson, retired general contractor and former state senator, May 19, 1994.

Jo Willa Bruns Ross ('59) -- 57, Cleveland, retired counselor, July 10, 1994.

Robert F. Koenig ('60) -- 60, Jackson, retired industrial engineer, June 26, 1994.

Rogers Carroll Turner ('61) -- 55, Vicksburg, planning associate of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors in Washington and recently became chief of the Geo-technical Branch, Engineering Division, May 6, 1994.

Melvin Brinson Foster ('62) -- 54, Monticello, grocery store owner and Navy veteran, June 12, 1994.

Larry Lee Lenoir ('62) -- 56, Gulfport, senior member of the law firm of Mize, Blass, Lenoir, and Laird and former president of the Harrison County Bar Association, May 23, 1994.

Ritch McFadden ('62) -- 53, Pineville, La., engineer.

Kathryn Bennett Sutton ('62) -- 54, Gulfport, homemaker, past president of Gulfport Junior Auxiliary, and past president of Gulfport Yacht Club Women's Auxiliary, June 26, 1994.

W. Sherrill McQuirter ('65) -- 52, Madison, claims adjuster for Liberty National Insurance Co., July 25, 1994.

Eva Sue Melvin ('66) -- 86, Macon, retired schoolteacher and former superintendent of Noxubee County schools, July 12, 1994.

Larry Tynes ('70) -- 54, Poplarville, superintendent of Poplarville public schools, June 3, 1994.

Robert M. Chism ('74) -- 46, Columbus, owner of Columbus Countertops and Canvas Supply, April 30, 1994.

Bonnie Potter Skelton ('74) -- 41, Cleveland, nurse, April 26, 1994.

Cauley C. Chase ('76) -- 40, Rolling Fork, farmer, April 13, 1994.

General Holt III ('78) -- 39, Natchez, diversified occupations coordinator for Natchez-Adams public schools, June 2, 1994.

Athaniel H. Moody ('78) -- 76, Laurel, retired associate county agent for Jones County, July 12, 1994.

William Douglas "Doug" Rooker ('79, M.S. '91) -- 37, McComb, petroleum engineer, July 21, 1994.

William P. Crockett Jr. ('80) -- 35, Lafayette, La., field service manager for Dowell-Schlumberger, July 9, 1994.

John Steven Risher ('81) -- 37, Philadelphia, vice president and salesman for Electronic Wholesale, July 7, 1994.

Emmett L. Anderson (attended) -- 90, Vicksburg, retired painter and wallpaper hanger, June 12, 1994.

Ardath Miller Cade (attended) -- 85, Brooksville, store owner.

Sarah L. Duncan (attended) -- 84, Louisville, retired teacher, Aug. 3, 1994.

Malorie Leigh Smith Gonzalez (attended) -- May 23, 1994.

Robert Hoskins (attended) -- 52, Jonesboro, Ark., interim president of Arkansas State University, July 23, 1994.

Lois King Hughes Jenkins (attended) -- 86, Eupora, retired schoolteacher, May 26, 1994.

Gideon C. Montjoy III (attended) -- 92, Greenwood, retired real estate developer, May 26, 1994.

Solomon B. Richardson (attended) -- 89, Columbus, retired minister, May 14, 1994.

Tandy M. Stepp (attended) -- 68, Lexington, building supply dealer and Navy veteran, June 12, 1994.

James Edwin Trotter (attended) -- 54, Batesville, counselor at Southaven High School, July 6, 1994.

Annelle Hopson Wilson (attended) -- 70, Gulfport, retired therapist, April 18, 1994.

Robert Andrew Young (attended) -- 42, Amory, owner of Pizza Doctor in Okolona, April 7, 1994.

John Jacob "Jake" McGee (former employee) -- 89, Starkville, retired janitorial employee at Mississippi State, April 27, 1994.

Mattie M. Neill (former employee) -- 88, retired extension home economist, Coahoma County, April 10, 1994.