Aunt Doris

My grandmother's sister, Aunt Doris, passed away today. She was a really neat woman and so funny. She reminds me of Rose on the Golden Girls. In reading I found out that she was Clairee in Steel Magnolias (the play) my all time favorite girly movie. We'll miss her.

Doris "Widgie" Williams Lantrip
Date:October 9th, 1926 - April 23rd, 2009
Doris Nadine Williams Lantrip, 82, of Madison and formerly of Waynesboro, passed away Thursday, April 23, 2009, at Hospice Ministries, Ridgeland, MS. Mrs. Lantrip was born in Independence, Missouri on October 9, 1926, the younger of two daughters of Margaret and Irby Williams. She spent her early childhood in Kansas City, Missouri where she and her family lived over the restaurant they owned and operated before losing it in the Great Depression. They moved to Clarksville, TN, where she graduated high school in 1944. Some of the jobs in her teenage years included working at the local drug store soda fountain. She attended Austin Peay University for two years before relocating to Nashville, TN. She became employed at the local phone company but transferred to Memphis, TN, where she met her husband, Jimmy Lantrip. They married February 26, 1949. While living in Memphis, they started their family but moved to Aberdeen only to move after a short time to Jackson. This home was even more short-lived as they moved to Yazoo City and lived there for 13 years. It was here that they completed their family of four children. Doris enjoyed doing bookkeeping for the accounting department of Kings Daughter’s Hospital. Following Jimmy’s employment opportunities, Jimmy and “Widgie” moved to Waynesboro where she lived for almost 29 years. She was a member of First United Methodist Church. She had various jobs, ranging from working at First National Bank, Northern Electric, Winningham Ford, Production Credit Association, and Quality Motors. To keep in touch with her friends and neighbors, her final job was a greeter at Wal-Mart. To be closer to children, she lived briefly in Louisville, KY, before returning home to the metro Jackson area. Her final residence was at St. Catherine’s Village in Madison. Doris enjoyed many hobbies including theatre. She was in many Waynesboro Little Theatre Productions, including Arsenic and Old Lace, The Women, 6 Rms Riv Vu, Barefoot in the Park, Pure as the Driven Snow, Harvey, and The Odd Couple. One of her favorite roles was playing the role of Clairee Belcher in Gilbertown (AL) BTAS Theatre’s production of Steel Magnolias. She also enjoyed her singing debut in Waynesboro’s Follies (1980) and return to the stage in the 1984 Follies. She was preceded in death by her husband, James “Jimmy” Milam Lantrip. Mrs. Lantrip is survived by her son Eric Lantrip (wife Roxann) of Brandon; daughter Jan Lantrip Cambre (husband John), of Gautier; son Kevin Lantrip (wife Tandi Jo) of Woodbridge, VA; and son Bryan Stacy Lantrip (wife Connie) of Brandon. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Nathan Lantrip of Brandon, Drew Lantrip (wife Jen) of Florence, Italy, Matthew Lantrip (wife Sue), Destin, FL, as well as Jackson Lantrip, Benjamin Lantrip and Olivia Lantrip, all of Brandon. Widgie is also survived by three step-grandchildren, Erin Halford, Amy Halford, and Haley Halford, all of Brandon. Visitation will be Friday, April 24, 2009, from 5:00-9:00 p.m., at Freeman Funeral Home in Waynesboro with services following on Saturday, April 25 2009 at 12:00 p.m. at Freeman Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Masonic Cemetery in Amory, MS at 4:30 p.m.