Nancy Richards Watkins

Nancy Anne Watkins, was a resident of Gulfport, MS and Baton Rouge, LA, where she died October 22, 2006. She was a native of Ridgeland and Jackson, MS, where she was born April 14, 1922. Proud of her MS heritage, all the families she descends from were early settlers and founders of the state. Her ancestral great-grandfathers were brave soldiers of the South and Revolutionary Wars. Nancy was Scottish, English, and Welsh in descent. Her high school years were spent in Long Beach, MS where she was a member of the Long Beach Presbyterian Church and she was a graduate of the high school there. She then attended MSCW and Belhaven Colleges, where among other activities she was a member of the Belhaven newspaper under the editorship of the famed author, Elizabeth Spenser. She left college upon acceptance to a prestigious US art school and married her much loved husband of 65 years, James P. Watkins. She is preceded in death by her treasured parents: Percy Dow and Mary Kennedy Richards, and her son, James P. Watkins, Jr. She is survived by her deeply grieved husband, James, her daughter Marylyn Anne and son-in-law John M. West, a grandson David J. and his wife Roxana West, and two precious great-grandchildren Ian Alexander and Erin Katherine West. Nancy was a devoted wife, mother and grandparent. She, also, was a gifted writer, artist, lover of archaeology, books, horses and other animals. She rode before she could walk. She loved travel, taking many trips with her husband, and traveled yearly with her daughter to various sites in the US, England, Scotland and Wales. From her youth, she spent many happy hours at sea with her husband sailing and piloting her many different craft. She worked with books as a member of the staff of the Gulfport Library, prior to and after Camille. She spent many hours and days helping to save the book collection after this storm. Maria Person, the former and highly respected head of the library told many people that Nancy was the best read and most diverse reader she ever encountered. Nancy also was a member of the Friends of the LSU Libraries annual noted Book Bazaar, helping to identify and price the collectors, West and Genealogy books. Using her love and knowledge of Native American and Civil War relics she taught school children the valuable contributions of their heritage. These students included a number of Choctaw children who attended the annual Arts and Crafts shows held at MS Crafts Center on the Natchez Trace Parkway at Ridgeland, MS. She grew up on this property, belonging to her parents, which was their pear orchard, where she played as a child. Nancy contributed data and information to a number of articles published in official archaeological journals, especially those in and around the battlefields in Virginia. Always shying away from publicity of her many accomplishments, she preferred to remain the humble person she presented to the world. She was an avid lover of gardens and plants. She designed a secret garden using Southern plants and developed several charming seedling camellias, and was a cactus devotee. She contributed time and money to various wildlife and nature projects as well as supporting several animal rescue projects throughout the US and England. Her one request to her husband when they were married was to never be without horses, animals and boats. And he always honored this request. She treasured her family and friends Jean Peterman, Charlie King and Dale Greenwell amongst many others including her newly formed Baton Rouge friends. The family wishes to thank Dr. Trent James, Drs. Stephen P. Gremillion and John E. McLachlan, Jr., and the caring and attentive nursing staff of the Bluebonnet Baton Rouge General Hospital. We also thank her local physcian, Dr. David LaRosa, for his care these past several years. Services will be held Friday, October 27, 2006 at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home on O'Neal Road in Gulfport with family visitation beginning at 8:30 a.m. and regular visitation at 9:00 a.m. and services at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery where she will be laid to rest with her beloved parents and son. She will be forever missed. View and sign register at www.bradfordokeefe.com