Wyatt Walden

Mr. Wyatt "Slats" Walden, a lifelong resident of the Latimer Community, died peacefully at his sons home in Mobile, AL., on Wednesday, September 28, 2005, at the age of 97. Mr. Walden had a long and interesting career beginning in 1924 when he joined the Army at sixteen years old. Showing an expertise with weapons he was assigned to the US Army Rifleman where he did a lot of competition shooting. After his tour of duty in the Army he entered the US Coast Guard and chose the rate of quarter master. He was assigned to work with the Coast Guard enforcing prohibition because of his expertise in navigation and knowledge of the coastal waters. In 1927 he took part in the recovery work in the Mississippi Delta from the 1927 floods. He was then assigned to the Alcohol Tax and Firearms where he worked apprehending rumrunners and moonshiners. He worked for this unit until 1932 at which time he returned to his Coast Guard duties. Mr. Walden served in many stations along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas. During WWII he served with the Coast Guard on convoy duty in the North Atlantic on the US Merrill. He retired in 1946 as a Chief Petty Officer and was the Captain of the port and taught seamanship and navigation with the Air Force crashboats at Point Cadet. Mr. Walden retired from Civil Service where he enjoyed his hobbies of turkey and deer hunting which he excelled at. He was a 65 year member of the McCloud Lodge #424. Mr. Walden was preceded in death by his wife of 72 years, Estanie Walden, parents, Hamilton "Boy" and Estelle Cruthirds Walden, brothers, Otis and Elwood, sister, Eula Cook, and two grandchildren, Lester Walden, Jr. and Missy Walden. He is survived by his sister, Ila Cummings, six children, Lester Walden, Bobbi Jean Rodriguez, Shirley Lyons, Maxine Ramsay, Beverly Wilder and Juanita Moore, seventeen grandchildren, twenty eight great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. This family would like to extend a special thank you to Denise Cuevas, who took special care of him and loved him very much. On Saturday, October 1, 2005, there will be a 3 PM chapel service at the Ocean Springs Chapel of Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home, where friends may visit from 1:30 PM-3 PM. Burial will follow in Bethel Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in Latimer. . In lieu of flowers the family prefers donations be made to the American Red Cross Disaster Fund. The Ocean Springs Chapel of Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.