Aug. 21, 1928 – Jan. 1, 2020

 

NATCHEZ— Services for Francis James Ransom Sr., 91, of Natchez, who died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, at the family home he built in 1968, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Mark No. 2 Missionary Baptist Church in Kingston.

Burial will follow at the Natchez National Cemetery under the direction of Robert D. Mackel and Sons Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church.

Francis was born Aug. 21, 1928, in Natchez, the son of Herman Lee and Annie Bell Ransom.

He gave his life to Christ and was baptized at an early age at St. Mark No. 2 Missionary Baptist Church in Kingston. He faithfully served his God and his church, including serving as chairman of the Deacon Board and ultimately becoming Deacon Emeritus.  He was active in Sunday School and various other church auxiliaries.

Francis graduated from Brumfield High School in 1948, where he served as president of his Junior and Senior Classes.  Upon completing ROTC and earning a bachelor of science in building construction from Tuskegee Institute, he was commissioned as a 2^ndLieutenant in the U.S. Army.  He served his country with the 82^ndAirborne Unit and later served as a platoon leader with the 21^stInfantry Division during the Korean War.  He was honorably discharged from the military as a First Lieutenant in 1954.

On June 19, 1954, Francis married the love of his life, the former Alberta Brown, in Natchez. They were married for 55 years until her death in 2009.  The Lord blessed their union with five children, Francis Jr., Herman Sidney and wife, Reba, all of Natchez, Helen Denise (deceased), Dexter Keith, MSG (Ret.) and wife, Carol, of Orlando, Florida, and Rhonda Joy and husband, Rodney, of Orlando.

Francis began his career in construction in Memphis, Tennessee, and then returned home to Natchez, where he worked for a local construction company for several years.  A trailblazer during tumultuous times in our nation, state and city’s history, in 1961, he started Ransom Construction Company, which he led until his retirement at 80 years old.  He was one of the first African American bonded contractors in the state of Mississippi and was also appointed as a construction inspector by the Farmers Home Administration. Over the course of several decades, he built and remodeled more than 30 churches in the Miss-Lou area; he was especially proud of completing the addition and renovations to his home church, St. Mark.  He also completed additions and renovations to area hospitals, schools, courthouses and nursing homes, in addition to building several residential homes.

More than a prominent businessman, Francis was also an active and trusted community leader.  He received a presidential appointment to serve as a member of the local draft board.  He also served on the Natchez Water Works Board for more than 40 years and was chairman for more than 30 years.  In addition, he served as chairman of the board of Community Mart Inc., president of the Natchez-Adams-Jefferson Minority Contractors Association, vice president of Progressive Community Credit Union, vice president of the North Natchez High School Booster Club and treasurer of the H.R. Revels Lodge No. 3 F&AM-PHA. He was also a member of the NAACP and the Chamber of Commerce.

Additionally, Francis served as a director or advisor to several other local civic boards and organizations, including:  the Natchez Advisory Board of Deposit Guaranty Bank, the United Way of Natchez-Adams County, Natchez Business and Civic League Inc., Natchez Youth Center, Local Development Corporation, United Givers Fund, Lower Mississippi River Basin Development District and Adult Basic Education in Adams County.

Francis believed in education and sharing his knowledge with others.  He served on the advisory committee for the Construction Technology Program at Alcorn State University, the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Vocational Technical Advisory Committee and the Building Committee Craft Trades for Natchez-Adams Vocational School.

Even more than his love for business and community, Francis loved God, his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Alberta; father-in-law, Houston Brown; mother-in-law, Carlotta Brown; an infant daughter, Helen Ransom; one brother, Herman Lee Ransom Jr.; three sisters, Rose Nero, Pauline Ransom and Hilda Lomax Little; six brothers-in-law, Clyde Nero, Clarence Lomax Sr., Andrew Little, Houston Brown Jr., George Jamison Sr., and Robert Nicholson Sr.; one sister-in-law, Sarah Jamison; and one nephew, Robert Nicholson Jr.

He leaves to mourn and to carry on his rich and powerful legacy, his children; 10 grandchildren,  LaKeitha Ransom of Houston, Tracie Ransom, Esq., of Kansas City, Missouri, Hellen Ransom, Ph.D., of Greenville, North Carolina, Kellee Ransom of Kansas City, Ashlee Ransom Strong and husband, Lawrence, of Atlanta, Leslee Ransom Parrott and husband, Marcus, of Kansas City, Keathon Ransom of Baton Rouge, Sydney Williams of Miami, Rodney Williams Jr. of Atlanta, and Kimberly Williams of Orlando; four great-granddaughters, Emery Erin of Kansas City, Kehlani Zion of Baton Rouge, Sage Nia of Kansas City, and Zuri Lynne of Houston; three sisters-in-law, Linda Ransom of Kansas City, Eugenia Perry of Natchez and Helen Nicholson of Hattiesburg; and 12 nieces and nephews,  Vanita Massey, Esq. of Overland Park, Kansas, Herman Lee Ransom, III of Los Angeles, CA, Clarence Lomax, Jr. of Petal, MS, Regina Price of Jackson, Dina Nero of Jackson, Sherri Perry Brown of Natchez, Cassandra Hubbard of Atlanta, Robelyn McNair of Atlanta, Nicole Brown of Sacramento, California, Averell Brown of Sacramento, George Wilbert Jamison of Jackson, and Angela Johnson, D.D.S., of Atlanta.

Francis also leaves to mourn a number of other beloved relatives, church family members, and countless beloved friends.