March 16, 1917 – June 15, 2016

NATCHEZ — Services for Hattie Mae Williams Dickens, 99, of Natchez, who died Wednesday, June 15, 2016, at Merit Health Natchez, will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Laird Funeral Home Chapel with Ben Williams officiating.  

Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at the funeral home.

Mrs. Dickens was born March 16, 1917, in Liddieville, La., (near Winnsboro) the daughter of Robert Williams and Lena Brown Williams.

She was the last child in the family born at home without a birth certificate. Before she began school, her family lived near Summit and Auburn before moving back to Liddieville where she started school. Her mother died in 1931, and she being the oldest female at home, took over the kitchen and household duties completing school through the seventh grade.

At age 18, she moved to Natchez and worked at Berdon Candy Company around 1935. She met and married Charles Henry Dickens, who was employed at Blue Bell Garment Factory, and he convinced her to change jobs. She worked at Blue Bell for about 15 years until the closure of the company. During this time period, she gave birth to a son, Charles Robert Dickens in 1940, and daughter, Frances Jane “Honey” Dickens in 1942. While employed at Blue Bell, she acquired the sewing skills that inspired a hobby of making quilts, which she enjoyed for 50 years. After the closure of Blue Bell, she began employment at Jefferson Davis Memorial Hospital, where she remained for 34 years before retiring at age 77.

She attended Westside Baptist Church until she could no longer drive. A very enjoyable and moving experience for her was to enjoy the choir and other members of the church coming to sing Christmas carols to her at her home.

Mrs. Dickens was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one daughter, Frances Jane “Honey” Dickens McDowell; five siblings, Floyd “Bud” Williams, Johnny T. Williams, Fred Williams, Mary Wright and Nellie Hatton; her step mother, Mae Williams; and one half-sister, Sue Tarver.

Survivors include one son of Jackson; three grandsons, Robert Keith Massey of Natchez, Charles Henry Dickens II of Pensacola, Fla., and Roger Martin Dickens of Longmont, Colo.; one great-grandson, Charles Zachary Massey of Natchez; and a special niece and nephew who spent many hours of their time with her, Donald Wright of Natchez and Maybelle Wynn of Ridgecrest.

Pallbearers will be Keith Massey, Chad Dickens, Roger Dickens, Chad Williams, Daniel Faulks and Zach Massey.

Honorary pallbearers will be Carl Voss and Bill Voss.

The family extends a special thank you to the Merit Health ICU nurses for their careful attention and Dr. Jeffrey Anderson and staff for their care for Mrs. Dickens throughout many years.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to a charity of your choice.

Online condolences may be sent to lairdfh.com.