Virgie Ruth Thomas

Mrs. Virgie Ruth Higginbotham Thomas, 89, of Preston, MS passed away peacefully on Sunday November 24, 2019 at Elderly Care in Macon, MS. Her funeral service will be held on Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 11:00 A.M. at Cockrell Funeral Home chapel with Bro. Gerald Butler and Bro. Allen Eaves officiating. Interment will follow at Vernon Baptist Church Cemetery near Preston. Visitation will be held from 10:00 A.M. until service time Tuesday.  The family requests that donations be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 SE 1 ^ST Street, Suite 88, Miami, FL  33131 or to Sta-Home Hospice, 1300 Sunset Drive #N, Grenada, MS  38901. Cockrell Funeral Home of Macon is honored to be entrusted with the service arrangements.

Virgie Ruth Higginbotham was born on April 5, 1932 in Noxubee County, MS to the late Joseph E. Johnson Higginbotham and Margurite Delia Conner Higginbotham.  She attended the Shuqualak school and also the Mashulaville School.  She married Boyd Thomas (who preceded her in death) in 1949 and they made their home in the Gholson, MS area for many years before moving to the Preston, MS area. Mrs. Thomas worked in a factory all of her working life, going from basic worker at the beginning all the way to being a supervisor when she retired. At the same time that she was working at the factory, she was also working on the family farm as well as taking care of her growing family. Mrs. Thomas enjoyed needle-work, especially quilting and crocheting.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and by one brother: Ditious Higginbotham.

Mrs. Thomas is survived by her daughter: Gail Benton (Scotty) of Preston, MS and by her son: Evans Thomas (Lil ) also of Preston as well as by 4 grandchildren and by 7 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters: Vivian Beasley of Clinton, MS; Winferd Joyce White of Preston; Bettie Lou Randazzo of Shuqualak, MS and Marie Holdiness of Preston, MS and by her brothers: Keith Higginbotham of Stafford, TX; Homer Higginbotham of Shuqualak; Ralph Higginbotham of Shuqualak; and George Larry Higginbotham