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March 12, 1926 – July 21, 2015

NATCHEZ — Services for Sophronia Dyson, 89, who died Tuesday, July 21, 2015, in Sugarland, Texas, will be 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church with the Rev. Anthony Colenberg officiating.

Burial will follow at the church cemetery under the direction of Robert D. Mackel and Sons Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from noon to 6 p.m. today at the funeral home and from 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at the church.

Mrs. Dyson was born March 12, 1926, in Natchez, the daughter of Theodore Gooden and Sarah Miles Gooden.

She was baptized at an early age and was a member of St. Paul A.M.E. Church where she served as a devoted member until her death. She served for a number of years as a member of the senior choir until she became disabled in 2006.

Her early education was at the Cloverhill School. During her life, she was a member of the Edna Anderson Chapter No. 11 Order of Eastern Star, Good Samaritan Star of Bethlehem No. 4 and the NAACP.

Mrs. Dyson was united in holy matrimony to Nelson W. Dyson Sr. on July 7, 1951. She was a devoted wife and loving mother to four children.

She touched the lives of a number of people with her quick smile and jovial nature. She enjoyed making praline candy and delighted in meeting people from all over the United States and other countries while selling her pralines during the fall and spring tourist seasons and throughout the year at the various antebellum homes in Natchez and under-the-hill. Nobody was a stranger to her.

Mrs. Dyson was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one daughter, Dorothy Barnes; two brothers, Theodore Gooden Jr. and John Gooden; and one sister, Francis Anderson.

Survivors include two daughters, Phyllis V. Harris and Karen Gibson, both of Missouri City, Texas; one son, Joseph Dyson and wife, Joycelyn, of Chicago; one stepson, Nelson Dyson Jr. and wife, Alice, of Natchez; two sisters, Sarah Lucas and Helen Gooden, both of Natchez; six grandchildren, Tomarcus Barnes and wife, Mishka, of Atlanta, Dion Brantly and husband, Shaka, and April Dyson, all of Chicago, Danielle Green and husband, Ronald, Kendrick and Keondre Gibson, all of Missouri City; one son-in-law, Bobby J. Barnes of Chicago; one sister-in-law, Marie Gooden of Fort Wayne, Ind.; 10 great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.