Mr. Robby Thompson’s name had been given to me before I learned of his tie to Mr. J. O. Amis, of whom I wrote last week. Therefore, it seemed logical to give him a call. I am so glad most people will let me do this, as it is such a blessing to hear people’s stories and be able to share them!
Robby, born Robert Benjamin Thompson to Dale and Jackie Williams Thompson of Union, on April 23, 1978, has several family members named “Jackie” in his life. His mother was the first. She was a stay-at-home mom, but he emphasized that she was constantly a “working” mom, all the while he was growing up. He has an older sister, Kristi Adcock, who teaches at Scott Central. His mother now teaches at Sebastopol.
Robby’s father, Dale, taught at Hickory from 1970-1979, at which time he became a farmer, building two breeder houses. The family lived about a half-mile from Hudson Chapel Church of God, which they had attended from before his birth. The Rev. Ed Dickerson became pastor there when Robby was about five. He says of his father, J.O.’s father, and of Bro. Dickerson, “If those three men don’t make it to heaven, we don’t s
tand a chance.”
He spoke of the strong influence of Bro. Ed, as Robby was saved when he was about 11. He had felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit for several weeks, culminating in a night when he couldn’t sleep. He woke his mother and asked her to call Bro. Ed to pray for him. They tried but the phone stayed busy, before the days of “call waiting.” Consequently, his mother prayed for him to receive salvation. God hears mothers’ prayers, too!
When I asked about a significant spiritual experience, he remembered, with tears, “He saved my pawpaw before he died. Robby was 22 when his father’s father passed away, after Mr. Thompson prayed with Bro. Dickerson to be saved. He was a World War II veteran, participating in the Normandy landing. Robby said of him, “He was salty, hard, not hateful or mean, but a rough, tough man. Raised hard, worked hard. Saved on his death bed.”
He told me, “I had all my grandparents until I was 22. Papaw Robert died in 2000, Papaw Clell Williams died the next year, in 2001, and his wife Nellie died in 2007.” His father’s mother, Loree Thompson Bryant, whom he tries to see as much as possible, is still living. He loves to eat with her. “You know, nobody cooks like Mamaw!”
Robby attended Union schools from the first through the 11th grades, changing to attend the Academy at Christmas in 1995, his junior year. He graduated from there in 1996. J. O. Amis, his third cousin, a couple years older, was an influence upon his life in a lot of ways. Neither had a brother, so, Robby declares, “He’s mine, and I’m his.”
He attended East Central Community College two years, then Mississippi State two years, graduating from there in 2000, with a B.S. degree in Ag. Extension and Education. After college, he moved to Laurel and started work at Sanderson Farms in the Production Trainee Program, but he said “I just hated living in Laurel by myself.”
J. O.’s father, Robert Amis, was on the Newton County Farm Bureau Board, and they were looking for an agent for Newton County. Robby became that agent and, beginning March 1, 2001, worked in the office in Decatur from 2001-2003.
They moved his office to Newton April 1, 2003, which had an impact on the growth of Farm Bureau. He says, “The business has been good.” He enjoys that it gives him some freedom, “if I get done what I need to do and take care of my people.” There are four Farm Bureau agents in Newton County presently, and there are about 3,000 members.
I asked him about his goals in life, to which he answered, “To get my kids raised and be a good daddy. That sounds canned, but your family and friends are all you’ve got. In my work, I want to do a good job, of course, but at the end of the day, I want my son and daughter to know Daddy tried to take care of them, the best he could… At the end of the day, family is all you’ve got, anyway. You get in a bind, you’ll call family first.”
Robby met Jackie Denise Avant, daughter of Jackie and Penny Avant, at an East Central college party, after he had graduated from there. He remembered her from Union Elementary School, where she was four and a half years younger than he. They were married in 2003, when he was 24 and she was 20.
Jackie taught one year at Lake Elementary, and she has now been teaching at Newton County Elementary for 13 years. I had reason to be grateful for her presence there this past year, as she was my granddaughter’s teacher. She was such a blessing to our family.
Their children are Tate Thompson, 10, in the fifth grade, and his sister Tinleigh, five, who will be entering kindergarten.
Tinleigh was born April 29, 2013, and in March or April of 2014 Jackie discovered a knot in her breast. After it tested positive for cancer, she had a double mastectomy and four rounds of adriamiacin, aka the “red devil” chemotherapy.
After testing positive for the BRCA gene mutation, she had a hysterectomy, then three more rounds of chemo. He says, with a five-year-old, and a baby, “Thank God for parents and grandparents. She never quit work, but it was pretty tough.”
She has been cancer-free since the surgeries and finishing chemotherapy. He says of the trials and tribulations they have been through, “She’s still here. Yeah, it was a trial and it still is. Thank the Lord, God answered prayers to heal her. We’re not in control. God uses doctors. Absolutely. He’s the Great Physician. He’s in control.”
As I pointed out above, Robby is very much a “family” man. His children are very active, and he leads them in an “outdoor, country lifestyle” of hunting and fishing, with an emphasis on family and church activities.
“Tate is a fishing junkie! He loves it more than any child I’ve ever seen at that age.”
The Thompsons have been active members at Clarke-Venable Baptist Church for a number of years, and he has seen the hand of God in that change, as several other family members have also come to know Christ.
“Bro. Mark Vincent is truly a godly man at Clarke-Venable Baptist Church. He was such a blessing and inspiration through Jackie Denise’s sickness.” Robby added, `“There will be no denominations in Heaven.” He also commented concerning his own theology, “We’re so minuscule. We think we’re somebody. We’re nobody. I’m thankful my God is a gracious and forgiving God. If He wasn’t, I’d be in trouble.”
You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282.
