Arlis Rigdon

Mr. Arlis Rigdon, age 91, of Vidalia, died Monday, August 31, 2020, at Meadows Health in Vidalia after an extended illness.  He was born in Millen and has lived in Vidalia since the mid 1930’s.  In 1941, he started working with the Vidalia Advance and ultimately was promoted to commercial supervisor and oversaw the print production of the Vidalia Advance weekly newspaper.  Mr. Rigdon also reported on and photographed high school football games.  After a thirty-nine year career with the Vidalia Advance, he founded Rigdon Printing in Vidalia which he successfully operated for thirty-five years.  He was a member of the Smith Street Baptist Church where he served as deacon, taught Sunday school and sang in the choir.  Prior to joining the congregation at Smith Street Baptist, Mr. Rigdon was a deacon, Sunday school teacher, choir member, and Royal Ambassadors leader at Tabernacle Baptist Church.  In the 1950’s, Mr. Rigdon played farm league baseball and later was active in a local bowling league.  He coached women’s softball for many years.  He was preceded in death by his first wife, Betty Holmes Rigdon; a son-in-law, Frank Miller; parents, Robert Rigdon and Hannah Rountree Rigdon; and eight brothers and sisters.

Mr. Rigdon is survived by his wife, Eula Mae Rigdon of Vidalia; six children, Dianne Rigdon Miller of Hazlehurst, Judy Rigdon McGowan and husband Charlie of Hoover, Alabama, David Lawrence Rigdon of Cincinnati, Ohio, Jerry Arlis Rigdon and husband Todd of Tucker, Charles Joel Rigdon of Greenville, South Carolina, and Terri Rigdon Collins and husband Buddy of Vidalia; ten grandchildren, Angie, Charli, April, Candice, Eric, Ashley, Davey, Dillon, Baylor and Avery; seventeen great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews; four step-children, Linda Moss, Patsy Clayton, Cindy Shaw, and Donna Haddock; and four step-grandchildren, Andrea, Lane, Susan, and Casey.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Friday afternoon from 12:30 until 2:30.

A graveside funeral service will be held Friday, September 4th, at 3:00 p.m. in the North Thompson Baptist Church Cemetery with Reverend Don Moye officiating.

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