Marion Sue Thompson

Alan, Mrs. Thompson died toward the end of June this year. Her son, Mike Bradford contacted me just about 10 days ago to inform me of her passing. He also said he has a number of her paintings and prints that he is interested in selling. I can put folks in contact with him if they are interested...she also painted other subjects besides steamboats.

I met Mrs. Thompson (then Marion Sue Bradford) and her son and first husband on the DELTA QUEEN in 1972, my first trip as a passenger. She was a very talented and classy lady. She attended an S&D meeting in about 1996 or 97 with her second husband Merle Thompson

Alan-

Mike Bradford is the fellow asking about the drawings (blueprints) of the Robert E. Lee. In the last E-mail that I rec'd from Mike he mentioned that his mother was an artist and had paintings at the Howard Museum as well as a couple of others. The fact that Mike's blueprints were from his mother's (Marion Sue Thmpson) collection may give them some crediblity. Them might just be candidates for the Howard Museum even if they are not for the original Robt E. Lee .

Pete Baker
West Hurley, NY

The Howard Museum sells them in their gift shop. They are the racer Rob't. E. Lee.
One has to be careful in identifying the Lee boats. The first one was the boat that raced the Natchez. The second was built at Howard's in 1876. These were owned by Captain John W. Cannon. In 1898 Howard's built the Robert E. Lee. It was named for Captain Robert E. Lee, of Memphis, totally unrelated to the famous Confederate general. Two later ferryboats were named Robert E. Lee. And, finally, there was a sternwheeler named Bob Lee, Jr. that was frequently called Robert E. Lee, Jr.
The registered name of the first two was Rob't. E. Lee and it was spelled that way on the paddlewheel houses and pilothouse nameboards. All of the others spelled out 'Robert' in full. I seem to recall that there was even a diesel towboat named Robert E. Lee.

Sad news of yet another who enriched our lives with friendship, kindness and talent. According to the obituary in the Jonesboro, Arkansas newspaper, Marion Sue Bradford Thompson passed away on July 13th and was 81 years old. She was a true southern lady, very genteel and generous. I first met her at the S&D meeting in 1993. She knew of my special fondness for the Str. MISSISSIPPI and one summer day in 1999, I received a BIG box containing a wonderful, framed painting she had done in 1969 of the boat. The note she sent stated that she'd "found it" while cleaning out her storage room following her husband's death just two months prior. She went on to say that she didn't think the painting was one of her better ones, too primitive, but hoped I would accept it! It is WONDERFUL and one of my special treasures. A whistle salute to the memory of this special and dear lady.