Roland Stanford Golden was a resident of Indiana since 2019. Prior to moving north, he and his wife Edna raised their family in Vienna, Va.; Farmington, Minn.; Independence, Va.; and Brooksville, Miss. Roland was born in Thomaston, Ala. On Nov. 30, 1935, the son of John and Agnes (Ballow) Golden. His education began at the school in his small community of Brooksville, Miss., where he graduated in the top ten of his class; a class consisting of eight boys and two girls. He continued his education at Mississippi State, where he graduated with a degree in Agriculture and Life Sciences. He would continue to be a proud Mississippi State alumnus for the rest of his life.
Roland had a lengthy career in the dairy industry. His introduction came at age 15 while walking down the street in his hometown. The manager of the local Kraft cheese plant stepped out and said “Hey, you want a job?” The young man responded “Sure! I can start right now.” And thus began a long-enjoyed career. While working at Kraft through college, that same plant manager would fix his schedule to fit each semester’s class schedule. One semester in particular had a rather complex schedule. The manager responded with “Well, Saturday is a pretty long day. I think you can get two days in that day.” Following Kraft, Roland went on to work 35 years for the USDA as an inspector.
Roland was a loving husband and a caring father and grandfather. He enjoyed entertaining his family with stories from his past. Roland never met a stranger, and would often reach out a hand in greeting, saying, “I think I’ve seen you before.” Beyond all else, he loved the Lord. He served as a door greeter and Sunday school teacher at Providence Baptist Church in McClean, Virginia. Since moving to Indiana, he has attended services at Hilltop Baptist Church. Throughout his life he provided his family and friends a wonderful example of a good and faithful servant of Christ and his family takes great joy in knowing where he is today.
He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Edna (Dickens) Golden; his daughter, Cathy Hildebrand and husband Chip; his son, Kevin Golden; his daughter-in-law, Carol (Smith) Golden; his grandchildren: Steven, Joseph, Michael, Rebecca, Amanda, Sara, Chris and Sean; and eight great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, John Wesley Golden, Jr.; his eldest son, Roland Stanford Golden, Jr.; and his great-grandson, Oliver.
Visitation will be held from 10:00 a,m. until the time of the memorial service at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025 at Hilltop Baptist Church, 4859 Rt 286 Hwy W, Indiana, with Pastor Steve Rearick officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly suggests memorial contributions be made to 365 Hospice, 115 S. Main Street, Carrolltown, PA 15722.
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