Obit of Williams, Lillian M. - Garfield County, Oklahoma Thanks to Bakersfield Californian for permission to upload their obits to the USGenWeb Archives. Copyright, http://www.bakersfield.com/ 18 Nov 2007 Return to Garfield County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/garfield/garfield.html ===================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ===================================================================== ::Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery--Bakersfield CA Williams, Lillian M. Lillian M. Williams August 21, 1909 - March 29, 2007 At 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, at Hillcrest Memorial Park , we will celebrate the life and homegoing of Lillian M. Williams, a devoted child of God, a loving wife, and a wonderful, much loved mother. Visitation will be 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Lillian dedicated her entire life to serving God, tending to her family, and caring for her home. She was born on August 21, 1909, in Maxwell, Oklahoma, to Emmit and Viola Meek, the fifth child in a family of ten children. She married Hershel Williams in 1931, and a saga began that rivaled the novel, The Grapes of Wrath. Lillian and Hershel bought a small farm in Blanchard, Oklahoma, a town in which several members of Hershel's family lived, including his parents. Lillian bore three children, Alberta Lee, Richard Carmen, and Fairest Janell. Times were not good. Hershel worked other jobs, planted crops, and had a few milk cows and hogs, while Lillian planted gardens, raised chickens, made her own lye soap, and washed the family's clothes in a small creek on their property. Things only worsened with the dust bowl era. Hershel had to lease the farm and join family members, including Lillian's parents, who had already migrated to California. This was the first of thirteen moves back and forth between Oklahoma and California. Lillian and Hershel both loved their families so much, particularly their mothers, that the separation was very difficult. Eventually, they settled in Lamont where Hershel bought a truck and worked in the fields until he got a job as a carpenter which led to an eventual successful career as a building contractor. Lillian and Hershel both came from families with a strong Christian faith, and many a pastor, evangelist, and teacher were born of these two families. Lillian was no exception. She loved the Lord and lived an exemplary life before her family. She taught Sunday School at the Lamont Pentecostal Church for many years. She led the senior adult class and took her responsibility very seriously, spending many hours preparing for the upcoming Sunday's lesson. Teaching was not easy for Lillian since she was actually shy and unsure of herself, but she overcame those feelings in order to do what she felt she was called by God to do. Lillian strongly believed in the power of prayer, and it was not unusual for us as adult children to go in the back door, hear her talking, and find her on her knees in prayer by her bedside. Lest you should be misled, be assured that all was not serious nor spiritual in this household. Dad's family was notorious for being pranksters and jokers. Hershel was no exception, and Lillian thoroughly enjoyed the teasing that was common in their home. We always thought Mom was mostly a good audience for Dad's shenanigans, but we learned, even during her long illness, that she was quite a tease herself. Even when she was very ill, it was sometimes hard to get a straight answer from her, and she would get a mischievous gleam in her eyes when she knew she was being cute or funny. These are moments we will treasure forever! To fail to mention what a hardworking woman Lillian was would be to ignore a major part of her character. In her day, she chopped and picked cotton; tied vines and packed grapes; planted and canned; made most of her family's clothes, bought little chicks on Edison Highway, raised them, wrung their necks, and fried them for dinner. Fortunately, her life did not end that way. She always continued to work, but she had a nice home with all the conveniences for years before she died. We are thankful for that and for the certain knowledge that she is now at her eternal resting place in Heaven. She was predeceased by her husband, Hershel; grandson, Kim Conrad "Butch" Williams, great granddaughter, Donna Nicole Wilson; and all of her siblings. Left to treasure her memory are her daughter, Alberta Stubblefield and husband, Bill; son, R.C. Williams; daughter, Janell Wren and husband, Jim; five grandsons, four granddaughters, six great grandsons, five great granddaughters, two great great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Lillian's family would like to publicly thank Holly Love for her dedication to the residents at Glenwood Gardens. Whenever we needed anything for Mother, we knew Holly would take care of it. We also are thankful for the wonderful care Mother received from Hoffman Hospice, especially from Francis Roberts who loved and cared for Mom as if she were her own. We truly came to love these two great ladies. Published in the Bakersfield Californian on 4/3/2007. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Garfield County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/garfield/garfield.html