Lewis E. Williams Sr.

Lewis E. Williams, Sr. Funeral services for Lewis Edward Williams, Sr., 95, of Longview, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, November 14, 2013, at the Rader Funeral Home Chapel in Longview, with Reverend Scott Schulik of Mobberly Baptist Church officiating. Interment will follow at Alpine Presbyterian Cemetery. The family will greet friends at the funeral home on Wednesday, November 13, 2013, from 6 to 8 pm. Mr. Williams went peacefully to be with his Lord and Savior early Monday morning at his residence with his family at his side. Lewis was born August 8, 1918 in Longview, Texas to Taylor George and Clara Dee Killingsworth Williams, both deceased. He was an accomplished athlete and played full back and back up quarter back on the 1937 Longview High School State Championship football team and was a 1937 Golden Glove Champion. He met the love of his life (Edith Walker) in High school and claimed that the alphabet brought them together, because she was required to sit directly in front of him. They married on October 30, 1937 and lived happily for almost 70 years in their small 2 bedroom home located a few hundred feet away from his original birthplace until his love, who he affectionately nicknamed “Cooter” passed away in 2007. In the early years of the marriage, and when sons, Johnny & Lewis, Jr. were young, he was employed as the Parts Manager at Pegues Hurst Ford in Longview and later continued in the sales field as the Sporting Goods Manager at Gibson’s Discount Center, from which he earned his first retirement after 20 years. In between working for Pegues and Gibson’s, he ran a fully functioning dairy farm. He served as President of the Board of Directors and was a founding member of the South Texas Producers Association of Dairymen. To say he was a farmer would be putting it lightly in the general sense, as he cut, raked and baled his own hay until he was 93 and farmed crickets, worms, chickens and huge vegetable gardens with infamously tall tomato plants. He proudly planted the tomato seedlings in hay bales to keep the moisture in and the weeds out. He learned of this technique while visiting the Epcot Center at Disney World. They grew so tall, that he had to harvest them using a 6 foot ladder. His entrepreneurial spirit led him into other part-time gigs, such as managing a successful Fish Scaling Vending Machine enterprise located in all of the North East Texas Lakeside stores for many years. He started his last retail endeavor building hunting blinds and deer feeders at the age of 90 and called it The Deer Slayer. He started out building for the family deer leases, but had so many people requesting that he build for them, that he had Brenda design a tri-fold brochure to leave at local feed stores. And, during the year following Mamaw’s passing, he built 125 deer blinds and feeders to fill his time. Of course, he also managed to make a bit of spending money at the same time, and he always loved turning a profit. After his retirement from these businesses, he began the final chapter of his career farming hay and managing Williams Lake (10 acres which he and his brothers dug and built themselves in 1936). He loved meeting all who came to fish and picnic at his lake and proudly displayed photos and bragged constantly about the size of the fish being caught. Of course, there were NO big fish stories being told! He loved hunting and fishing and was an avid sportsman and an excellent marksman, even until his last hunting trip at the age of 92, when he killed and tagged an 8 point buck. His final retirement was at the age of 94, when he closed his beloved Williams Lake to public fishing. Mr. Williams’ parents were founding members of the Alpine Presbyterian Church in Longview, and he and wife, Edith, were members, as well, for over 75 years. He is survived by his son Lewis Williams Jr and wife Dolores, of Alba; daughter-in-law, Patsy Williams of Marshall; grandson, Dean Williams and wife Cyndi of Greenville; granddaughters, Becky Williams Holman and husband Walter, of Cedar Park; Brenda Williams Haigwood and husband, Scottie, of Waskom; Kim Jackson of Marshall; and Kyla Williams Burke and husband, Brad, of Marshall; great-grandchildren, Cole Holman and wife Heather; Brittney Holman; Christin Burgess and husband Ragan; Jonathan (JC) Haigwood; Jarrett Jackson; Kerrigan Jackson; Ava Taylor Burke; Jeremy Williams; Dean (DJ) Williams, Jr. and wife Mallory; and Crystal Williams Griffin; great-great grandchildren include Brystal and Ranger Burgess, Elijah Griffin, and Peyton Holman; nieces Virginia Boswell, Paula Rogers and Claire Koonce and nephews Bobby Coffey, Dennis Bowles, Patrick Bowles, Brad Bowles, Jeff Bowles and Ryan Rogers. He was preceded in death by his love, Edith Walker Williams and his eldest son, Johnny Taylor Williams of Marshall. He will be remembered for his work ethic, integrity, honesty, loyalty, strength of character, unconditional love, wisdom and generosity in his role as a husband, father, grandfather (aka Papaw), great-grandfather, great-great grandfather, uncle and friend. Pallbearers will be Ryan Rogers, D.J. Williams, Cole Holman, Jeremy Williams, J.C. Haigwood and Jarrett Jackson. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Lewis E. Williams, Sr., to HeartsWay Hospice of Northeast Texas, 4351 McCann Road, Longview, TX 75605. (903) 238.7416, www.heartswayhospice.org.

Lewis E. Williams Sr.

August 8, 1918 - November 11, 2013