Beth Annette Mercer Williams

Beth Annette Mercer Williams, 88, passed away on Friday, January 7, 2011. Memorial services will be 11 a.m., Monday, January 10, 2011 at Ankeny First United Methodist Church, 206 SW Walnut Street, Ankeny, IA. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., until the time of the service at the church.

Beth Annette Mercer Williams was born on January 11, 1922, in Aurora, Illinois, the seventh of nine children. Her mother was a bookkeeper and artist and her father was a locomotive engineer.

After high school graduation, Beth attended North Central College in Naperville, Illinois and then transferred and graduated from Copley Hospital School of Nursing in Aurora, Illinois and Michael Riese Hospital in Chicago. It was in Chicago where she met her future husband Ronald Gene Williams where he was in Navy School. They were married in Corpus Christi, Texas on October 25, 1943.

Three children were born, Kathleen in Hawaii, Kenneth in Seattle, Washington and Patricia in San Jose, California. While in the Navy they lived in many places including, California, Washington State, Hawaii, and Japan.

In 1960 Gene retired from the Navy and they moved to Naperville, Illinois. During these years Beth worked as an R.N. in San Jose & San Diego, California; Pasco, Washington; Naperville, Illinois; and Nevada Iowa retiring at the age of 69 after 38 years of nursing.

She enjoyed gardening, walking, helping at church, and her grandchildren.

She is survived by her children, Kathleen & Peter Brady of Greenbelt, Maryland; Kenneth & Lou Williams of Chatham, Illinois; Trish and Greg Kuhn of Ankeny; by her grandchildren: Lance & Andrea Williams and Alisha & Michael Jackson of Chatham; Michael & Kimberly Kuhn of Evans, Colorado; David & Amanda Kuhn of Huxley, Iowa and Cynthia & Brad Hofer of Des Moines; by her Great Grandchildren: Grace and Ava Williams, Gage & Gardner Jackson, Karter & Kasey Kuhn and Allison Kuhn.

She is also survived by four sisters Marian Lowry, of Aguanga, CA; Alice Allen, of Woodbury, MN; Dorothy Bixby of Deerfield, IL; Cynthia Parham of Monterey, CA; one brother, Don & Claire Mercer of Murphys, CA, and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Elizabeth Mercer; her sisters, Ruth McCollum, and Margaret Stewart, an infant brother, Robert; and her husband Gene.

At a later date, her ashes will be placed beside her husband at Lincoln Cemetery in Aurora, Illinois.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to any foundation of donors choice, or to Ankeny First United Methodist Church.