Edith Fletcher Williams

Edith Louise Fletcher Williams, beloved mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, passed away on November 6, 2015, age 83, in Houston after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Edith was born in Crystal City, Texas on April 13, 1932 to Douglas Jennings Fletcher, Sr and Alice Irene Barker Fletcher. She grew up in Eagle Pass, Texas before moving to Austin in 1946, where she resided the remainder of her active life.

She was a graduate of Stephen F. Austin High School in 1949 and a Delta Zeta at the University of Texas, where she met her husband Lloyd Carmichael "Mickey" Williams. After marriage, Edith worked at the Texas State Teacher Association, Texas Manufacturers Association, Holloway Dynamics, Inc., and Holloway Oil Company, which she co-owned with Mickey. Later she was the President and owner of J & L Resources, Inc, an independent oil and gas production company. After retiring from the oil patch, she worked at the University of Texas Counseling, Learning and Career Services Center while continuing her education there.

Edith believed that when you are blessed with children, their interests become your interests and their encouragement and assistance your goal. Edith and her children were active in school and life. She was a volunteer at the First Baptist Church of Austin Adult Sunday School and Children Choirs, at Casis Elementary School where she led volunteers in clearing the undeveloped woods for trails and activity areas. She also volunteered at O'Henry Jr High and Austin High School in the PTA, Football Parents and Band Booster Club. She led volunteer groups for the Austin State School, the State School for the Blind, and the State School for the Deaf. Active in scouting, Edith served as a Cub Scout Den mother and Girl Scout Leader and trainer for 16 years.

As a Girl Scout Leader for Brownie, Juniors and Cadettes, she lead her troop on adventuresome trips, like "Bike Out," a bicycle ride from Austin to Onion Creek, several trips to snow ski in New Mexico, and a week-long trip to Mexico City. She taught her scouts the importance of self-reliance and encouraged all the troop members to raise funds and participate in the planning for their trips. Her Cadette Troop 346, which had over 100 girls of Junior High age, was the largest troop in the Lone Star Girl Scout Council at the time. By the end of Junior High, every girl in the troop had received the First Class Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting. Through her efforts and encouragement she influenced her girls to continue in Scouting when many of similar age were dropping out. She continued serving the Girl Scout Lone Star Council after her girls had graduated on the Financial Aid Committee and as a trainer. She encouraged her girls to set goals, accomplish those goals and to become leaders. She made an invaluable contribution to the individual girls whose lives she touched, to the Girl Scouting program and to her community. One of her Girl Scouts, upon learning of her death said "Edith meant so much to me. She showed me strength in women and opened my life up to the world by traveling. I was the only person in my family who go to travel as a young person. She was amazing woman who touched so many girls' lives."

Her interest in genealogy began in the 1950's when she inherited photos and letters from her grandmother and continued throughout her life. Her special interest was the American Civil War era which led her to become a member of the Albert Sidney Johnson Chapter 105 of Austin of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. In the UDC she held the positions of General Registration Committee, Recorder of Crosses, General By-laws Committee, President of the Albert Sidney Johnson Chapter 105 of Austin, and as President of the Texas Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, 1988-1900. During her presidency, she changed the way the organization operated by bringing in professionals and organizing local and state historical groups and agencies to work on the behalf of a common goal, preservation. She is remembered as a visionary by many of the people that she worked with.

During her term as President for the Texas Division, the State of Texas wanted to renovate the old Land Office Building on the Capitol grounds, which at that time housed the UDC's collection of Confederate memorabilia. Edith led a group of volunteers to move the collection to Baylor University's Museum Studies Department where the collection's artifacts were appraised and catalogued. Through these efforts the UDC memorabilia became the Texas Confederate Museum Collection and is in the Texas Civil War Museum in Ft. Worth. During the relocation, Edith started conservation awareness and fund raising for preservation and restoration of the flags. The 20 year project that she began raised over $500,000 and resulted in the conservation of over 30 historical flags, today valued over $4 million dollars. Edith also raised funds for many historical markers through out Texas.

Her interest in Austin history led her to assist with the History of the Confederate Women's Home in Austin and organize restoration and preservation of the two oldest and most notable cemeteries in Austin, Oakwood and Texas State Cemetery. She organized volunteers in a three year grave canvassing of Oakwood, the results of which were published in a guide book that contained biographies of all the veterans as well as notable Austin pioneers and citizens including Suzanna Dickinson, survivor of the Battle of the Alamo. Her interest in the State Cemetery was the restoration of the monument to Albert Sidney Johnson, who fought for Texas War of Independence, the Mexican-American War and was killed during the Civil War. The Monument is a marble study of the General on his death bed at Shiloh battlefield, by noted Austin sculptress Elizabet Ney. Edith spent several years organizing tours, preparing programs for different audiences throughout the state, researching and applying for grants, and arranging for appraisals, all of which culminated in being awarded an ISTEA grant to fund the restoration. During the required relocation of some gravesites during the restoration of the State Cemetery, Edith acted as liaison between local and state agencies and historical groups.

Edith was a member in local, state and National Genealogical Societies, Austin Heritage Society, Austin and Texas historical Societies, Friends of the Confederacy Research Center, Friends of the Museum of the Confederacy, Texas Society Order of Confederate Rose, Austin Colony Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and was on the board of the Austin Civil War Round Table and the Texas Military Forces Museum of Austin, which she was a charter life member of. She was also a member of the Executive Women Association, West Austin Lioness Club, Austin Woman's Club, Laguna Gloria Art Museum and Guild. She was active in the Delta Zeta Alumnae Leadership as well as an advisor and volunteered with "For the Love of Christi" foundation. Edith was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star.

She assisted and taught regularly with the Informal Class program at the University of Texas and Lifetime Learning programs throughout Austin. She was also a frequent speaker for historical and patriotic groups all over Texas. Her love for genealogy and history led her back to college for a degree in History at St. Edwards University.

Edith believed that service encourages service, and modeled her life after John D. Rockefeller's quote that "every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every position, a duty."

She was preceded in death by her parents Doug and Irene, brother and sister, Douglas Fletcher, Jr and Emma Jena Fletcher Latimer, brother-in-law, Fred Hollis Latimer, nephew George Hollis Latimer and her beloved children, Linda Kay and Lloyd Carmichael Williams, Jr. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Jena and Bernard Clark, and her grandchildren, Bernard, Kristin and Emma, of Houston, nephew Douglas Fletcher, III and his wife Mary Jane of Bandara, niece Phyllis Hellums and her husband Carl Lee of Uvalde and niece Rosalee Latimer of Weimer and their families.

A visitation will be held Sunday, November 15, from 1-3 at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N Lamar, Austin, Texas 78705. Interment at Emory City Cemetery, Emory, Texas, will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions to Texas Civil War Museum, the Lone Star Girl Scout Council of Austin or Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Center Baylor College of Medicine (online at bcm.edu/healthcare/care-centers/alzheimers).