Betty Jane Williams

On Sunday, December 9, 2018, surrounded by her family and loved ones, Mrs. Betty Jane Williams took her last breath on Earth, and her first breath in Heaven. Although brokenhearted for her to leave us, we have no doubt that she entered the presence of her Savior.

Betty was the daughter of Lester and Glennie Laster; loving wife of her husband, Elmer Williams who predeceased her; and she was the loving mother to her five children: Fran Rumpf (Gus Rumpf), Sandra Bethel, Ginger Howell, Terrie Spiers (Bill Spiers), and Tom Williams. In time she became the grandmother to 10 grandchildren: Dorothy Bergeron, Richard Casto, Chris, Carl, and Kelly Eldredge, Andrew and Ryan Howell, Laura Spiers Camoesas, Sara Spiers Hoomes, and Will Spiers. She also had her quiver full with 19 great-grandchildren (the youngest being one month old), and 2 great-great-grandchildren. She was the youngest of 9 siblings who have all gone before her.

Betty did many things in her almost 92 years of life. Most recently she was a resident of Brookdale Atrium for the past 16 years, where she served many years on the Council of Independent Residence and also served as their President. She will be remembered most probably as the “Bee Happy Lady” who loved to carry around her stuffed Bumblebee. Her mantra was: “Bee Happy, Don’t Worry – God’s got this!”. She was a long-time member of Ft. Caroline Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school until the age of 87. She also served as the President and organizer extraordinaire of the Pioneers Senior Adult Ministry. In earlier years she also led in the Trailblazer Senior Adult Ministry at Arlington Baptist Church. She also taught Kindergarten at Arlington Baptist Church, and taught music at the academy at Ft. Caroline Baptist Church. As her children were grown, she took on a job at the Florida Baptist Convention, where she loved working.

Her children will remember her fondly and with deep appreciation for raising them in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord, knowing Christ as their Savior at an early age. She did whatever it took to get five children wherever they needed to be, as she was involved in all of their activities. She played piano and sewed countless costumes to pay for dance lessons for all five children. She wrote programs for PTA presentations and church events. She was a poet who loved to quote poems and stories, and played piano for many occasions. She was also very creative with arts and crafts, and was a maker of porcelain dolls. She kept her hands and mind busy in the service of our Lord, her family and her church, until she could no longer. She has passed the torch now and her family has a high calling to carry on her love of life, God, family and others. Betty Williams, “Mom and Grandmother”, will be greatly missed; it is Heavens gain and our loss until we meet again.

A Memorial Service will be held at 10:30am, Saturday December 15, 2018 at Fort Caroline Baptist Church, 11428 McCormick Road, Jacksonville, FL 32225. Arrangements are under the care of Hardage-Giddens Chapel Hills, 850 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N., Jacksonville, FL 32250.