Mabel Mae Williams

Arrangements for a memorial service and burial are being made. She will be buried in Ottawa, next to her husband Elmer, (1908-1981) and her son Richard, (1932-2003) at the Oakwood Memorial Cemetery.

Mabel was born was born on September 8, 1910 in Utica, Illinois, to George and Sadie Lewis. She had one brother, Elmer Lewis and a sister, Edna Lewis Ruyle, both deceased. Mabel was a long term resident of Ottawa, until 1997 when she moved to Olympia, Washington to live with her son Ronald and his wife Margaret (Peggy).

In her younger years, Mabel worked at the Peltire Marble Factor where she was a marble inspector. Later she became one of the radium dial painters at Radium Dial. Mabel was very fortunate in that she had no complications from working with radium paint. She attributed that to the fact she never “tipped” her paint brush to her lips. She always said she didn’t think that was a good idea. Elmer often said that at night he would see specks glowing in her hair, and she would get up and wash it out. For many years she made an annual trip to Chicago to the Argonne National Laboratory to be scanned but in her late 70’s she was discharged from the program.

Mabel and Elmer were longtime members of the Epworth Methodist Church and were instrumental in moving the church from Catherine Street to Damens asparagus patch on Gentleman road.

Mabel was a longtime supporter of the Ottawa Pirates and along with her friend Margaret Riley was a supporter of the IVCC basketball team, traveling to all home and away games. Both ladies were in their mid-seventies at the time of their travels.

Mabel and Elmer had two sons’ Richard, (1932-2003) and Ronald (Margaret) who live in Olympia, Washington. She had six grandchildren, Eric, Amy, Sally, Ronald Kurt, Molly and Emily. She had eight great-grandchildren, Eric Williams, Jr., Jennifer (Williams) Close, Ryan Baker, Mathew Baker, Hailey Baker, Mikayla Williams, Marisa Williams, David Williams, and three great-great-grandchildren, Eibhlin Eder, Haden and Logan Williams. She was the quintessential Grandmother.

For many years she and Elmer took the boys to Hayward, Wisconsin the last two weeks in August to fish on the Chippewa flowage. Mabel was a Cubs fan mainly because Elmer was such a die-hard Cubs fan but what she really liked was basketball, especially Michael Jordon and the Chicago Bulls.

During her last years, Mabel remained happy and a joy to be around. She always had a smile for everyone and would brighten up the room. Even though she had difficulty with memory of recent events, she remembered her friends, family and events of the past. She will always be remembered by many as a happy, fiery redhead, who was caring and sensitive to others, and lived life to the fullest.

Arrangements are under the direction of Mills & Mills Funeral Home.