Jessie Mae [Bowen] Williams 1924-2007

WILLIAMS, WHITE, BOWEN, MCNEAL, PARKHURST, JOHNSTON, MCCLEMENTS

Posted By: Curtis (email)
Date: 3/4/2010 at 19:31:18

DEATH NOTICE:

(The Leon Journal-Reporter Leon, Iowa November 14, 2007)

WILLIAMS, Jessie Mae, 83, of Gran driver, Iowa, died November 8, 2007 at Osceola Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Osceola. Funeral service were held November 12 at Slade-O'Donnell Funeral Home in Leon with Pastors Brian McCracken and Dan McNeal officiating. Burial was in Grand River Cemetery, Grand, Iowa.

A memorial fund has been established by the family.

Obituary -

(The Leon Journal-Reporter Leon, Iowa November 14, 2007)

JESSIE MAE WILLIAMS ... Jessie Mae Williams, age 83 of Grand River, Iowa, daughter of Otha Waring Bowen and Bertha Mae [White] Bowen, was born March 27, 1924 near Hatfield, Missouri and died November 8, 2007 at Osceola Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Osceola, Iowa.

Jessie grew up in Harrison County, Missouri. She married Kenneth Gordon Williams on June 10, 1940 in Bethany, Missouri. They made their life-long home in the Grand River area. Two children, daughter Glenda and son Gordon, were born to this union.

Besides being a homemaker and mother, Jessie was a grocery store clerk and waitress in Grand River. She was then hired early on by O'Bryan Brothers in Leon, Iowa, where Jessie was a seamstress for 23 years until her retirement at age 63. Even after retirement, Jessie sewed t-shirts, pajamas, and blankets for her family and friends.

Jessie was an independent, strong woman. She enjoyed mowing her own yard and watching birds. She had a way with plants and flowers and raised African violets. She was a good cook and Jessie always made and delivered wonderful chocolate chip cookies to her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and to the community. Jessie loved her family, and especially liked having her grandchildren and great grandchildren around her.

Jessie and Kenneth liked taking car trips together, traveling to the Black Hills, New Mexico, and to southern Missouri where Kenneth was from. Kenneth died on May 7, 1991.

Also preceding Jessie in death were her parents; infant granddaughter Deanna Kay McNeal; brother Audrey Bowen and his wife Ethel; and brothers-in-law Clarence and Jim Parkhurst.

Surviving are her daughter Glenda McNeal and husband John of Murray, Iowa; son Gordon Williams and wife Cleta of Corydon, Iowa; grandchildren and great grandchildren: Dan McNeal and wife Cheryl of Murray and family Jonathan, Sonya, and Monissa, Debbie McNeal-Duff and husband Glen of Smithville, Missouri and family Kayanna, Allyson, and Rielynn, Lonnie Williams and wife Laura of Leon and family Beth, Cody, and Tyler, Dennis Mcneal and wife Christy of Hudson, Iowa and family Mia and Kate, and Les Williams of Corydon and family Corissa and Bradley; 3 sisters: Doris and Maxine Parkhurst of Bethany and Edna Johnston and husband Elmer of Des Moines, Iowa; brother Deryle Bowen and wife Darlene of Moorhead, Iowa; sister-in-law Marilyn McClements an husband Albert of Rochester, New York; many nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends.