Helen Ruby Williams passed away on March 17, 2021.

She was born May 9, 1935 at the old Norman farm, a Cherokee tribal allotment east of Wagoner that had been in the Norman family for many years. Her parents were Louis Edward Norman  and Ruby Ophelia (Fisher) Norman. Their house, still under her father's construction - and with just a dirt floor, was alongside the Grand River near the narrow bridge heading towards Hulbert. One of her earliest childhood memories was of hearing, long after dark, the occasional vehicle rumbling across the loudly squeaking bridge. She'd hide under her bed.

Helen's parents moved to Kansas City, Missouri in September 1942, where she started second grade. Helen and her brother Steve were close enough in age that they started school together. Previously, they had both attended primer, but then Helen's mother taught her to read at home. Young Helen and her brother both skipped first grade.

When Helen was nine, a newborn sister Ruth Charlotte died of pneumonia at thirteen weeks and was buried at the Kansas City Woodlawn cemetery in 1944.

In September 1948, the family moved back to Oklahoma to reside in Wagoner and care for her mother's aging parents.

Helen graduated High School in Wagoner and married Roy Lee Williams.

Graveside services to celebrate Helen's life will be at 1 pm Saturday, March 27 at Pioneer Cemetery in Wagoner, OK.

Today, Helen has a surviving brother,  Pastor Stephen Louis Norman of El Paso, TX, two surviving children, Caroline Jones and husband Carl of Winnie, TX; Danny Williams and wife Carla of Sand Springs, OK. Her grandchildren are Shawna Glass, Rachael Jones Ortega, Christopher Williams, Ben Jones, Kyle Williams and Jared Williams. Great grandchildren are Rachael, Tyler, Presley, Beckett, Harper, Jaxon and River.

Her brother, Pastor Daniel Thomas Norman of Fort Worth, TX  died on Nov. 1, 2016.

Her son, Christopher Edward  Williams of Bixby OK  died on Nov. 29th, 2019.

Chris's ashes will be interred alongside Helen.

Helen biggest thrill - but now let's call her "Mom" -

Mom's biggest thrill was to be loved and to spread the word of God and his love.

She had two strong theories for a healthy life - laughter and prayer. Combining the two often resulted in a sermon. She absolutely could not help it.

That last sentence was as Mom would often say, "Just a note of humor."

At her life's end Mom was ready to go, though she did tell her daughter Caroline, "there are more lives to be touched".

We know she touched a lot of lives. We heard it from many, many that loved her. And she touched ours every day.

Mom had a few regrets, as we all have, and she worked hard to overcome mistakes. Mom witnessed a lot in her 85 years. Happy times, sad times, but she always found the joy in the little things.

Mom died at peace with God, and when she left, she left our world to the startling sound of a booming thunder and sailed away into God's hands.

Now, in Mom's words, "We're going on".