Mariam Elizabeth Williams
10/11/1925 - 03/23/2017
Chandler, AZ
Mrs. Mariam Elizabeth (McCormick) Williams, 91, died peacefully on Thursday, March 23, 2017 in Chandler, AZ. A celebration of life will be held in Chandler on May 5 for family and friends.
Mariam was born in Ottawa, IL, on October, 11, 1925, the first daughter of John Elmer and Helen (Landers) McCormick. Born premature, her first few months were precarious. But with her parents’ and her Aunt Mary’s love and care she pulled through and grew up to be a lovely young girl.
Raised on the family farm, Mariam was put to work when she came of age. Her father Elmer didn’t have a son to assist him and never hesitated to rely on his daughter to help with the prized shorthorn cattle he raised, crops in the field and anything else that was required to keep a small farm running.
In 1936, Phyllis Ann McCormick was born and Mariam had a little sister. ‘Willy’, as her father called her, loved her big sister and they were close their entire lives.
During the Great Depression, the McCormicks were more fortunate than a lot of people as there was always food available on the farm. Mariam told stories of waking to find strangers camped on the lawn. Helen always had hot soup on the stove and bread that was offered to and shared with anyone and everyone.
One story her family loved hearing was about Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio broadcast in 1938. Believing that aliens had actually landed and were attacking Earth, neighbors flocked to the McCormick house because Elmer was a leader of the community. The night was spent huddled together praying and saying the rosary (even the Protestants, as Mariam remembered) until it was discovered that the alien invasion was all an elaborate Halloween prank.
Mariam attended college at Illinois State Normal University (now Illinois State University) and afterwards started working for Wisconsin Central Airlines. Being a small airline, Mariam remembers doing a bit of everything: selling tickets, checking passengers in and, of course, being one good-looking flight attendant.
While living in Chicago, she went on a blind date with a certain surgery resident of Northwestern Medical School. Although initially not impressed and thinking him a bit too arrogant (he was), Mariam and Evan Robert Williams continued to see each other and eventually fell in love. They were married on Sept. 15, 1951, and the rest is history.
They had seven children together over the next 13 years – 4 girls and 3 boys. When they moved to Dodge City, KS in the mid-1950s, it was only for “a few years”. Mariam and Evan ended up staying for 30 and raising their family there.
They eventually retired to Mesa, AZ, to enjoy the Southwest desert, and spent many years at the casa on S. Catarina Circle. They even bought a small Winnebago (the infamous ‘mini-Wini’) and enjoyed several road trips to see family across the country. Coincidently, Highway Patrol departments in several states during that time updated their training documents to include the proper way to handle drivers who have no business operating a motor home.
Mariam was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Evan R. Williams, daughter Cynthia Anne of Albuquerque, NM, and son, Evan Randall (Randy) Williams of Mesa, AZ.
She is survived by a sister, Phyllis Philip of Kansas City, MO, daughters Julie Lucier of Burlington, NC, Jenny McCune of Olathe, KS, and Amy Lockman of Wichita, KS, sons John Williams of Chandler, AZ, and James Williams of Cumberland, ME, 11 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren, 2 nephews, 1 niece and multiple grand nephews and nieces.
Daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother, grandmother – she will be missed by all who knew and loved her.
There will be mass in Mariam’s honor at St. Timothy Catholic Church at 10 A.M. on May 5, 2017. Interment will follow at Queen of Heaven cemetery in Mesa, AZ.
The family would like to thank the follow individuals on Mariam’s care team: Tina Duran (aide), Stephan Vigil (LPN), Becky Williamson (chaplain), Linda Snyder (social worker) and Gary Fulton (RN).
Kindly omit flowers. Memorial gifts may be made to the THEMA Hospice Foundation, 1500 East Bethany Home Rd, Suite 250, Phoenix, AZ, 85014-2463.
Mariam was born in Ottawa, IL, on October, 11, 1925, the first daughter of John Elmer and Helen (Landers) McCormick. Born premature, her first few months were precarious. But with her parents’ and her Aunt Mary’s love and care she pulled through and grew up to be a lovely young girl.
Raised on the family farm, Mariam was put to work when she came of age. Her father Elmer didn’t have a son to assist him and never hesitated to rely on his daughter to help with the prized shorthorn cattle he raised, crops in the field and anything else that was required to keep a small farm running.
In 1936, Phyllis Ann McCormick was born and Mariam had a little sister. ‘Willy’, as her father called her, loved her big sister and they were close their entire lives.
During the Great Depression, the McCormicks were more fortunate than a lot of people as there was always food available on the farm. Mariam told stories of waking to find strangers camped on the lawn. Helen always had hot soup on the stove and bread that was offered to and shared with anyone and everyone.
One story her family loved hearing was about Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio broadcast in 1938. Believing that aliens had actually landed and were attacking Earth, neighbors flocked to the McCormick house because Elmer was a leader of the community. The night was spent huddled together praying and saying the rosary (even the Protestants, as Mariam remembered) until it was discovered that the alien invasion was all an elaborate Halloween prank.
Mariam attended college at Illinois State Normal University (now Illinois State University) and afterwards started working for Wisconsin Central Airlines. Being a small airline, Mariam remembers doing a bit of everything: selling tickets, checking passengers in and, of course, being one good-looking flight attendant.
While living in Chicago, she went on a blind date with a certain surgery resident of Northwestern Medical School. Although initially not impressed and thinking him a bit too arrogant (he was), Mariam and Evan Robert Williams continued to see each other and eventually fell in love. They were married on Sept. 15, 1951, and the rest is history.
They had seven children together over the next 13 years – 4 girls and 3 boys. When they moved to Dodge City, KS in the mid-1950s, it was only for “a few years”. Mariam and Evan ended up staying for 30 and raising their family there.
They eventually retired to Mesa, AZ, to enjoy the Southwest desert, and spent many years at the casa on S. Catarina Circle. They even bought a small Winnebago (the infamous ‘mini-Wini’) and enjoyed several road trips to see family across the country. Coincidently, Highway Patrol departments in several states during that time updated their training documents to include the proper way to handle drivers who have no business operating a motor home.
Mariam was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Evan R. Williams, daughter Cynthia Anne of Albuquerque, NM, and son, Evan Randall (Randy) Williams of Mesa, AZ.
She is survived by a sister, Phyllis Philip of Kansas City, MO, daughters Julie Lucier of Burlington, NC, Jenny McCune of Olathe, KS, and Amy Lockman of Wichita, KS, sons John Williams of Chandler, AZ, and James Williams of Cumberland, ME, 11 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren, 2 nephews, 1 niece and multiple grand nephews and nieces.
Daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother, grandmother – she will be missed by all who knew and loved her.
There will be mass in Mariam’s honor at St. Timothy Catholic Church at 10 A.M. on May 5, 2017. Interment will follow at Queen of Heaven cemetery in Mesa, AZ.
The family would like to thank the follow individuals on Mariam’s care team: Tina Duran (aide), Stephan Vigil (LPN), Becky Williamson (chaplain), Linda Snyder (social worker) and Gary Fulton (RN).
Kindly omit flowers. Memorial gifts may be made to the THEMA Hospice Foundation, 1500 East Bethany Home Rd, Suite 250, Phoenix, AZ, 85014-2463.
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