Martha Katheryn Williams, 85, of Blue Springs, Missouri, died on Thursday, December 15, 2016 at Wilshire at Lakewood Nursing Home in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Funeral services will be held at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 20th at Royer-Hays Funeral Home, Blue Springs, MO. The family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. until service time at the funeral home. Martha will be laid to rest Wednesday, December 21st in Black Creek Cemetery in Poplar Bluff, MO. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to First Baptist Church of Blue Springs, 4500 Little Blue Parkway, Independence, MO 64057.
Martha was born August 9, 1931, in Detroit, Michigan, the eldest child of the late Rev. William and Katheryn (Boyd) Emerson. In 1950, Martha was married to Thomas E. Williams who preceded her in death in 2003. She is survived by her sister Nora Dodd of Poplar Bluff and her brother Howard Emerson (Carolyn) of Wentzville.
Martha will be sadly missed by her children: Angela Dianne (Stephen) Ventimiglia of Blue Springs, Thomas David (Vicky) Williams of Jefferson City, and Kathy Lynn Parrott of Belton. She will also be lovingly remembered by her five grandchildren: Greg (Cathie) Starrett, Brian (Kristy) Starrett, Ashley (Jon) Hermann, Jacob (Jessica) Parrott, and Hannah Parrott; two step-grandchildren: Shawn Ventimiglia and Kindra Atkinson; and her five great-grandchildren: Grant and Caelie Starrett, Savannah and Teagan Starrett, and Benjamin Parrott. She will also be fondly remembered by many nieces and nephews.
Martha and Tom lived for several years in Poplar Bluff where she was a member of Third Baptist Church. They also lived in Eldon and served in Aurora Springs Baptist Church and in Highpoint where they were members of Highpoint Baptist Church, but they spent their remaining years in Clarksburg where she was an active member in the Clarksburg Baptist Church for 34 years. A fond memory of Martha is her service as the cook at Vacation Bible School each year, fixing theme foods and sewing a special apron to wear during the week. Martha’s remaining years were spent as a member of First Baptist Church Blue Springs.
Martha was an amazing cook, specializing in homemade goodies such as noodles, biscuits, and pies. She was an avid vegetable and flower gardener who always had a stash of canned goods and beautiful African Violets gracing her kitchen window. Martha was also a talented seamstress, a pianist, and gracious hostess. She was a sweet, gentle lady who was loved by her friends, neighborhood children, and family.
Aside from her responsibilities as a homemaker, Martha also worked as a cook in the Highpoint School system, as a seamstress in the California Manufacturing Plant, and in sales at the Family Shoe Store in California MO.
Arrangements: Royer-Hays Funeral Home, Blue Springs, MO 816-229-555