Delores Kathryn MARDEN WILLIAMSON

Delores
Jul 2, 1923 Lincoln, Lancaster, NE
Apr 28, 2022 Willow Springs, Howell, MO

Sidney
Nov 10, 1922 Burnham, Howell, MO
May 15, 2015 Willow Springs, Howell, MO

Delores Kathryn (Marden) Williamson passed from this life and into eternal rest with Jesus on April 28, 2022, at the age of 98.
She was born to Nate and Nettie Marden on July 2, 1923, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Having moved to the Willow Springs area at a young age, she attended and graduated from Willow Springs High School. Shortly after graduating, she married Sidney Williamson in February of 1942, and they settled on a small farm north of Willow Springs. To this union, three children were born, Sharon Kay, Monty Nate, and Richard Floyd.
A devoted wife and mother, Delores was an excellent homemaker, and for many decades, was also a true partner in ministry with her husband in the General Baptist Church. She felt very accomplished after being able to teach for a time at Stony Point School – a one-room schoolhouse near her home. Delores enjoyed church gatherings, ladies' quilting day, and was an excellent seamstress for her family. She made all her daughter's clothes and also sewed for her eldest granddaughter, who did not even own a store-bought dress until she was a junior in high school.
She loved cooking and canning, and she was an exceptionally great fudge maker – improving upon her recipe year after year. She also enjoyed working crossword puzzles and playing Scrabble, Skip-Bo, Penny on the Line, and Rook - turning into a fierce competitor, despite her sweet demeanor. One of her favorite activities was helping care for her grandchildren, and she especially loved when her family gathered around the piano to sing.
Delores was preceded in death by her parents, Nate and Nettie Marden; her husband, Sidney Williamson; sister, Clara Swecker; brother-in-law, Ralph Swecker; and a granddaughter-in-law, Emily Williamson.
A celebration of this life well-lived will be held on Friday, May 6, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at First General Baptist Church of Willow Springs, Missouri, with Pastor Scott Williamson officiating, under the direction of Yarber Mortuary.

Funeral services for Sid Williamson will be held Wednesday, May 20th, 2015 at 10:00 am, at the First General Baptist Church, Willow Springs, MO, with Scott Williamson officiating under the direction of Yarber Mortuary of Willow Springs. Visitation will be Tuesday, May 19, from 6:00-8:00 pm, also at the First General Baptist Church, 2507 Railroad Drive, Willow Springs.
Pallbearers will be Dean Durnell, Ty Durnell, Aaron Williamson, Lee Freeman, Brent Lovelace, and Tony Duddridge.
Sidney Horace Williamson, son of Rev. Floyd S. and Lizzie (Kentch) Williamson, was born November 10, 1922 at Burnham, MO and departed this life on May 15, 2015, at 92 years of age.
Sid grew up in the Burnham community and attended school there in his early years. He later moved to the Stony Point area where he attended school and graduated from the eighth grade. In 1938, he entered the Willow Springs High School and graduated with the class of 1941.
During Sid’s teenage years, he got acquainted with Delores Marden and made great efforts to attend Solid Rock General Baptist Church, where she was a member – even regularly riding in the back of a truck for several miles in all kinds of weather to make sure he saw her at church. They entered Willow Springs High School the same year, and started dating when they were in their junior year of school. On February 1, 1942, Sidney and Delores were united in marriage. To this union three children were born, Sharon, Monty, and Richard (Rick).
As a small boy, Sid was saved at the old Burnham General Baptist Church. In 1939, while attending the Solid Rock General Baptist Church, he rededicated his life to the Lord. It was on this night that the pastor, Rev. Levi Koch, put his hand on Sid’s head and said, “This boy will be a preacher.” In 1949, Sid felt his call into the ministry. He served as a deacon, and also served the church in many other capacities until September of 1955 when, upon the recommendations of the pastor and congregation, he received his minister’s license. He was ordained on September 11, 1956.
Bro. Sid and Sis. Delores served the Solid Rock Church as pastors for two years, until he accepted the ministry of the Dry Creek General Baptist Church in 1957. He served there until the mid 1960’s, when he became the pastor of the Burnham General Baptist Church, where he ministered until 1984. In 1986, he began pastoring the congregation of the First General Baptist Church of Willow Springs and served there for twelve and a half years. When he announced his retirement, the church asked him to continue on as an associate pastor, which he did.
Bro. Sid also had jobs and duties outside the church. He entered military service on February 4, 1943, and honorably served in the Army Air Force Division as a Basic Clerk Typist. He was stationed in Luzon, New Guinea, Southern Philippines, where he spent 22 months in the Asiatic Pacific Theatre of Operations. While in service, he earned three Bronze Stars and a Good Conduct Medal, in addition to numerous other honors. He was honorably discharged on November 29, 1945.
When he returned from the war, he began working at Garrett Grocery (now G&W Foods) in Willow Springs. After about two years, he went to work for MFA Feed Store until he later accepted a position driving a delivery truck for the Standard Oil Dealership in Willow Springs. He later bought the Standard Oil Dealership and ran the business until 1963. He then became a truck driver for MFA Oil Company for the following five or six years. Additionally, during the 1960’s, Sid was a school bus driver for the Willow Springs School System. He also served three two-year terms as a County Judge (Commissioner) for Howell County from January 1973 through December 1978.
Sid was a loyal St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan and regularly tuned in to the radio to listen to the games. He was well-known locally, and in the surrounding communities, as a great baseball pitcher himself. Many have told of his knuckle ball that no batter could hit. At one time, some representatives for the St. Louis Cardinals came through the area looking for talent. After watching him pitch, he was offered the opportunity to try out for the Cardinals organization, but chose not to because it would interfere with him attending church on Sunday.
Bro. Sid touched the lives of many people by his kindness and gentleness. He held an exceptionally high level of honesty and integrity. His words of advice to, “Always love the Lord” and “Keep God first”, were offered many times to almost everyone with whom he engaged in conversation. He had a deep passion for seeing souls won for Christ, and lived what he preached every day of his life. He will surely be missed by many in the General Baptist Church communities across southern Missouri, as well as his many friends and acquaintances in Willow Springs.
Sid was preceded in death by his parents, Floyd and Lizzie Williamson, his brothers Dwight, Earl, Carmac, and Art Williamson, his sisters Hazel Vandeventer, Thelma Gilbert, and Edna Robertson, and two infant siblings.
He is survived by wife, Delores, of the home; daughter, Sharon Watt and husband, Ron, of Littleton, Colorado; son, Monty Williamson and wife, Georgia, of Mountain View, Missouri; son Rick Williamson and wife, Jan, of Mount Pleasant, Iowa; four grandchildren, Lori Williamson-Dean, Lisa Durnell, Kristen Faubus, and Aaron Williamson; and six great-grandchildren, Emily and Ty Durnell, Olivia Dean, Julia and Cora Faubus, and Maggie Williamson; nine nieces, seven nephews, and a host of other church family and friends.

Contributed on 8/23/22 by mjrwag
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Record #: 829154

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