Marguerite Ruth Williams

Marguerite Ruth McKinney Williams (née Nichols), daughter of Cassius Emmett Nichols and Lucy Enid Hodges, died Sunday, June 21, 2015, at the age of 93 after a brief illness. Born May 27, 1922, Marguerite lived much of her life in Canton, OH. She was married to Fred Jackson (Jack) McKinney on September 25, 1941, in Spartinburg, SC. The couple spent their life and raised their four boys in Canton before moving to Florida in 1978. She returned to Canton in 2010 to be near family.

Marguerite’s zest for life was unfazed until the end, and she earned the love and affection of all who met her. She and Jack raised orchids for wholesale, and she was skilled at flower arranging. Active in the Eastern Star, Marguerite was also an expert at needlepoint, crochet, and knitting. In addition to making gifts for her family, she regularly contributed hats and blankets for premature babies. From an early age, Marguerite enjoyed singing and performed throughout her life in church choirs. She was an avid reader with a particular interest in history and an active member of Baptist churches in Ohio and Florida.

Marguerite was pre-deceased by her parents, her husband Jack, and seven of her eight siblings. She is survived by her twin sister Madeline DeLong; sons Jack Dennis and wife Janice Kay Williams of Louisville, KY, James Roger and fiancée Marla Fowler of Canton, OH, Richard Lee and wife Dorothy Ann Goddard of Washington, DC, and Charles Allan and wife Barbara Sanders of Olympia, WA; grandchildren Sherri and husband Larry Frantz, Lisa and husband Andrew Sponsler, James and wife Jodi McKinney, Jack and wife Adrienne Fero McKinney, Jessica McKinney, Alden and husband Greg Bickford, Chantiera McKinney, and Emily Sanders-McKinney; and great-grandchildren Jessica, Alexandra, James, and Jayla.

Services will be held at Canton Christian Home, 2550 Cleveland Avenue NW, Canton on Wednesday, June 24, 2015, at 1:00 pm, with calling hours beginning at noon. Graveside services will follow. In lieu of donations, the family encourages mourners to give blood in appreciation for the support Marguerite received.