Lander Marshall Williams

Lander Marshall WilliamsSylacauga, AL - Funeral service for Lander Marshall Williams, 91, will be Friday, January 10, 2014 at 11:00 am at Radney-Smith Chapel with Rev. Donald Grice officiating.  Burial will be in Millerville Cemetery in Millerville, AL.Marshall Williams passed away on January 7, 2014.  He was 91 years old, was born in Sylacauga on March 13, 1922 on his mother’s birthday.  He grew up at Chandler Springs in the east part of Talladega County and in and around Millerville and Ashland in Clay County where he learned to use farming tools like a hoe, shovel, ax, crosscut saw, plowed with several mules as a farm boy and did whatever needed to be done on small farms with his daddy and sisters.  He cut wood for the stove and fireplace, went hunting and herb digging with his dad.  Marshall went to school at Clairmont Springs, Chandler Springs, Millerville and other places.He left school early, went to the CCC Camp and was sent to Oregon and Northern California.  He served almost a year cleaning out canals etc., fought forest fires and helped build fences.  He learned to drive the truck while in the CCC.  He was discharged from the CCC’s and was in Ogden, UT going home to Alabama on a train the 7th of December, 1941 when he heard the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. After Mr. Williams arrived back in Alabama he worked at Brecon Loading Company in Talladega for about 8 months and left there when he was drafted in the Army, November, 1942.  He was a WWII veteran.  He took training in Camp Walters, Texas and served in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Corsica Island.  After returning back to the state he was sent to California where he was placed in the Coast Artillery near San Francisco.  He was discharged in October, 1945.  He received the good conduct medal while in service.  He worked at Fiberboard Products a while and returned to Alabama.Marshall later married in June of 1947 to Cynthia May Chambless for more than 25 years.  She became the mother of three girls and a boy.In late 1947, Marshall Williams went to trade school at Jacksonville, Alabama for two years where he took a trade.  Later, in 1951 he worked at the Hydrogen Construction plant SC and then at the Rayon Factory just outside of Childersburg.Then, Mr. Williams went to Los Angeles, California where he worked about three years at Greer Metal Products where he sheered stainless steel for airplane manifolds and other things.  He then brought his wife and children back to Alabama.  For about 2 ½ years, work was very hard to get until he went to work at Anniston Army Depot in Bynum, Alabama on October 4, 1958 where he earned two outstanding awards and one sustained superior rating.  He retired from there with 27 years total army and civil service time.He married Shirley Faye Blankenship of Sylacauga, Christmas of 1974, and has been married to Shirley for more than 39 years.  In his teens while in school, Marshall started writing poems and has continued writing poems, rhymes, etc., plus a few short stories.  He has written many words for convention type shape not gospel songs.  He has his name on at least 28 songs in the convention song books.  He has written more than 1800 poems, etc.  Mr. Williams did a lot of good things in life.  He was always willing to give to his family and friends when in need.  Mr. Williams enjoyed hunting and going to all day singings most of his life.He was preceded in death by his mother, Lillie King Williams and his father, Marion T. Williams, two brothers, five sisters and his son Michael Williams and survived by one sister and his good wife, Shirley, of 39 years and three daughters, Wanda Yvonne Tucker, Beverly Ann Bearden, husband Leon and Alvara Denise Landmon, husband Mike, seven grandsons, seven great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildrenThe family will accept flowers or donations can be made to the American Legion Post of Sylacauga, AL.Visitation will be on Thursday January 9, 2014 from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. at Radney-Smith Funeral Home.Memorial messages may be sent to the family at www.radneysmith.com.Radney-Smith Funeral Home in Sylacauga, AL will direct the services.