Evelyn Ruthe Williams

Evelyn “Ruthe” Williams, passed away peacefully early on Sunday morning, June 4, 2017, at home after a long illness at the age of 93. She is now free from pain, rejoicing in the presence of the lord. Ruthe, as she is lovingly called, was the third of eight children [Juanita (Toots), Dorothy (Dot), McKinley, Jr (MC), Melvin (Gwen), Weiland (Boone), Bettye, and Arnold (Mouse)] born to McKinley & Sarah Tarpley on September 13, 1923 in Lincoln, Nebraska.

She was educated in Lincoln, Nebraska and graduated from Lincoln High School where she met and married the love of her life, Vincent Williams, shortly after graduating from high school. They shared 75 years together raising four children–Blake, Avis, Vincent Jr. and Marc and five of their grandsons-Marc, Jr, Marcell, Lamont, Christopher and Timothy. She was the epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman as wife, mother and friend.

The couple acted like snowbirds living in Lincoln, Nebraska during the summer and Tucson, Arizona in the winter for several years until they made Tucson their permanent home in 1955. She was a housewife and attended Beauty School and Lamson’s Business College. She enjoyed styling hair for family and friends. She helped her sisters (Dot and Bettye) with their girls doing their hair, buying clothes, and encouraging them. She worked for TUSD as a playground monitor and in the cafeteria at various schools, retiring from the Tucson High cafeteria.

Mother Williams loved the Lord and was a beautiful Christian woman who was an active faithful willing worker for over sixty years in Lincoln and Tucson. She was president of the Sunshine Band, Purity Class, YWCC; she was a Bible Band and YPWW teacher; a faithful usher; and was appointed Mother of the Greater Mt Olive COGIC by Pastor JS Ellis until her health would not permit it. Mother Williams was the bookkeeper for Greater Mt Olive COGIC for 27 years. She was also a brownie/girl scout troop leader, loved and respected by all her troops. She took her children and her nieces and nephew, who lived near her, to church with her and her mother. We praise God for that foundation.

She was preceded in death by her mother and father (McKinley & Sarah Tarpley); brothers–McKinley Tarpley, Jr., Weiland Tarpley and Melvin Tarpley; sisters–Juanita Weaver and Dorothy Caldwell. She leaves to cherish her memory her husband, Vincent Williams, Sr.; children Blake (Sonya) Rashad, Avis Peete, Vincent (Cynthia) Williams, Jr. and Marc (Cindi) Williams, Sr., grandsons–Blake, Christopher, Marc, Jr., Marcell, Nick, Lamont, Timothy, and Tyler; granddaughters–Avis, Amanda, Jameela, Mariah, Priscilla, Rebecca and Tricia; great grandsons-Christopher, Marcus, Jeremiah, Seth, Oliver, Keith, Keileb, Zadrian; great granddaughters-Amaiyah, Aubree, Audrey, Audrianna, Channel, Ella, Evelyn, Jasmine, Madison; sister-Bettye Lewis; brother-Arnold (Dionne) Tarpley; a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Home Going Service will be Monday, June 12, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at Greater Mt. Olive COGIC, 403 E. Lee Street, Tucson, AZ 85719