Sarah Connally Williams

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Sarah Williams, it summarized in every way who she was. She was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around her and always thinking before acting. She was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything she did. She was a friendly person who truly cared about those around her.

Sarah was born on October 17, 1949 at Haskell Memorial Hospital in Haskell, Texas. She was the daughter of Billy Ray and Joanna Connally. Raised in Haskell Texas; Ruidoso, NM; Albuquerque, NM and Levelland, Texas, she was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, she learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that she would carry with her throughout her life.

As a young girl, Sarah was always aware of how others around her felt and this quality served her well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Sarah was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Sarah was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where she could concentrate, Sarah also had the ability to relate well with her family and friends. Sarah was raised with two siblings. She had one older brother, Jack and one younger brother Pody. Sarah was constantly involved in activities with her family. Sarah and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

Growing up, Sarah was one of those children who didn’t need to be in the center of a whirlwind of activity. She was content to entertain herself. Sarah was never pushy when it came to games and other activities, but rather, she was able to enjoy the pure fun these could bring. In just about everything she did as a child, Sarah was intent on pleasing both the adults and the other children around her. Sarah took part in a number of activities as a child. She took part in softball. She was a Brownie.

Sarah enjoyed learning. She always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Sarah was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. She often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Sarah was painstaking and accurate in her efforts. All of these talents culminated in a successful high school career. She graduated from Levelland High School in 1968. Sarah enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite subjects and teachers.

Most folks would say that Sarah was shy until they got to know her. Those who were privileged to know her well learned that she was a solid, good friend. Sarah was reluctant to generalize about people, and she based her friendships on her personal experiences. Because of this, Sarah best trusted those people that she truly knew. She was concerned about how those around her felt, and she always seemed to uncover the positive side of people. She could relate to others and had the ability to see their point of view, to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as the saying goes. The friends that she made, Sarah kept. While growing up, some of her best friends were Carolyn Frey-Rogers, Bonnie Tittsworth, Jackie Stanley-Shugart. Later in life, she became friends with Sue Goodnight, Debra Pugh, Kaye Brown, Joyce Cunningham, Susan Dorrow, Sandy Smith and Linda Wright.

Love can’t be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Sarah. On May 26, 1972 Sarah married Jimmy Williams at Austin Street Church of Christ of Levelland, Texas. She was totally committed to Jimmy and maintained traditional ideals about marriage. It was as if Sarah naturally sensed her spouse’s needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Sarah disliked conflict, she did not take flight from discord, but rather sought to preserve harmony even during the most trying times.

Sarah was a good mother to her children. She had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because she trusted emotions, Sarah was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way she seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around her, always thinking before acting. In addition, Sarah was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around her might be, she seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Sarah was blessed with two children, Jon and Ben. They were also blessed with three grandchildren, Daphanie, Becky and Colby.

If you gave Sarah a deadline, she would meet it. At work, Sarah was always on task. Without hesitation, Sarah could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. Her primary occupation was secretary and bank teller. She was employed for Shugart Studio, Southwestern Public Service, Post Montgomery for 18 years and City Bank for 10 years. During that time, Sarah excelled in working with small groups in order to complete assignments. She was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Sarah was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Sarah had at true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. She was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all parties.

Sarah liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Sarah's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Sarah preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were reading books and bowling. Sarah was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying her hobbies all by herself and could often be found just reading about her favorite pastimes.

While thorough and measured in her approach to things, Sarah often liked to physically do things rather than just think about them. She was like that with sports. In high school, Sarah played softball. In her college years, Sarah continued to stay active by bowling, rodeo and barrel racing. Recreational sports included bowling and barrel racing. She also enjoyed the statistical data and the facts behind the sports. In this way, she was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite teams whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were bowling, basketball (girls and boys), tennis and football.

Due to her excellent organizational skills, Sarah was a welcome addition to the professional and community organizations to which she belonged. Sarah could bring established, successful methods to the discussion table, along with a generous helping of common sense. Sarah was good at making and keeping schedules and never got bogged down in unnecessary details. In high school, Sarah was a member of the West Texas Barrel Racing Association.

An individual who respected and maintained traditional values, her faith was important to Sarah. Her compassion, consideration and sympathy toward others was evident in her personal beliefs. She was a member Cactus Drive Church of Christ.

Doing things to help others seemed to come naturally to Sarah. She never set out to gain individual recognition, but the praise and accolades given her for her many and varied efforts throughout her life were well deserved. Some of her most prestigious awards included her ten year pin from City Bank.

Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Sarah had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that she was the trip planner. She would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included Ruidoso NM, Possum Kingdom Lake, Colorado and a Caribbean Cruise.

Sarah had Misty and Zoee, both Pomeranian, who was her best friend for Misty for 17 years and Zoee three years. Her family was rounded out by her barrel racing horse Charlie, that lived for 32 years. Sarah was as loyal to her pets as they were to her.

Sarah passed away on February 24, 2010 at Vista Care Hospice, Lubbock, Texas. Sarah fought a hard and brave battle against Ovarian Cancer. She is survived by her husband Jimmy, two sons, Jon and Ben, three grandchildren, Daphanie, Becky and Colby. Two brothers, Jack and Pody and sister-in-law Juanita and her father Bill. Services were held at Cactus Drive Church of Christ, Levelland, Texas. Sarah was laid to rest in Resthaven Memorial Park, Lubbock, Texas.

It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Sarah was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Sarah was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of woman to whom everyone was drawn. She was thorough and practical. Sarah Williams was very literal with her words. You always knew where you stood with Sarah. She will be missed.

Please join us in celebrating Sarah’s life by visiting her memorial at www.georgepricefunerals.com.