Olivia Hargett Williams

For 101 years, 1 week, and 1 day, Olivia Hargett Williams refused to just mark time—she made time. Born on January 13, 1924, Olivia was the ninth of eleven children born to Rosa (Jackson) Hargett and Joseph R. Hargett of Cove City, North Carolina. The child of a minister, Olivia grew up deeply rooted in service.

As a child, she was always in service to her family, whether helping on the farm or babysitting her nieces and nephews, often at the expense of her own teenage milestones, like going to prom.

Olivia wore many hats throughout her life: daughter, sister, Aunt Libby, pioneer, educator, elder, godmother, wife—but her most cherished roles were mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

A lifelong learner, Olivia attended North Carolina A&T and Martin Luther King Jr. Community College, where she earned a degree in bookkeeping. Determined not just to witness life but to be a legacy builder, Olivia took a gap year in 1940 and traveled north to New York City to stay with her older sister. There, she met and married Felix Christopher Williams (deceased). Their union bore three children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Her daughters Connie, Linda, and Cassandra, as headstrong and adventurous young women, were a handful to say the least.

Even as a parent raising three spirited daughters in 1940s, 50s, and 60s New York City, Olivia managed to nurture and love the community around her. Whether through her work with what would become Mt. Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church or the East Harlem Tutorial Program, her hands were always full—full of care for those in need, full of time for those who asked, and full of love for everyone in her path.

Her journey is an indelible testimony spanning history, from knowing freed slaves to marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and earning the right to vote. Olivia used that right to vote for women’s rights, the first Black president, the first Black female vice president, and the first Black woman to run on a major party ticket for president of the United States.

She received the Lucy Craft Laney Award from the National Black Presbyterian Women of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus, commemorating a lifetime of servant leadership. In 2014, she was honored as an Honorary Lifetime Member.

Olivia always made time. She made time to support her husband in reconnecting with his little sister, Louise Weeks. She made time to be there for her daughters through weddings and childbirths, regardless of where they were in the country. She made time for her friends, no matter the distance. She even made time for the delicious sweet potato pies that became the hallmark of every holiday, rooting her family to home—a tradition she continued for as long as her hands would allow.

Today, we have social media, but Olivia was the information superhighway for her friends and family. Moving somewhere? If Olivia wasn’t within arm’s reach, she knew someone who would look after you.

Exodus 20:12 teaches us: “Honor thy father and mother: that thy days may be long.” 101 years, 1 week, and 1 day is proof Olivia understood the assignment.

Olivia now departs to rejoin her siblings—Noah Robert Sr., Effie, Booker T., Joseph, Abbi, Dot, Moses, Frank, Hazel, and William (Dub)—as well as a host of friends and family.

To celebrate and honor her life and legacy, she leaves behind her daughters Connie Gant (Richard Gant), Linda Armstrong, and Cassandra Williams; her grandchildren Denise Gant, Richard "Eric" Gant, Kelly Armstrong, and Justin Morris (DeMyra Harvey-Morris); her great-grandchildren Dailyn Ballard, Kaliah Armstrong-Rich, Corey Carpenter, and Imani Morris; her godchildren Seretha "Tonie" LaSane and Charles Palmer Coleman; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Olivia H. Williams’ impact is nearly impossible to encapsulate in words, but she would say: “I see the Lord, high and lifted up, seated on the throne of my life”—and that’s a great place to start.

A visitation for Olivia will be held Friday, January 31, 2025 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church, 15 Mt Morris Park W, New York, NY 10027. A funeral service will occur Friday, January 31, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM, 15 Mt Morris Park W, New York, NY 10027. A committal service will occur Friday, January 31, 2025 from 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM at Calverton National Cemetery, Wading River, Wading River, NY 11792.