La-Ketta was born May 14, 1945, in Marlow, Oklahoma. She was the youngest child and only daughter of Eli Whitney and Bessie Lee (Beavers) Payne, and the baby sister of three older brothers: Jerry, Bobby, and Paul. She grew up in a home where hard work and faith were simply the way of life. Her father served Marlow and was a pillar of the community. Her mother was a caretaker, a devoted mother of four, and a devout Christian with deep roots in the Church of Christ. It was Bessie who first nurtured La-Ketta's faith, and that faith stayed with her all her life.
La-Ketta married Billy Williams in 1963, and together they welcomed six children. She later made her home in Odessa, Texas, where she did the great work of her life: raising her children. La-Ketta was a devoted mother who poured herself into providing for her family, often putting their needs ahead of her own.
La-Ketta was preceded in death by her parents, Eli and Bessie Payne; her brothers, Jerry Payne, Paul Payne, and Bob Payne; her son, Billy Kerwyn Williams; her daughter, Alisha Beth Williams; and the father of her children, Bill Williams.
She is survived by her daughters, Sheila Mulkey, Melodi and husband Ramon Rivera; her sons, Billy Duane Williams and Daniel Williams and wife Rebecca Williams; 12 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; Sister-in-Law Sue Payne and many nieces and nephews who knew La-Ketta across the different seasons of her life.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am, Sunday, Oct 4th, 2026, at the Sparkman Greenville Funeral Home, Richardson, Texas, with Nathan Tucker, minister, officiating.
Burial will follow at 10:00 am on Monday, October 5th, 2026 in Marlow Oklahoma Cemetery.
"Her children arise up, and call her blessed." (Proverbs 31:28)
