Margaret O'Beirne Williams

Margaret O’Beirne Williams passed away peacefully on October 1st in Jackson, MS. She was born in 1937 in Natchez, MS to Irish immigrants Marcella Healion O’Beirne and Michael Patrick O’Beirne and was one of ten children. She was proud of her Irish heritage and loved visiting Ireland and meeting her many cousins there.

Margaret was a graduate of Cathedral High School in Natchez, MS. She worked for the Natchez Democrat before marrying John Thomas Williams and moving to Jackson in 1958. She was a wonderful wife and a loving and devoted mother to her six children. She spent many hours driving her kids to practices, games, recitals or any other activity they were involved in. There was never a more kind and patient mom. She prayed daily for her kids, grandkids and extended family, and they all adored her.

Margaret’s husband, John, passed away in 1976, and Margaret was left to raise their six children on her own. Her strong faith in God sustained her then, as it did when she lost her son, Barry, in 1991.

Margaret opened Ye Olde Lamp Shoppe in 1979. It was a family affair with most of her kids and several grandkids working there over the years. She was the lamp shade fitting expert and always enjoyed meeting and helping her customers with their lamp and shade needs, with many customers becoming friends. Many of her customers would wait in line insisting that only Margaret could help them!

Margaret was very involved in her churches, St. Therese Catholic Church, and later St. Richard’s Catholic Church. She served on the Parish Council and Home-School Association at St. Therese and loved her small faith group at St. Richard’s. She was a long time volunteer and board member of Catholic Charities and was a resident of St. Catherine’s Village. She so loved the wonderful staff and residents there, and especially enjoyed living there with her beloved sisters, Patsy and Noreen.

One of Margaret’s greatest joys was being a grandmother, and she adored her 13 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. She did her best to be at every baptism and birthday party and loved hearing and re-telling cute stories about them! She had a special relationship with each of them.

Margaret loved life and never missed a party! As one of ten children and the mother of six she always enjoyed large family gatherings and was blessed to be part of an especially loving and supportive extended family. Her faith, family and friends were the foundations of her life, She walked daily with the Lord, and her faith in Him was strong.

Margaret loved football and especially her beloved Ole Miss Rebels! Although she never attended Ole Miss, her husband and several children and grandchildren did, and she cheered for them louder than anyone else! She and her sisters would gather to watch football, college and professional, every weekend,

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, Marcella and Michael O’Beirne, her husband John Williams, her son, Barry Williams, her sisters, Alice O’Beirne, Mary Williams, Eileen Clayton and Patsy Rogers and her brothers, James O’Beirne, Tommy O’Beirne and Danny O’Beirne.

She is survived by her children, Stephanie Forester (Mitch), John Williams (Amanda), Cyndi Johnston (Ryan), Kevin Williams (Key), Alice Wise (Sandy) and her daughter in law Beth Williams Davis. She is also survived by her grandchildren Carrie Howie (David). John Patrick Williams (Sara), Michael Williams (Shelby), Joel Williams (Mary Julia), Maggie Scarbrough (Taylor), Katherine Forester, Taylor Williams (Logen), Gray Williams (Hannah), Lucy Perkins (Zach), Ellie Johnston, Ann Ryan Johnston, Caroline Thomas (Reed) and Coleman Wise, and by her great grandchildren, Aubrey, Jude, Alaina and Francie Howie, Shepherd, Winnie and Lewis Williams, Owen Williams, Laine Williams, Emma Williams, Carlisle and Lucille Scarbrough, Charlie and Sam Perkins, and Mary Alice Thomas. She is also survived by her sister Noreen Bozeman, her brother Michael O’Beirne and numerous nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.

Visitation will be on Friday, October 9th at 9:30 AM at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Madison with the funeral mass following at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church or Catholic Charities.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff of St. Catherine’s Village. A special thanks goes to the kind and compassionate staff on the sixth floor of St. Dominic’s Hospital.