Mary E. Williams
Mary Elizabeth Landis Williams, 68, of Hammond, Ind., died peacefully Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017, in Indianapolis, Ind., at the home of her son.
The funeral service was held at 11 a.m., Saturday at The King’s Community Church, 600 W. 162nd St., South Holland, Ill., with Pastor Pete Tassio officiating.
She is survived by her four children, Alan Williams and wife, Shana of Washington, D.C., Greg Williams and wife, Rachel of Lafayette, Ind., Timothy Williams and wife, Mary Jane, and Rachel Bousum and husband, Zane, both of Indianapolis, Ind.; her sister, Cathy Mitchell and husband, Curt of Clarksville; eight grandchildren, Jude and Sage Williams, Isaac Williams, Caleb and Oliver Williams, and Josiah, Audrey, and Michaela Bousum; nephew, Brock Mitchell; and niece, Amy Sipes.
Mary was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 38 years, Billy Williams; her parents, J.R. and Louise Landis, of Hannibal,; and two grandchildren, Drew and Noelle Bousum.
Raised on the Landis family farm outside of Hannibal, Missouri, Mary attended Cottey and Quincy Colleges and graduated from the University of Missouri. Mary accepted Christ while at Cottey College, and after teaching high school math in Bowling Green from 1970-74, she decided to “give a year of my life to God” and attend Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Okla., which changed her life in more ways than she imagined.
At Rhema she met Billy, and as Billy always succinctly put it, they “met in September, had a date in November, and were married in December.” After graduating together from Rhema, they pastored in Chelsea, Okla., La Harpe, Illinois, and in 1978 they moved to Hammond, Indiana where they pastored until 1991 at Praise Fellowship Church. Mary taught middle school math at Gavit in Hammond from 1987-89, high school math at Lew Wallace in Gary from 1989-90, and middle school math at Eggers in Hammond from 1990-2004. After retiring, she and Billy ministered in Mexico and India, where they saw God move in phenomenal ways.
From 2005 until Billy’s death in 2013, Mary and Billy ministered in Cook County Jail and the Illinois state prisons, as well as others. They saw many lives transformed and were much beloved by the inmates.
Mary loved being surrounded by her family and spending time with her grandchildren. She also loved studying the Word of God and teaching people about receiving the Holy Spirit. Mary was a teacher in every facet of her life, whether it was math, teaching the Word of God, or instilling wisdom into her children and grandchildren. Everyone who knew her knew when she was teaching by the tone of her voice.
Mary is a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, and all who knew her will miss her kindness, patient listening and excellent (and sometimes pointed) counsel.
Memorial donations may be made to Global Ventures (https://globalventures.tv/young/), King’s Community Church, or Stand Up To Cancer (http://www.standup2cancer.org/ways-to-donate).
