Jackson Chamber of Commerce director dies

The city of Jackson lost a valued civil servant Sunday when Marybeth Williams, executive director of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, died at around 5 p.m. at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was 55 years old.

Friends of Williams said she had been in the hospital for around a week with pneumonia.

"She's been in ICU all week," said Nancy Jernigan. Jernigan worked with Williams on the board of the United Way of Southeast Missouri.

"As a fellow female executive, she was just wonderful to talk to," Jernigan said. "Very sweet and smart and caring."

Williams graduated from Jackson High School, Southeast Missouri State University and then California State University-Sacramento. She was married to Kirk Williams, a teacher in Jackson.

She had been a member of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce since 1979 and became the chamber's executive director in 2005. She was on the board of United Way and the Jackson Community Outreach Board, was involved in Philanthropic Educational Organization and was the American Business Women's Association Woman of the Year in 2001.

She was honored at last year's annual Women's Impact Awards by the Girl Scouts of Otahki Council, and she was also instrumental in organizing Miss Missouri and Miss Jackson pageants as well as several events for the annual Jackson Homecomers.

"She was just so well-liked in the community and always there to help people and there to pitch in and do what needed to be done," said Cheryl Merkler, Williams' assistant at the chamber.

"She loved Jackson and always wanted what was best for Jackson," Merkler said.

The two women met when Merkler came to work at the chamber seven years ago, Merkler said. For the past three years she has been Williams' assistant.

"We just kind of finished each other's sentences. I'm really, really going to miss her."

Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements later this week.

charris@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 246