Erie Williams

Erie Williams, 100, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Anna and Johnson County, Illinois, died Monday, Aug. 18, 2014, at Fountainbleau Lodge.

He was raised a God-fearing follower of Jesus Christ and remained so the rest of his entire life. A child of the Great Depression, he learned the value of family and the penny from the very beginning.

After finishing his sophomore year of high school at the top of his class, a family decision was made that he would drop out of high school. The family did not have the cash to pay the monthly bus fee to transport him to the high school in Vienna, Illinois. Due to the Great Depression and no jobs, Erie worked on the family farm, as did his brother, until he was 28 years old. He earned some money picking apples and doing day work on the highway crew, but no real job was to be had.

Since he only had full vision in one eye from age 7, the Army rejected Erie for duty in World War II.

After securing steady work at Anna State Hospital, he met Alice Virginia Townsend, a Southeast Missouri schoolteacher. In May 1944 at the age of 30, they were married. During World War II they worked in the war industry in St. Louis. Erie made telephone cable for the Army, and Alice made bomb triggers for the Navy.

After the war, they purchased a farm in Johnson County and Erie returned to work at Anna State Hospital. Nineteen years of working a full-time job, running a full-time farm and raising two sons took its toll. Erie had worked himself into a state of exhaustion and ensuing health problems.

The farm was sold, probably the first time in Erie's life that he truly felt defeated. His lifetime dream of being a farmer was crushed. After moving the family to Anna, he continued to work at Anna State Hospital and his positive spirit returned over time. He retired from the state of Illinois and remained in Anna until Alice's health started to fail in 1985. At that time, they moved to Cape Girardeau to be close to doctors.

They enjoyed life together until 1993 when he could no longer care for Alice and she entered a nursing home for a 22-month downward spiral. Erie went to the nursing home every day for 22 months until Alice's death in March 1995.

Erie remained in his home until Alzheimer's took its toll. Alzheimer's took his mind back to his beginning on the Tunnel Hill farm. He lived his last years in the glory of his teenage years working and playing in the Ozark hills of his childhood. Some days he was here in the present and some days he was there. At the end, his sweet memory of his youth carried him to the Glory Land.

He is survived by two sons, Phil Williams (Wilma) of Indianapolis and Randall Williams (Teresa) of Benton, Missouri; four grandchildren; a brother, Everett Williams of Creal Springs, Illinois; nieces; nephews; and other relatives.

He was preceded in death by his wife and parents.

Visitation will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at New Salem Cemetery in Johnson County, with the Rev. Tom Sullenger officiating.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association and will be accepted at the funeral home.

To leave online condolences, please visit crainsonline.com.