Elbert L. Williams
Birth: Mar. 4, 1912
Cheyenne
Roger Mills County
Oklahoma, USA
Death: Jan. 20, 1996
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma County
Oklahoma, USA
E.L. 'Eph' Williams, 83, of McAlester, died Saturday at Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City.
Funeral services will be at 2pm, Tuesday at McAlester First Baptist Church with Rev. James Frank 'Tuffy' Mitchell and Chuck McBee officiating.
Burial will be at Memory Gardens Cemetery with military honors provided by American Legion Post 79 of McAlester. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Mills Funeral Home of McAlester.
Born March 4, 1912 in Cheyenne, he was the son of John and Gertrude McGee Williams. He grew up in Cheyenne and then attended Oklahoma A.& M. where he played varsity baseball and belonged to the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, graduating in 1940. He continued his baseball career as the player/manager of the Stillwater Boomers professional baseball team from 1939 to 1942.
He married Mary Elva Church on December 11, 1942 in Stillwater and in 1946 they moved to Guthrie where they lived until 1963 then moving to McAlester.
He worked for the Department of Agriculture for 35 years, retiring in 1977.
He was a member of the American Legion and the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Elva, of the home; two daughters and son-in-law, Mary Ellen Keeter, Barrow, Alaska, and Emmy and Wesley Brown of McAlester; two sons and daughter-in-law, Jimmy and Debbie Williams of McAlester, and Larry Williams, Dallas, Texas.
Also, six grandchildren, Kevin Keeter, Baltimore, Maryland, Kirk Keeter, Dallas, Texas, Brian Brown of Tulsa, Braden Brown of McAlester, Stephanie Williams of Norman, and Jennifer Williams of McAlester; a great-grandchild, A.J. Keeter, Baltimore, Maryland.
And, two sisters, Willa Mae Mortensen, Provo, Utah, and Winnie Maurizio, Van Nuyes, California; two sisters-in-law, Daisy Williams, Longview, Texas, and Wilma Weddle of McAlester; a sprecial nephew and spouse, Bobby and Connie Williams, of Tuttle; and several other nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Bob Brumley, Charlie Gilbertson, Jim Sowards, Gene Stevenson, Ronald Allford, Jerry Lee, Wayne Stipe and Bernard Smith.
Honorary pallbearers will be Jim Carney, Bob Ivester, Don LaGasse, Dee Colley, Mike Redbird, Ace Kirby, Barry Solesbee, Bob Harliss, Bill Alford, Monte Brown, Harold Edwards, ASCS Employees and his former baseball players.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Tip-in Club (MHS basketball boosters) or the Chip-in club (Golf boosters). (MillieBelle)
