Neillie Marie Williams, 94, died peacefully at home, surrounded by family. She was born on July 15, 1926, the oldest of seven children of Rosella Aeschliman and Edward Goeke.
She graduated nurses training at St. Mary’s with a RN degree, then worked at Grime-Smith hospital where she met and married Dr. Charles Williams of Leonard, in 1953. He returned to Michigan and later set up his medical practice in the parlor of their home. Nellie balanced work in the clinic to support her husband and care of the children, who began to arrive within a year of the marriage.
Her legacy includes 13 children, 33 grandchildren and 27 ½ great grand children.
Matriarch of the family, she has always had an open door to all young and old, hosting gatherings from birthdays, Thanksgivings, Christmas and wine making parties or just dropping by for o visit, conversation and maybe a meal. One of her favorite sayings was “We’ll just add more water to the soup and set another plate.” In addition to caring for hearth and home she was active in the St Jude’s Guild, and organized a weekly bridge club, resulting in over $10,000 of donations to Guest House over the years (this activity was suspended gatherings during Covid 19). In younger days she enjoyed international travel with friends.
A celebration of this amazing woman’s life is planned for July 24 with a memorial mass at the Benedictine Monastery in Oxford at 2 p.m. Following the mass, there will be a reception at Independence Oaks County Park in the Moraine Knoll Pavilion.