Gerre Ellen Williams

Gerre Ellen (Granger) Williams was born to Lola Mae and Wallace Granger on May 29, 1944, in Kansas City, KS. On November 1, 2021, she passed on to the eternal life she anticipated as promised by her loving Savior. It occurred after six years and four months on dialysis and after recent development of an irrevocable heart condition. Growing up in less than a loving home, she was also plagued with extreme strabismus. This eye disorder hampered her ability to read and sew as well as caused her to fall repeatedly, especially on stairs. These circumstances led her to purposefully seek joy in her treasured spiritual gift of music and the love of her life, James E. Williams, whom she met at Westport United Methodist Church.

She grew up attending Independence Avenue Methodist Church. At the age of 9, she discovered God's special presence in worship with fellow singers in the choir and found life-sustaining hope and comfort in the lyrics of hymns and anthems. This sustained her through 64 years of singing in (and sometimes directing) church choirs wherever they moved. She sang serious works in auditioned groups including the first year of the Mendelssohn Choir (which became Kansas City Civic Chorus) and Pan American Symphony Chorus.

Another treasured memory is singing Handel's Messiah with the Mountain View Presbyterian choir in Scottsdale, Arizona, under direction of the wonderful Kay Randolph. That evening, a phenomenal desert snow storm started. All 92 choir members stood arm-in-arm singing "White Christmas" while watching big snowflakes just like in the movie Holiday Inn. Mountain View Presbyterian prepared for overflow Easter Service congregants by setting up the fellowship hall like a church, complete with an organ for the four identical services. She vividly remembers spending much of that Easter morning lining up and walking back and forth in heels for the services. They had a tradition of inviting anyone who had sung Handel's Messiah to join them in singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" at the end of the service. Besides singing hymns and anthems over and over, she clearly remembers singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" seven times before noon! It's also the day she discovered the magnificence of Krispy Kreme doughnuts at 6 a.m. for rehearsal!

She especially enjoyed jolly fun during 7 years in Sweet Adeline choruses with the JaCoMo chapter in Raytown, MO; Des Moines chapter; and in the Rio Grande Valley (TX). She sang for 9 years in a barbershop quartet called The Entertainers at mobile home parks all over the Rio Grande Valley. They entered and won the Winter Texan Talent Contest, bringing the house down with their signature closing song: "Can A Little Old Lady In Tennis Shoes Find Love With A Dirty Old Man?"


Her most significant contribution to society began with the birth of their son, Wesley, in 1971. He was stellar as a student, especially with caring for others. She and Jim were treated to splendid parties for their 25th and 50th anniversaries hosted by Wes and his wife, Sandra; Tom and Jean Anne Williams, and best friend, Debby Rektorik, and her family. Ellen and Jim are very appreciative of the support Wes and his lovely wife, Sandra Dutton Williams provided as Ellen prepared to stop dialysis.


As a Bethany Hospital graduate of the class of 1966, Ellen was a Registered Nurse for 50 years, working 47 of them in 6 states, including 22 years at Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco, TX, and 7 1/2 years at TRIWEST Healthcare Alliance in Phoenix, Naval Hospital Bremerton and Tacoma, WA. Her proudest accomplishment came as Director of Knapp Medical Center School of Vocational Nursing, where she graduated over 300 Vocational Nurses. Some students went on to earn Master's degrees. She started the first 18-month, part-time evening program in the state of Texas. She garnered Texas State Board of Nursing permission to be the first nursing program to require students and faculty to work 2 weeks of evenings and 2 weeks of nights (which she worked for a month) to help her students become job-ready. Her students were in demand by all Rio Grande Valley hospitals. She was the first to analyze the stressors that would undermine their confidence (expenses, cold and rainy weather, fear of traffic and fear of staying in a hotel) that plagued graduates without much travel experience as they went to Austin for State Board exams. She was the first to take a bus to give them a chance to relax so they wouldn't have to drive in the kind of traffic they had never seen. She decreased anxiety by arranging for them to be at the same hotel, sharing room expenses and "big city" experiences. Since they had reserved seats for the exam, they were able to avoid lining up in the cold and or rain for an hour around the outside of the coliseum. They stayed on the warm bus until she saw the end of the line getting close. She brought lunch to them so they had a warm place to eat on the bus instead of having to chase all over to the one burger place two blocks down a hill, competing with hundreds of other nurses for food. This soon fostered their passing rate to 100%. After the first year, there were seven buses from other schools adopting her techniques.


Life really began for her when she married Jim Williams 55 years ago, September 17, 1966. With Jim, she had adventures of moving and traveling around the country. Her most treasured is their big trip to New Jersey and New York City in 2019. She enjoyed two trips to Vermont to see fall leaves, trips to San Francisco and their trips to Mexico in 1966 and 1969. Her COR choir trip to Washington DC was followed by a stay in Poquoson, VA, with her brother, Jim, in 2016. But her favorite of all was anniversary/respite weekends and vacations at South Padre Island, TX. Blessings of their beach walks, sunsets and peace of the island were totally necessary to recharge her batteries.


She enjoyed Jones family reunions every 2 years, some of which she planned. She marveled at the number of people at Williams family reunions. She felt very loved by all these people as her family circle grew and grew.


Her hobbies were reading and quilting. She had a head injury that left her forever using or typing homonyms. When she heard a preacher say, "Go forth and 'sow', her brain heard "sew". Bless his heart, Jim never complained when she quilted all night, often for friends in sudden peril. She made 72 "sandwich" quilts as she watched old movies and prayed for the recipient.


The family wishes to thank the entire staff at Davita Nall Dialysis clinic, St. Luke's Hospice, all her physicians and especially COR choir/orchestra friends, plus Dr. Barry and Brenda Wood, Nancy and Bill Cody and Dr. Martin and Cathy Bartholow, for their meals, prayers and care. Thanks also to Pastor Adam Hamilton and Pastor Dennis Apple. Ellen also expressed her deep appreciation for Robin Leikam and her 905 Sunday School class of UM Church of Chapel Woods plus the Mary Ellen Rice Circle and friends at First Presbyterian Church of Weslaco, TX. Her dearest friend, Debby Rektorik, and Debby's family of Weslaco, TX, demonstrated over and over how to face challenges with dignity and prayer. They helped her to maintain service in choirs, the COR hospitality team for special seminars, the COR prayer note and COR Welcome, Anniversary and Bless the Schools note writing teams. They and so many COR friends are examples of the awesome grace of Jesus alive on earth.


She is survived by:

James Edwin Williams (husband and her PRECIOUS JIM) of Overland Park, KS

Wesley and Sandra Williams (son and daughter-in-law) of Jersey City, NJ

Spencer Thomas Williams (grandson) of St Louis, MO

Thomas and Jean Anne Williams (Jim's brother & sister-in-law) of Lenexa, KS

Brothers Robert L. Granger (Susan) of Peculiar, MO, and CMDR (Ret) James A. Granger of Poquoson, VA

Sister Jacqueline Anne Jeffrey of Arco, ID

Numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and precious friends

Numerous members of the Jones (Jim's mother) and Williams (Jim's father) families


In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to the Traditional Music program or a scholarship toward a Medical Mission trip at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, 13720 Roe Ave., Leawood, KS 66224.


Memories and cards may be sent to Wes Williams at 251 Newark Ave, #3A Jersey City, NJ 07302 or weswilliams@gmail.com. Jim will be relocating in the near future to Southern Comfort Resort, 1501 S. Airport Dr, Weslaco, TX 78596.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, November 4, 2021, in the main sanctuary of Building A at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, 13720 Roe Blvd, Leawood, KS.
The service may be streamed online at cor.org/memorialsonline


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