Douglas Lavern Williams

Douglas L. Williams, age 83, a retiree resident of Bolivar, passed on to his eternal rest on Monday evening, May 13, 2013 at his home in Bolivar. He was born in Girard, Ohio on March 8, 1930 to Albert Lavern Williams and Nell (Gertrude) Williams. He was the last surviving member of his parental family, all buried in Warren, Ohio. Doug served in the United Stated Army during the Korean War. His tour through various corporate management levels of the farm equipment industry required family residence in the chilly climes of Ohio, Iowa, the Chicago area, and finally the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin. Doug and his wife of 61 years, LaVerne, chose the warmer geography of Southwest Missouri for their retirement home. Along with the warmer weather, the other attraction of this area was the beautiful pristine fishing waters. Their three Wisconsin children Keith, Pat, Dave, and their families were all within a 600-mile drive of Bolivar. In their first 20 years of retirement, they made approximately 75 trips to "see the kids" and well over 500 trips to the Lakes. After about 10 years of travel visiting all of our 50 states, they both decided it was time to settle in, get a dog, and start volunteering within the community. These efforts included the Bolivar Food Pantry, Habitat for Humanity as one of the original founders, CMH, and BAMA Thrift Store. His final efforts have been with the Polk County Humane Society. Doug's church affiliation in Bolivar has been with the United Methodist Church where he taught Sunday School for over 15 years. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother David Williams and his wife Lucy, and one grandchild, April Marie. Doug is survived by his wife, LaVerne, three children, Keith Williams of Plover, Wisconsin, Pat Williams of South Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Dave Williams and his wife Kathy of Jackson, Wisconsin, his four grandchildren Mary and Alice Williams, and Jacob and Sophie Williams and his beloved dog, Teal. A celebration of his life will be held at 10:00am, on Friday, May 17, 2013 at Butler Funeral Home in Bolivar. Visitation will be held from 8:30-10:00am prior to service time. Inurnment will follow at 2:00pm on Friday at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, those desiring to leave a remembrance may do so by contributing to the Polk County Humane Society. Friends and family may sign the guestbook or leave private condolences at www.butlerfuneralhome.com PDF Printable Version

Douglas Lavern Williams

March 8, 1930 - May 13, 2013