Helen Lavader Cook Willams

January 7, 2016

Helen Lavader Cook Williams went home to be with her beloved David on January 5th 2016. Helen was born September 10, 1925 near Vernon, Florida to John Thomas and Minnie Lee Cook. She attended Vernon School through the eighth grade and helped raise her brothers and sisters at the family farm until the age of 18. She moved from Vernon to Panama City to work in a shirt factory on Highway 98 and lived in a house with Ms. Johnson which was across the street from her future brother and sister-in-law Gene and Myrtle Williams. She met her future husband, David, on one of his visits to his brother Gene’s house.

David and Helen were married on May 10, 1951, in Jackson County, Mississippi and lived in the Panama City area for a year. In 1952 David and Helen moved to the Cantonment area and lived with Uncle John and Aunt Jencie Williams while they both went to work for Chemstrand Corporation. They moved to the Brownsdale Florida area in early 1954 and lived in Clate Diamonds house which was located near the intersection of Ebenezer Church Road and Highway 197. David and Helen’s first child, Larry Michael, was born in 1954 and soon after they purchased a piece of property from Elmer Simmons and started construction of a new home at the intersection of Range Road and Highway 197. Their second child, Roger, was born about the time the house was completed in 1956. Helen quit her job at Chemstrand and became a full time housewife so she could raise her two sons. Helen loved to sew and made several quilts for the family throughout the years until she developed Carpal Tunnel syndrome. In 1970 she went to work for Mrs. Diamond at the Dollar General Store that was located where NAPA Auto Parts are now. After a couple of years, she went to work for Mrs. Spencer at the 5 and 10 store that was located where the Jay Historical Society is now. She attended Cora Baptist Church for over 50 years and was their oldest member. Because of her declining health, she moved in with her son Roger from 2010 until 2015 and during the past year, she was a resident at the Terrace and spent her last month at Century Health and Rehab.

She was preceded in death by her husband, David Williams; parents, John Thomas and Minnie Lee Cook; stepmother, Liza Jane Cook; sisters, Dorothy, Minnie Lee Cook, and Adel Earwood; brothers, Johnny, James Earl, and John Cook and ten nieces and nephews.

She is survived by her sons, Larry (Sue) and Roger (Linda) Williams; grandson, Jeremy Williams; granddaughters, Becky (Ronnie) Moore and Lisa Moore; great-grandsons, Billy, Brian, Brenan Dykes and Damian Williams; great-granddaughter, Brooke Williams; three great-great grandchildren; two brothers, Thomas and Jimmy (Jewel) Cook; two sisters, Martha (Doc) Williams and Lunell (Dave) Hefner and several nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held on Friday, January 8, 2016 from 1-2 pm at Cora Baptist Church. Funeral services will begin at 2 p.m. with Brother LaDon Hall officiating.

Burial will follow at Cora Baptist Church Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Roger Dobson, Leon Jackson, Jerry McGee, Frank Rowell, Merlin Edwards and Mickey Diamond.

The family would like to thank the staff at Century Health and Rehab for the care given to Helen through the past month and the staff of the Terrace for the care given throughout the past year.

Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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Written by Jane · Filed Under Obituaries