Richard Williams

Richard Hamer Williams was born on the family farm, just northwest of Beloit on March 20, 1929. His parents, Hamer and Emma (Kunze) Williams, as well as a sister, Louise were there to welcome him to the family. As the years passed, two brothers and another sister joined the family. He attended Solomon Rapids R14 country school and graduated from Beloit High School with the class of 1946. Dick left this world peacefully on February 23, 2018, just a month short of his eighty-ninth birthday and just ten days after the passing of his precious wife of fifty-one years.

Don and Maxine Noah arranged the first date that Dick had with Dora Lee, and two years later, on July 30, 1966, they were married. It worked, since Don and Maxine remain good friends to this day. The five young children that came with the marriage were just an added blessing to Dick. He remained proud of them and delighted in their accomplishments through the years.

He was in his activities for the long term. Born into the farm family, he was a farmer who worked with all types of crops and cattle and did so for the 88 years of his life. He especially enjoyed the parcel of irrigated land that he farmed. He was a member of the Kansas Army National Guard for twenty years and retired with the rank of Captain and was a continuous member of B.P.O.E. (Elks) for 68 years. His marriage to Dora Lee of over fifty-one years was the highlight of his life. Most of the family celebrations and holidays were held at his house, and he enjoyed having all the family there. However, chicken was never on the menu.

Dick was a resource in the community for history of the area and seemed to know numerous facts about almost everything that happened sixty years ago. He enjoyed coffee time, as he was often asked questions about Beloit's past by the younger generation. He also enjoyed the give and take of the conversation and was not afraid to state his opinion.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Dora Lee, daughter Terri Neubert, sister Louise Neidig, and brother David Williams. He is survived by children Kathy (Mike) Thompson, Nancy Wilson, and Jim Wilson, all of Beloit, Ann (Mike) Popp of Wichita, and son-in-law David Neubert of Austin, Texas. He is also survived by brother Karl (Sally) Williams, and sister Charlotte Swisher, all of Beloit. He has seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 2 PM Tuesday, February 27 at the Beloit First United Methodist Church. Visitation will be from 4-8 PM Monday at the Roberts Family Funeral Home. Memorials may be given to the Church or the American Heart Association.