Mildred Williams

Mildred Boyce Williams died Friday, September 8, 2017 in Stoughton, Wisconsin. She was 91.

Mildred was born in 1926 and was raised in Massena, New York. She was the daughter of Abel Boyce and Elizabeth Hare Boyce. She had 5 siblings, Hattie Boyce, John Boyce, Elmer Boyce, Ruth Hogan, and Kate Silmser. She outlived them all. Growing up in the Depression was difficult, but Mildred, at the age of 4, also suffered the loss of her mother from pneumonia.

Mildred graduated from Syracuse University, with a Bachelor's Degree in Music, specializing in Voice. The following month, she married William R. Williams, also from Massena. They and their families had been friends for years, and Bill and Mildred went to Sunday School together.

From upstate New York, the road trip began for Bill and Mildred. They thought they were going to put down roots in the Pittsburgh area, but the Navy recalled Bill and off to San Diego they went. Mildred was living alone while Bill was at sea and she was hit by a car, which left her with a lifetime of back issues. After Bill's second hitch with the Navy, they moved back to Pittsburgh.

And so their routine began. Bill would work at a job for a while, and then get the urge to relocate to a more challenging engineering position, and Mildred was there to find a house, arrange the move, and settle the kids into new schools. Their moves included stops in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, West Virginia, Tennessee, and finally Kentucky. No matter where they lived, she always made time for supporting the Presbyterian church and would sing in the choir. Her other hobbies included gardening, volunteering with the hospital auxiliary, travel, and refinishing antiques. Bill passed away in 1992 and in 2011 Mildred chose to move to Stoughton to be near Tom and Barbara.

Mildred is survived by her children, Liz Williams Bartle (Don), Holland, PA, Tom Williams (Barbara), Stoughton, WI, and Will Williams (Cat), Prospect, OH.

The family would like to thank the staff of Skaalen Retirement Services for their loving care of Mildred during her time in Skaalendal, Heritage Center, and Forest View.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Mildred's name may be made to the charity of your choice.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at Skaalen Home Chapel in Stoughton.