On Friday, July 3, 2020, James J. "Jack" Williams passed away at the age of 89. Survived by the love of his life, Wanda Lee (Venters) Williams. They shared over 68 years of marriage. He was preceded in death by both of his parents Harmon and Florence (Winings) Williams, his siblings, Leroy, Hilda, Carl, Ora Rose, Tommy, and Kathleen. Preceded in death by his brother-in-laws and sister-in-law, Jack and Mae Venters, Larry Venters, and Stanley Venters. Also preceded in death by his beloved grandson Robert James Williams. He is survived by his 3 children, sons Terry J. Williams, Davey M. Williams, and daughter Kelly L. (Mike) Curran. Also survived by his daughter-in-laws, Margaret Twomey and Bernadette Shannon; 5 grandsons, Chris (Kelly) Williams, Michael Williams, Eric Castillo, Kevin Williams, Jeffrey Taylor; 5 great-grand daughters, Emily Murtaugh, Larissa Williams, Hannah Williams, Cara Williams, and Athena Rose Taylor. Survived by his two sisters, Bonny Heatherly and Calleen Howard and his sister-in-law Cheryl Venters and many nieces and nephews. He loved his family deeply. Jack was born on June 18, 1931 in a log cabin in New Mexico. He lived there with his parents and his brother Carl and sister Rose. He served with distinction in the Korean War. He and Wanda were able to travel the country extensively in their RV. He enjoyed his coffee and newspaper in the morning, visiting with family, watching westerns, especially John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, going for walks around the neighborhood and spending time with the grandkids and great grandkids (those two were definitely his favorite things). He was a character that loved to laugh. To Jack, family was not always about blood but by love and although he was never eloquent with his words, he was always quick to show his family how much he loved them. He will be greatly missed and never forgotten. Visitation for Jack will be on Thursday, July 9, 2020 from 10:00 – 11:30 A.M. at Forsythe Gould Funeral Home. Funeral service will be the same day at 11:30 A.M. Interment with full military honors will be at 12:30 P.M. at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Elwood, IL. Arrangements entrusted to Forsythe Gould Funeral Home, 507 S. State St., Manhattan, IL 60442, 815-478-3321, www.forsythegouldfh.com
