Amy Lucille Williams was born in Placerville, Colorado, a mining town deep in the San Juan range, on November 13, 1920, to Otis Tyler Williams and Emma Alma (Hicks) Williams. She was the third of their four children - all girls.
Family history has it that Amy was born prematurely and was so small, she was placed in a dresser drawer to keep her warm. When she applied for her birth certificate later in life, the courthouse in Telluride had a certificate with her date of birth and her parents' names, but no given names for "Baby Williams." This seemed to verify the story of a premature birth - apparently this baby was not expected to survive!
Amy and her sisters Pearl, Lenore, and Ethel, were primarily raised by their father, with the help of his extended family. She started school in White Pine, Colorado, but the family soon moved to Cedaredge, where she spent most of her childhood. She moved with her father and her sister Ethel to Ouray after she finished her freshman year in high school and graduated from Ouray High School in 1938. However, she always considered Cedaredge her home.
In 1942, Amy married the love of her life, Roger "Ole" Phillips, of Cedaredge. She often commented that her life really began when she married Ole. Amy and Ole lived in Cedaredge until his death in 2004.
During her long life, Amy worked as a librarian, a telephone operator, a clerk at the Cedaredge Pharmacy, and a bookkeeper in the family business, Phillips Auto and Implement. She was one of the early working mothers, going back to work in the telephone office after her children started school.
In 1998, Amy had a serious heart attack. After two months at St. Mary's in Grand Junction, she returned to Cedaredge where she worked hard to regain her strength and energy. Miraculously, she and Ole had another five years of active retirment.
After Ole's death in January of 2004, Amy and her daughter Lynn bought a home together in Delta, where she lived until July of 2010, when she moved to Crossroads Assisted Living in Delta, where she was a favorite of staff and residents alike.
Children are Mary Lynn Phillips Williams and David E. Phillips (Vicki). Grandchildren are Shawn Phillips (Erin Logan), Lori Wallace Antczak (Ryan), Shannon Phillips Leonard (Sean), and Derek Williams (Stephanie). Great Grandchildren are Brittany and Blaine Phillips, Ashlyn and Aiden Logan, Nick Wallace and Conner, Gavin and Averi Antczak, Hayden, Dillon and Kendra Leonard, and Taylor, Payton, Jordan and Logan Williams.
I wrote the following piece for my Mother's memorial service. It was read by Pastor Deb Edwards:
"Lately, our relationship had changed - I became the parent and she was the child.
Of course, it wasn't always that way. My earliest memories are of my mother's presence, always there when I needed her. Bringing dry clothes to school after I had deliberately stepped (jumped, more likely) into a mud puddle on the way to the lunch room - Putting up with my excited sleeplessness on Christmas Eve in 1950 when I expected Santa to bring me a bride doll - Calming my fear and anxiety when I had major surgery at St. Mary's when I was 6 - Patiently loving me through my first broken heart at age 15, and through two divorces in my 30's. In adulthood, she has been my best friend and my confidant. I could tell her anything and she never judged me. She just loved me.
But lately, of course, the roles had reversed and I mothered her. I truly believe that my visits to Crossroads highlighted her days. We walked together, and reminisced about old times. On weekday evenings, we watched Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune (she loved word games and puzzles). On Saturday, it was Lawrence Welk, because she loved music. Sundays we watched Americas Funniest Videos (she loved to laugh). She also loved her family and friends - all of us. She loved Daddy (they'll be together for Christmas this year). She loved life. She loved her God. She was my Mom."
Mary Lynn (Phillips) Williams
December 12, 2011
Family history has it that Amy was born prematurely and was so small, she was placed in a dresser drawer to keep her warm. When she applied for her birth certificate later in life, the courthouse in Telluride had a certificate with her date of birth and her parents' names, but no given names for "Baby Williams." This seemed to verify the story of a premature birth - apparently this baby was not expected to survive!
Amy and her sisters Pearl, Lenore, and Ethel, were primarily raised by their father, with the help of his extended family. She started school in White Pine, Colorado, but the family soon moved to Cedaredge, where she spent most of her childhood. She moved with her father and her sister Ethel to Ouray after she finished her freshman year in high school and graduated from Ouray High School in 1938. However, she always considered Cedaredge her home.
In 1942, Amy married the love of her life, Roger "Ole" Phillips, of Cedaredge. She often commented that her life really began when she married Ole. Amy and Ole lived in Cedaredge until his death in 2004.
During her long life, Amy worked as a librarian, a telephone operator, a clerk at the Cedaredge Pharmacy, and a bookkeeper in the family business, Phillips Auto and Implement. She was one of the early working mothers, going back to work in the telephone office after her children started school.
In 1998, Amy had a serious heart attack. After two months at St. Mary's in Grand Junction, she returned to Cedaredge where she worked hard to regain her strength and energy. Miraculously, she and Ole had another five years of active retirment.
After Ole's death in January of 2004, Amy and her daughter Lynn bought a home together in Delta, where she lived until July of 2010, when she moved to Crossroads Assisted Living in Delta, where she was a favorite of staff and residents alike.
Children are Mary Lynn Phillips Williams and David E. Phillips (Vicki). Grandchildren are Shawn Phillips (Erin Logan), Lori Wallace Antczak (Ryan), Shannon Phillips Leonard (Sean), and Derek Williams (Stephanie). Great Grandchildren are Brittany and Blaine Phillips, Ashlyn and Aiden Logan, Nick Wallace and Conner, Gavin and Averi Antczak, Hayden, Dillon and Kendra Leonard, and Taylor, Payton, Jordan and Logan Williams.
I wrote the following piece for my Mother's memorial service. It was read by Pastor Deb Edwards:
"Lately, our relationship had changed - I became the parent and she was the child.
Of course, it wasn't always that way. My earliest memories are of my mother's presence, always there when I needed her. Bringing dry clothes to school after I had deliberately stepped (jumped, more likely) into a mud puddle on the way to the lunch room - Putting up with my excited sleeplessness on Christmas Eve in 1950 when I expected Santa to bring me a bride doll - Calming my fear and anxiety when I had major surgery at St. Mary's when I was 6 - Patiently loving me through my first broken heart at age 15, and through two divorces in my 30's. In adulthood, she has been my best friend and my confidant. I could tell her anything and she never judged me. She just loved me.
But lately, of course, the roles had reversed and I mothered her. I truly believe that my visits to Crossroads highlighted her days. We walked together, and reminisced about old times. On weekday evenings, we watched Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune (she loved word games and puzzles). On Saturday, it was Lawrence Welk, because she loved music. Sundays we watched Americas Funniest Videos (she loved to laugh). She also loved her family and friends - all of us. She loved Daddy (they'll be together for Christmas this year). She loved life. She loved her God. She was my Mom."
Mary Lynn (Phillips) Williams
December 12, 2011
Amy Lucille Williams was born in Placerville, Colorado, a mining town deep in the San Juan range, on November 13, 1920, to Otis Tyler Williams and Emma Alma (Hicks) Williams. She was the third of their four children - all girls.
Family history has it that Amy was born prematurely and was so small, she was placed in a dresser drawer to keep her warm. When she applied for her birth certificate later in life, the courthouse in Telluride had a certificate with her date of birth and her parents' names, but no given names for "Baby Williams." This seemed to verify the story of a premature birth - apparently this baby was not expected to survive!
Amy and her sisters Pearl, Lenore, and Ethel, were primarily raised by their father, with the help of his extended family. She started school in White Pine, Colorado, but the family soon moved to Cedaredge, where she spent most of her childhood. She moved with her father and her sister Ethel to Ouray after she finished her freshman year in high school and graduated from Ouray High School in 1938. However, she always considered Cedaredge her home.
In 1942, Amy married the love of her life, Roger "Ole" Phillips, of Cedaredge. She often commented that her life really began when she married Ole. Amy and Ole lived in Cedaredge until his death in 2004.
During her long life, Amy worked as a librarian, a telephone operator, a clerk at the Cedaredge Pharmacy, and a bookkeeper in the family business, Phillips Auto and Implement. She was one of the early working mothers, going back to work in the telephone office after her children started school.
In 1998, Amy had a serious heart attack. After two months at St. Mary's in Grand Junction, she returned to Cedaredge where she worked hard to regain her strength and energy. Miraculously, she and Ole had another five years of active retirment.
After Ole's death in January of 2004, Amy and her daughter Lynn bought a home together in Delta, where she lived until July of 2010, when she moved to Crossroads Assisted Living in Delta, where she was a favorite of staff and residents alike.
Children are Mary Lynn Phillips Williams and David E. Phillips (Vicki). Grandchildren are Shawn Phillips (Erin Logan), Lori Wallace Antczak (Ryan), Shannon Phillips Leonard (Sean), and Derek Williams (Stephanie). Great Grandchildren are Brittany and Blaine Phillips, Ashlyn and Aiden Logan, Nick Wallace and Conner, Gavin and Averi Antczak, Hayden, Dillon and Kendra Leonard, and Taylor, Payton, Jordan and Logan Williams.
I wrote the following piece for my Mother's memorial service. It was read by Pastor Deb Edwards:
"Lately, our relationship had changed - I became the parent and she was the child.
Of course, it wasn't always that way. My earliest memories are of my mother's presence, always there when I needed her. Bringing dry clothes to school after I had deliberately stepped (jumped, more likely) into a mud puddle on the way to the lunch room - Putting up with my excited sleeplessness on Christmas Eve in 1950 when I expected Santa to bring me a bride doll - Calming my fear and anxiety when I had major surgery at St. Mary's when I was 6 - Patiently loving me through my first broken heart at age 15, and through two divorces in my 30's. In adulthood, she has been my best friend and my confidant. I could tell her anything and she never judged me. She just loved me.
But lately, of course, the roles had reversed and I mothered her. I truly believe that my visits to Crossroads highlighted her days. We walked together, and reminisced about old times. On weekday evenings, we watched Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune (she loved word games and puzzles). On Saturday, it was Lawrence Welk, because she loved music. Sundays we watched Americas Funniest Videos (she loved to laugh). She also loved her family and friends - all of us. She loved Daddy (they'll be together for Christmas this year). She loved life. She loved her God. She was my Mom."
Mary Lynn (Phillips) Williams
December 12, 2011
Family history has it that Amy was born prematurely and was so small, she was placed in a dresser drawer to keep her warm. When she applied for her birth certificate later in life, the courthouse in Telluride had a certificate with her date of birth and her parents' names, but no given names for "Baby Williams." This seemed to verify the story of a premature birth - apparently this baby was not expected to survive!
Amy and her sisters Pearl, Lenore, and Ethel, were primarily raised by their father, with the help of his extended family. She started school in White Pine, Colorado, but the family soon moved to Cedaredge, where she spent most of her childhood. She moved with her father and her sister Ethel to Ouray after she finished her freshman year in high school and graduated from Ouray High School in 1938. However, she always considered Cedaredge her home.
In 1942, Amy married the love of her life, Roger "Ole" Phillips, of Cedaredge. She often commented that her life really began when she married Ole. Amy and Ole lived in Cedaredge until his death in 2004.
During her long life, Amy worked as a librarian, a telephone operator, a clerk at the Cedaredge Pharmacy, and a bookkeeper in the family business, Phillips Auto and Implement. She was one of the early working mothers, going back to work in the telephone office after her children started school.
In 1998, Amy had a serious heart attack. After two months at St. Mary's in Grand Junction, she returned to Cedaredge where she worked hard to regain her strength and energy. Miraculously, she and Ole had another five years of active retirment.
After Ole's death in January of 2004, Amy and her daughter Lynn bought a home together in Delta, where she lived until July of 2010, when she moved to Crossroads Assisted Living in Delta, where she was a favorite of staff and residents alike.
Children are Mary Lynn Phillips Williams and David E. Phillips (Vicki). Grandchildren are Shawn Phillips (Erin Logan), Lori Wallace Antczak (Ryan), Shannon Phillips Leonard (Sean), and Derek Williams (Stephanie). Great Grandchildren are Brittany and Blaine Phillips, Ashlyn and Aiden Logan, Nick Wallace and Conner, Gavin and Averi Antczak, Hayden, Dillon and Kendra Leonard, and Taylor, Payton, Jordan and Logan Williams.
I wrote the following piece for my Mother's memorial service. It was read by Pastor Deb Edwards:
"Lately, our relationship had changed - I became the parent and she was the child.
Of course, it wasn't always that way. My earliest memories are of my mother's presence, always there when I needed her. Bringing dry clothes to school after I had deliberately stepped (jumped, more likely) into a mud puddle on the way to the lunch room - Putting up with my excited sleeplessness on Christmas Eve in 1950 when I expected Santa to bring me a bride doll - Calming my fear and anxiety when I had major surgery at St. Mary's when I was 6 - Patiently loving me through my first broken heart at age 15, and through two divorces in my 30's. In adulthood, she has been my best friend and my confidant. I could tell her anything and she never judged me. She just loved me.
But lately, of course, the roles had reversed and I mothered her. I truly believe that my visits to Crossroads highlighted her days. We walked together, and reminisced about old times. On weekday evenings, we watched Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune (she loved word games and puzzles). On Saturday, it was Lawrence Welk, because she loved music. Sundays we watched Americas Funniest Videos (she loved to laugh). She also loved her family and friends - all of us. She loved Daddy (they'll be together for Christmas this year). She loved life. She loved her God. She was my Mom."
Mary Lynn (Phillips) Williams
December 12, 2011
