Geraldine Helen “Gerry” Williams was born December 30, 1934, in Claremore,
Oklahoma, to Herschel Clay Washington and Jewell Dean Nickerson Washington. She died
Friday, February 7, 2025, in Owasso, Oklahoma, at the age of 90 years. Gerry completed her
secondary education in Claremore and graduated with the Claremore High School Class of
1952. It was during her time as a student at Claremore West Side Elementary School she was
influenced by her wonderful teachers that she made up her mind she wanted to be a teacher.
It was also during this time she attended First Baptist Church in Claremore along with her
family. At the age of nine years old, she realized that even though she loved Jesus and trusted
him in her heart, she needed to make a public decision. After talking with her mother, she
went forward during the invitation the following Sunday and was baptized the following week.
Throughout high school, Gerry worked evenings and weekends at Collins Drug Store. In
the fall of 1952, she entered Oklahoma State University (then Oklahoma A & M College) with
the goal of earning a degree in elementary education. During her four years of college,
including summers, she was employed with the Student Loan Department in the president’s
office. This not only afforded her financial assistance, but the opportunity to gain experience
in working with people.
It was during college that she met Fred Williams from Van Buren, Arkansas, who was
studying to be an agriculture teacher. They were married in Claremore in January of 1956, just
after completing requirements for their degrees. In March of 1956, Fred answered God’s call
to the ministry. In April, Fred and Gerry made the trip to enroll him at Southwestern
Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. While there, Gerry applied and was hired for a
teaching job during the fall term.
In 1957 and 1958, Fred pastored at First Baptist Church of Bennington, Oklahoma, on
weekends. After Fred graduated, he and Gerry moved to Chelsea, Oklahoma, where Fred had
been called to pastor First Baptist Church. After pastoring there for four years, Fred and Gerry
moved to pastor Bethel Baptist Church in Owasso in July of 1964. After teaching kindergarten
in Fort Worth for four years, Gerry taught kindergarten for six years in Owasso and served as
kindergarten supervisor for five of those years.
Gerry was very supportive of her husband in his role as a pastor. In 1971 they learned
about the need for an English-speaking pastor in Brazil. As they had many times before, they
began to pray for God’s direction. Soon they were appointed by the Southern Baptist Foreign
Mission Board to serve as Missionary Associates in South Brazil. Fred and Gerry lived for eight
years in Brasilia where they started and nurtured the International Baptist Church focusing on
the English-speaking community of that new Capital City of Brazil. After returning to the United
States in 1979 Fred and Gerry settled in Tulsa where she returned to the career she had always
loved–teaching elementary students, until she retired at which time they returned to Owasso.
During this time Gerry and Fred were also involved in planting Freedom Baptist Church (now
known as Freedom Church).
Gerry was musically gifted and was a talented oboe musician. She enjoyed a variety of
pastimes including sewing, reading, and studying the Bible. She also enjoyed researching
genealogy.
Gerry will be missed and leaves behind a lifetime of love and memories with her family,
which includes her husband, Fred L. Williams and daughters, Linda Curtis, Carla Jo Peitz, and
Leslie Marie Holman and husband David.
Nine Grandchildren
Sophie Peitz
Mitchell Peitz and wife Rebekah
Dawnella Holman Haymaker and husband Arch
Sarah Holman Shain and husband Stephen
Rebekah Holman and husband Jash Bangdiwala
Michelle Holman
Perry Allen
Shane Geant and wife Allison
Ian Geant
18 Great Grandchildren and one Great-Great Grandchild
Sister
Judy Ann Washington Edwards
She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, Raymond Wayne Washington,
Bradley Arliss Washington, Frederick Addison Washington and sister, Jewell Faye Washington
Baker.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at Mowery
Funeral Service in Owasso. Funeral service will be 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at
the Mowery Funeral Service Chapel in Owasso with Pastor Deron Spoo officiating. Serving as
casket bearers will be Jim Archer, Ted Vancuren, David Holman, Mitchell Peitz, Stephen Shain,
and Arch Haymaker. Final resting place will be at Fairview Cemetery in Owasso. In lieu of
flowers, donations may be made in Gerry’s memory to Reading Partners Tulsa online at
www.readingpartners.org, 918-949-1979. Arrangements and services were entrusted to
Mowery Funeral Service of Owasso.
