Stanley G. Williams

Stanley Gerald Williams, of Groesbeck, passed away Wednesday, April 3, 2013, at Providence Healthcare in Waco, at age 72. He had battled cancer and other resulting health complications for the past nine months. Family and friends will hold a Memorial Service at 2:00 P.M. on Sunday, April 7, 2013, at the Groesbeck Women’s Club (102 West Trinity Street.) Stanley was born December 16, 1940, to Reg A. Williams and Aleen (Magee) Williams in Groesbeck. His mother, being a school teacher, had Stanley reading before he was in school. He graduated from Groesbeck High School, where he had played football for the Goats, in the Class of 1959. Stanley worked on pipelines and long-shoring to earn money for college. After playing football at Navarro Junior College, he received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas at Austin, in English Literature. While a senior at Austin, his sister Martha arranged a blind date for him to meet her friend from Mexia. It was love at first sight for Stanley and Orma Louise Marvel, who had lived twelve miles away in Mexia, but never met before. They were united in marriage on June 3, 1966 in Mexia. They lived in Austin, where he was a member of the National Guard and worked at the Austin State School. In 1972, Stanley and Orma and their daughter moved to Groesbeck, where their son was born. Stanley began his long career in the trucking industry, working first for Dresser Minerals. He also worked for Farm Bureau insurance, and the family lived about ten years in Wortham, Centerville and New Braunfels. After moving back to Groesbeck, they built a home in 1981. He contracted with Aggregate Haulers with his own truck, and developed his own trucking and hot shot delivery business. He went to Iraq for two years as a contractor hauling supplies to the troops. He was always patriotic, and his primary interest in going to Iraq was to lend support to the troops. He was fearless in spite of the very dangerous situations to the drivers. Stanley loved to drive, and so he enjoyed trucking all across the country. But he also liked to travel for pleasure, and loved sailing. One special sailing trip was made from the Gulf to New York. Stanley also was an avid reader all his life, especially science fiction. He took books with him everywhere he went and had wall-to-wall books in his home library Stanley was a member of the Groesbeck Masonic Lodge #354 and a Past Master, and also a member of the American Legion. With Stanley and Orma both retired, they bought an RV in 2010, and did their first Park Hosting that summer at Fort Parker. In 2011, they were invited to work at Adventureland Amusement Park outside Des Moines, Iowa, where they worked and enjoyed RV camping from April through September, and again the summer of 2012. They made many friends from all over the country in the close-knit community of RVers, and had plans to continue traveling, until his serious health problems started during the summer of 2012. Stanley had a good sense of humor, and as he would say, “it has been fun ‘til now.” Stanley was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother, Phil Williams. He is survived by his wife, Orma Louise Williams of Groesbeck; daughter and son-in-law, Alyssa and Russell Taylor, and their son, Jordan Taylor of Fort Worth; son and daughter-in-law, Jason and Christi Williams, and their daughter, Trinity Williams of Groesbeck; sister, Martha Johnson of Thornton; sister and brother-in-law, Debra and Randy Franklin of Thornton; and sister and brother-in-law, Jana and David Burkeen of Groesbeck; sister-in-law, Kay Williams of Round Rock; and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Groesbeck City Library, the American Cancer Society, or the Hunter Neason Scholarship Fund (First National Bank.)