Clara Williams

Clara Maggie Ptarmigan Brown Williams, resident of Ponca City, passed away in her home with her family on August 22, 2008 after an extended illness. She was 74. Visitation will be held at Grace Memorial Chapel, 2016 North 14th Street, Ponca City, Ok. on Monday, August 25th from 5 to 7 pm with a graveside service to be held Tuesday, August 26th at 11 a.m. at the Hickory Grove Cemetery, North of Grove, Oklahoma. Clara was born in White Mountain, Alaska to Dewey Ptarmigan and Esther Kowchee. Upon the passing of her father, she was raised by her step-father Tom Brown. She was raised in White Mountain, Nome, and Solomon, Alaska. She graduated high school at Mt. Edgecumbe and later graduated with honors from Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa while working full time at Chilocco Indian School. She also lived in Kodiak, Ketchikan, and Juneau where she met her husband, George Ervin Williams. After moving to the lower 48, she lived most of her life in Oklahoma, including Blackwell, Braman, Jay, McAlister and Tonkawa. She also lived in Arkansas, New Mexico, Texas and Virginia. Clara worked for the BIA at Chilocco, Oklahoma, Anchorage, Alaska, Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico and Miami, Oklahoma. After retiring from the BIA, Clara sold Avon and won a Mrs. Albee Award a number of times for the Presidents Salesman Club. Clara was a member of the Ohoyohoma Club, NAMI, OPALS and was an active member of her church wherever she lived. Clara moved to Ponca City to help provide day-care for her first great-grand-daughter which was one of the greatest joys of her life. Her entire family is proud to have known such a beautiful and caring person. No matter where she lived, she always cared for her family as if they were right there with her. Her passing was as beautiful as her life: Surrounded by family and loved ones until she left this world. Clara is survived by her children, George Williams of Ponca City, Gary Williams of Ozark, Arkansas, Karen Agee and husband, John, of Ponca City, and Carol Brewster and husband, Waymon, of Humble, Texas. Her sisters, Velma Brown and Enid Lincoln and her brothers Tom, Jack, Phillip, Carl, and Peter Brown, all living in Alaska. She has 5 grandchildren, Katie Hollingsworth and her husband Jeremy of Ponca City; Ryan Magel of Los Angeles, David Williams and wife, Alison, Conway, Arkansas; and Matthew and Michael Williams, also of Conway. Clara also has 3 great-grandchildren, Shay and Garrett Hollingsworth and Samuel Williams. Clara also has many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews as well as many cousins, most of which live in Alaska. Clara was preceded in death by her husband of 32 years; her parents; her brother, Roy Brown; and an infant brother and sister. The family wishes to extend their thanks and gratitude to all the wonderful caring people at Hospice of North Central Oklahoma and MedCorp who helped the family tremendously in Claras home care.