(Director At Fayette Normal Memorial Library)
FAYETTE—Verna Mae Williams, age 95, of Fayette, died Wednesday evening, July 9, 2025, at Fulton Manor in Wauseon, where she has resided the past year.
She was born in Wauseon on November 28, 1929, the oldest of three children from the union of the late Kenneth and Alice (Klinker) Flory.
Verna lived her formative years in Wauseon, where she graduated from high school in 1947.
A few years later, on April 30, 1949, she married Wayne Revere Williams at the Wauseon First Christian Church. Together, they raised two sons and enjoyed over 73 years of married life prior to his passing on June 5, 2022.
While raising her sons, Verna worked as a bookkeeper for her husband’s Sohio gas station in Fayette for nearly 25 years. She later worked at the Fayette Normal Memorial Library, where she served as its director for 30 years, formally retiring in 2002.
Alongside her husband Wayne, Verna was very active in her community. She was a member of the Fayette Firebelles, Fayette Woman’s Club, Order of Eastern Star, Ohio Library Council, and was a 50-year member of the Fayette United Methodist Church. She volunteered with Fayette Helping Hands and was a researching advocate for the Bean Creak History Center.
She and Wayne were crowned Queen and King of the Fayette Royal Bull Thistle Festival in 1993 and were named Citizens of the Year in 2015.
Her dedication and love for the Village of Fayette were notably recognized by the declaration of “Verna Williams Day” on June 9, 2023.
Verna loved to play cards, read, and work puzzles in her spare time. She was also an avid golfer and enjoyed wonderful travels to Florida and Arizona over the years, where she met famous author J.A. Jance as well as TV Star Alex Trebek.
Surviving is a son, Mark S. Williams of Wauseon; grandson, Mason Williams of DePere, WI; granddaughter, Maren Williams of Fayette; great-grandson, Wyatt Revere Williams; sister-in-law, Dorothy Clark of Angola, IN; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents and husband, Verna was preceded in death by a son, Michael Lee Williams; sister, Carol Flory; brother, Richard (Donna) Flory sister-in-law; and brother-in-law, Brice Clark.
The family will receive friends for a memorial visitation at the Family Life Center in Fayette on Sunday, August 3, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. until a memorial service will begin at 2:00 p.m. Fellowship will continue during a meal immediately following the service. Private committal will take place in Pleasant View Union Cemetery in Fayette.
Memorial contributions in honor of Verna are suggested to benefit the Bean Creek History Center, Normal Memorial Library, or the Family Life Center.
Friends can express sympathies to the family online by visiting the tribute wall at www.marryfh.com. Arrangements have been made with the guidance of the Marry Funeral Home, Fayette.