Mary Lou Ann Williams

MaryLou Ann Williams, age 72, a long time Park Rapids, MN area resident, peacefully passed into the splendor of Heaven on February 10, 2021 at home surrounded by her loved ones. MaryLou was born on May 30, 1948 to Edgar and Lelia (Miller) Murphy in Hettinger, ND. As a young teen she moved to Park Rapids to live with her Grandma Murphy, her Aunt Pearl, and her Uncle Jerry. She attended high school in Park Rapids but during her senior year, she moved to Anoka to help care for the children of her future brother and sister-in-law, Frank, and Darlene Williams. A year later, she returned to Park Rapids and gained full-time employment. On December 1, 1967, she was united in marriage to Dan Williams. They were blessed with four children: Dan. Jr, Carrie Ann, Don, and Cathy. MaryLou devoted herself to making a loving home for her husband and children. She was a wonderful baker, who loved baking breads and cookies of all kinds. She also made jellies of all flavors; but blueberry, apple, chokecherry, and strawberry were her family’s favorites. In 1970, they moved to Thompson, ND where Dan worked for a large potato grower and they lived there until 1995, when they returned to Park Rapids where MaryLou started working for Lamb-Weston RDO as a potato sampler in a career that spanned 20 years. She loved to work with her hands crocheting, working on jigsaw puzzles, feeding, and watching the birds, deer, bear, and other wildlife that graced their property. MaryLou especially enjoyed the times she spent fishing with her husband, Dan, on Portage Lake. She will be lovingly remembered by her husband for the past 53 years, Dan, her children: Dan (Penny) Williams, Jr. of Red Wing, MN, Carrie Ann (Kelly Driscoll) Swatlowski of East Grand Forks, ND, Don (Valerie) Williams of Thompson, ND and Cathy (Scott) Pearson of Fort Myers, Florida; 11 dearly loved grandchildren: Rebecca Rieger, Ryan and Brandon Williams, David and Kristin Swatlowski, Ashley, Liz and Evan Williams, Marcus and Bobby Pearson and Amanda Ortega, and 4 precious great-grandchildren: Hope, Cam, Aiden and Elena, her former daughter-in-law, Gail Williams of Grand Forks, ND, her sister, Ann Glass of New Orleans, LA; 2 brothers: Eldon Murphy of Amite, LA, Edgar Murphy, Jr. of Wahpeton, ND; as well as many nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Cyrus, and Edna Murphy; maternal grandparents, Ray, and Pearl Miller; her parents, Edgar and Lelia Murphy; 1 brother, Johnny Murphy; and 2 sisters: Donna Carlson, and Cherry Murphy. Memorial services have been set for 2:00 PM Saturday, February 13, 2021 at the Jones-Pearson Funeral Home in Park Rapids with Father Tom Friedl officiating. Her urn bearers will be her husband, Dan Williams and her four children: Dan Williams, Jr., Carrie Ann Swatlowski, Don Williams, and Cathy Pearson. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the services.