Opal Williams

Opal Williams, 86, went to be with her Lord after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s on Thursday, March 31, 2016 at Hope Creek Care Center, East Moline, IL.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, April 4, 2016, at Norwood Funeral Home, Guin, AL. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 3, 2016, at the funeral home.  Interment will be at Guin Cemetery.  Memorials may be made to the Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Winfield, AL.

Opal was born on November 14, 1929, in Lamar County, AL, a daughter of Earlie and Lura Flynn Gosa.  She married James Clifton Williams, also of Lamar County, on July 21, 1949, in Fulton, MS, and moved to Illinois shortly thereafter where she worked at Moline Public Hospital and the former F.W. Means & Co. (Aramark Uniform Services), East Moline.

In 1979, she and James returned to Alabama where they enjoyed a wonderful 28 years of retirement.  They returned to the Quad-Cities in 2007.  She loved gardening, flowers, photography and entertaining friends and family. One of her greatest joys came from teaching Sunday School for many years, impacting women and children with the Gospel. She is a member of the Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Winfield, AL, and a former member of the First Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, Rock Island, IL.

She leaves behind her husband, James; son, Ricky (Cheryl) Williams, Milan, IL, and daughter, Brenda (Terry) Verstraete, Moline, IL; four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren; a brother, Terry (Gail) Gosa of Guin, AL, and a host of many relatives and friends who will miss her greatly.

Preceded her in death are her parents, two sisters, Edith Perry and Annie Gail McKay, both of Alabama, and her brother, Basil Gosa of Clarksville, TN.

Special thanks go to the caring staff of Hope Creek Care Center Alzheimer’s unit.