Arthur L. Williams, 86, of Marshalltown, died on Tuesday, July 3, 2012, at Villa del Sol Care Center, following lengthy illnesses of diabetes and cancer. Services will be held Saturday, July 7, 2012, at First Friends Church, 2409 S. 6th St., in Marshalltown. Visitation will begin at 12:30 p.m., just prior to the 2 p.m. memorial celebration. Burial will be at the Bangor Cemetery with light refreshments to follow at Bangor-Liberty Friends Church, 1260-A Hopkins Ave., Bangor.
Arthur Leslie Williams was born at home Sept. 29, 1925, near Whittier in Linn County, to John P. and Edna (Willits) Williams. He was the middle child between older siblings, Robert and Margaret, and younger siblings, Virginia and Howard. Art was educated in the area of his birth, at Springville Consolidated School through his sophomore year and graduated from Olney Friends School in Barnesville, Ohio. He also attended William Penn College and Coe College.
On June 25, 1949, Art married Donna Joan Parsons in a double wedding at First Friends Church in Marshalltown. Three children were born to this union: daughters Marlene and Shirley and son Gregory. Together they designed and built their own home in Center Point.
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Art was employed with Le Febure Corporation, then as a Linn County Deputy Recorder, was appointed Linn County Assessor in 1972 and retired from the office of the Cedar Rapids City Assessor in 1987. In his leisure time, Art enjoyed ornithology, fishing and woodworking. He assisted in building the Cedar Rapids Friends Church and continued many home remodeling projects. Since 1990, Art and Donna have wintered at Palm Shadows RV Park in Donna, Texas.
Art is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Donna J. Williams, of Marshalltown. His daughter, Marlene (Dennis) Reece, of New Providence; grandsons Matthew (Kristen) Reece, of Cordova, Ill., Christopher (Jen) Reece, of Tallahassee, Fla., and Jon (Jennifer) Scoville, of Burnsville, Minn.; granddaughters: Allison Reece, of West Des Moines, and Leslie Scoville, of Shorewood, Minn.; Great-grandchildren: Aleck, Rhaena and Micah Reece, Graham Reece, Austin Scoville and anticipated Baby Boy Scoville in October. He is also survived by his brother, Robert (Maxine) Williams, of Whittier: sister Margaret Stevens, of Bartlesville, Okla.; brothers-in-law, Neil (Peggy) Martin, of Marshalltown, and Rev. Robert Lemmermann, of St. Ansgar; sister-in-law Merrilou Williams, of Greensboro, N.C., and many dear nieces and nephews.
Preceding Art in death were his parents, John P. and Edna (Willits) Williams; children: Gregory Allen Williams (age 3) and Shirley E. Scoville (age 52); sister Virginia Lemmermann; brother Howard Williams; sisters-in-law Frances Parsons Martin and Beverly Parsons Dillon.
Memorials may be designated to Whittier Cemetery Fund, American Diabetes Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, or may be directed to the family.
Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Art's family at this time. Condolences may be posted at www,mitchellfh.com.