Doris Mae Williams

Doris Mae Williams

Doris Mae Williams, 93, of Redfield, Kan. died Friday, June 11, 2021 at the Country Place Senior Living in Fort Scott, Kan. She was born Dec. 9, 1927 in Fairplay, Mo., the oldest of three daughters born to Charles and Aileen (Butler) Richard. Her parents moved to the Redfield area when she was an infant and she and her sisters were raised there. She married John C. (Jack) Williams on Feb. 24, 1952 in Redfield, Kan. He preceded her in death Feb. 12, 2005. 

After graduating from Uniontown High School with the class of 1945, Doris moved to Kansas City to attend secretarial school. She was elected as the Bourbon County Treasurer in the election of 1948, before she was old enough to legally vote, even for herself. She worked for the County Treasurer’s office for eight years. She later ran the Redfield Grocery Store from 1968 until the late 1970s. After spending 20 years working for the Postal Service, she retired as postmaster of the Redfield Post Office in 1998. In the 1980s, the Redfield bus route passed by the post office in the mornings and Doris never missed the chance to wave at her grandkids as they passed by on their way to school. She was a life-long member of the Redfield Methodist Church and played piano there well into her 80s.

She and Jack moved to Jack’s family farm in 1959, raising their family just outside of Redfield. Five of her six grandchildren were lucky enough to be raised within shouting (or dirt-bike riding) distance of their house, especially because Grandma Doris always kept the refrigerator and freezer on the back porch stocked with pop, Capri Suns, and Schwan's ice cream. She loved playing cards with her grandkids and great-grandkids. She was an Old Maid and Uno card shark and felt not even the slightest bit of guilt laying down a “Draw 4” card on any of them. Doris was a devoted and loving mother and grandmother, rarely missing any activity in which her family was involved. She loved watching her children and grandchildren play sports, perform at band and choir concerts, and show livestock at the Bourbon County Fair. She enjoyed taking her grandkids to movies, concerts, and the dinner theater. Most of the time they were well-behaved. She had an iron clad memory and could recall word-for-word conversations that even her grandchildren had forgotten about. She loved her family well and never failed to tell them how proud she was of them. They felt the same way about her. 

Doris is survived by three children: LuAnne Pitts and husband Eddie, Steve Williams and wife Marci, and Diana Almasi, all of Redfield; one sister; Jo Ann Dalton of Fort Scott; six grandchildren: Brent Almasi of Las Vegas, Nev., Bill (Beth) Pitts of Fort Scott, Garin (Treva) Williams of Charleston, S.C., Jayci (Chad) Cosens of Fort Scott, Brandon (Brandi) Pitts of Fort Scott, and Kelci (Jimmy) Ebrecht of Olathe, Kan.; and 13 great-grandchildren: Jaxon, Blaine, Graci, Macy Jo, Shayd, Finean, Dryden, Cal, Cash, Colby, Cameron, Kreedyn, and Boden. In addition to her husband, Jack, she was preceded in death by her parents, one sister, Gerry Brewer, and a son-in-law, Alex Almasi.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 16 at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the Woods Cemetery at Redfield. The family will receive friends on Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. until service time at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Bourbon County Fair Association or the Country Place Activity Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.