Mary Williams

Mary Alice Williams,77, of Chetek, WI, slipped quietly into the arms of her savior on December 5,2025 after a seven-year struggle with Alzheimer's disease which ended with the diagnosis of end stage pancreatic cancer in September of 2025. Mary remained sweet and kind; the ideal patient but succumbed after nine weeks at her home with her husband and two children at her side.

Mary was born on June 20,1948 in Minneapolis, MN. She grew up in the western suburbs of Minneapolis and later met the love of her life, Marshall Williams. They married on June 24,1967. Working together they both finished college while welcoming their children, Marshall Jr., Matthew and Michelle. Over the next thirty years Mary worked a variety of jobs and eventually settled in at the Ninth District of The Federal
Reserve Bank in downtown Minneapolis where she worked herself up into the executive ranks and had a very successful career supervising statistics and bank
reporting.

In 1996 Mary and Marshall decided to take early retirement after Mary's health made it impossible to continue working. They returned to the rural Chetek area farm where Marshall grew up and made a comfortable home where Mary could raise her horses and dogs. Mary was very active in the community and was a frequent volunteer at local schools and churches. She delivered meals-on-wheels and served on several boards where her enthusiasm and thoughtful input were recognized and brought more requests
to serve with other organizations, but because her health was very fragile, she had to limit her activities.

Mary was a devoted participant in many different arts and crafts, such as, ceramics, macrame and quilting, producing many beautiful items that her family will cherish forever.

Mary loved to play cards of all kinds and especially bridge and hand and foot. She was a weekly participant in several local card games and when we traveled to Texas to escape the snow, she always was welcomed into a group of fellow bridge enthusiasts.
Mary was truly the heart of her family; she enjoyed hosting family meals and cookouts, and she loved to organize camping trips with family and attending her children and her grandchildren's events.

Mary is survived by her loving husband, Marshall; her sons Marshall Jr. and Matthew (Linda) and her daughters Michelle Lykens and Juli Smith; and her beloved grandchildren, Brittany (Matthew) DeMar, Noah Lykens, Kieran, Brennan, Kody and Kieanna Williams, and Tyler and Anthony Smith; and great grandson Jamie DeMar. She is also survived by her sister Teresa Salden, brother Joe (Jan) Lenzen, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family and friends who will forever remember her sweetness, good humor and love of life.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Adeline Lenzen,
brothers Leo and Robert, sisters Lois Thompson and Rose Aikin, parents-in-law Don and Doris Williams and sister-in-law Marsha Williams.

A memorial service is planned for 11:00 a.m. on January 17, 2026, at The Refuge in Chetek, WI where family and friends will gather to celebrate a life well lived. A luncheon will follow the service.

Cremation Society of Wisconsin, Altoona is assisting the family. Online condolences may be shared at www.cremationsociety-wi.com.