Betty Jane Williams

Betty Williams, age 87, resident of Colonial Heights, Virginia and former resident of Columbus, passed away on Saturday, June 27, 2020 at her residence.  Funeral services are scheduled at the Chapel of Vance Brooks Funeral Home, Columbus on Friday, July 3, 2020, 11 a.m. with Reverend Jeff Dravenstott officiating.  Interment will follow at Parkhill Cemetery.  Honorary pallbearers will be Sam Dravenstott, John Williams, Jr. James Williams, Joshua Williams, Joey Pilout, Leonard Langford, Max Kraftchick, Larry Simmons, and Bobby Ellis.  The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday, July 2, 2020 from 5-7 p.m.

Mrs. Williams, daughter of the late Walter Lowe Rice, Sr. and Missouri Temple Rice, was born December 29., 1932 in Phenix City, Alabama.  She was a member of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Colonial Heights, Virginia and enjoyed traveling to various places.  Mrs. Williams loved spending quality time with her family and her dogs.  She had a strong passion towards watching college football, especially Alabama Crimson Tide; the NFL, particularly the Green Bay Packers; and spent many hours watching baseball.  The family remembers her as a lady who many times sacrificed for her family and was thankful she had a good church family.

Other than her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Alvin Oree Williams; son, Robert “Bobby” M. Williams; two sisters, Dorothy Collins and Gloria Mae Roberts; and two brothers, Walter Lowe Rice, Jr. and Robert Rice.

Mrs. Williams is survived by her daughter, Dianna Christine Dravenstott and her husband Jeff of Salem, Alabama; son, John M. Williams, Sr. and his wife Cathy of Colonial Heights, Virginia; seven grandchildren, Samuel Dravenstott, Melanie Gouine, Erin Williams, John Williams, Jr., Joshua Williams, Jessica Pilout, and James Williams; nine great-grandchildren, Jake, Hannah, Katie, Luke, Matthew, Norah, Wyatt, Chloe, and Christian; many other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to Gideons International at www.gideons.org or St. Jude at www.stjude.org