DONELDA ANN McWILLIAMS

Donelda was born Jan. 1, 1925 in Defiance, Ohio to the late H. Arthur and Effie (Nicely) Hickok. She attended Defiance area schools, graduated from Defiance College with a B.A. degree and it was here where she met her husband, Kenneth R. McWilliams. After he obtained his Mortuary Science degree, they bought the funeral home and flower shop in Rogers City, Michigan in 1949. He preceded her in death on Nov. 15, 1970. She operated the funeral home and flower shop until she retired in 1987 and moved back to Defiance, Ohio. Remaining very active up until Oct. of 2022, she volunteered with AARP on a county and statewide level, the food bank and was a tutor in the Ohio Reads program in the Defiance School System.

She is survived by her five children: Micki Linda (John Grenke) Levin, William Bradford McWilliams, Margot Ann Surridge, Wayne B. (Karen) McWilliams, Laurinda K. Kay, nine grandchildren: Brad (Sam) McWilliams, Shannon (Bryan) George, Scott Surridge, Amanda Surridge, Jessica (Charles) Zubek, Stacy (Bryan) Roznowski, Amy (Jeff) Faircloth, Kenneth R. McWilliams, and Zachary Kay, fifteen great-grandchildren, and four great-great grandchildren. Preceding her in death were a grandson, Chad McWilliams, twin sisters, Delpha and Dorpha, a brother Floyd, infant sisters Velma & Viola and a daughter-in-law, Linda McWilliams.

Family and friends will gather on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023 at McWilliams Funeral Home from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to reminisce and tell stories. Interment will be at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at Sowle Cemetery in Maple Rapids, Michigan. Memorial donations may be made to AARP or the reading program at your local school system.