Ramona Williams

Ramona C. "Mona" Williams, age 85 of Melrose died Tuesday, September 20, 2005 at the St. Cloud Hospital. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, September 23 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose with Rev. Vince Lieser officiating. Burial will be in the parish cemetery.

Friends may call from 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday and from 8 to 11 a.m. Friday at Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. Catholic Order of Foresters, Christian Mothers, Schanhaar-Otte VFW Post 7050 Auxiliary and Sts. Bernard & Elizabeth Council will pray at 7 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 8:15 p.m. Thursday evening.

Ramona Williams was born May 16, 1920 in Melrose, Minnesota to Peter and Teresa (Brandtner) Welz. She was united in marriage to Walter "Butch" Williams on July 12, 1944 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Mona was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose, Catholic Order of Foresters, Christian Mothers, Schanhaar-Otte VFW Post 7050 Auxiliary and Sts. Bernard & Elizabeth Council. She was an area representative of the American Cancer Society for 20 years. She also spent many days bringing smiles to the faces of people in the Pine Villa Nursing Home and the Melrose Hospital.

Mona loved life and lived it to the fullest. She was a compassionate, fun loving, spirited, Christian woman. She will be deeply and sadly missed by her family and her bowling, cards and bingo buddies. Her family will always look up to her and aspire to be as strong and beautiful as she.

Survivors include her husband, Walter "Butch" Williams of Melrose; daughters, Judy Spaeth and her husband, Chuck of Brooklyn Park, Jeanne Williams of Maple Grove, Kathy Viere of Coon Rapids and Karen Wright and her husband, Ken of St. Cloud; ten grandchildren, Tom, Mike, Melissa, Jessica, Chelsey, Michele, Matt, Sarah, Jason and Ross; four great grandchildren, Samantha, Emma, Eric and Tristan; brother, John Welz of St. Maries, Idaho; sisters, Justina "Toots" Tieman of Melrose and Edna Hedine and her husband, Duane of Walla Walla, Washington; and sister-in-law, Marie Welz of Melrose.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Teresa Welz; sisters, Marie Frie and Evelyn Hoeschen; and brothers, Carl Welz, Ted Welz and Robert Welz.

Serving as casket bearers will be Tom Spaeth, Jason Klaphake, Ross Klaphake, Matthew Viere, Joel Wanner and Matt Havlik. Serving as cross bearer will be Melissa Wanner and scripture bearer will be Samantha Wanner.