Page 2 - Sadie Williams Program

“Sweet Sadie”
Beautiful • Sweet • Pure
The Obituary of Sadie B. Williams
Those three words epitomize Sadie B. Williams. She had a beautiful soul, a sweet spirit, and a pure heart that left a permanent mark on the hearts of everyone who loved her. Born September 15, 1926 in Tutwiler, Miss., Sadie was the fifth of Joseph and Sarah
Yarbrough’s thirteen children. Her parents and six of her siblings preceded her in death, including Clytie, Vernitta, Joseph, Gloria Jean, and the twins: Rosemary and Minnie Mary. The daughter of sharecroppers, she grew up working in the fields to help her family and was educated in Tutwiler’s public school. As a teenager, Sadie worked in Clarksdale, Miss., where she met her future husband: Booker T. Williams. They were married February 1, 1945 and soon after moved to Chicago, Ill. In 1976, they settled in Racine, Wis., where they raised sixteen children. Booker and four of their children—Jerry, Joe, Shirley, and Sarah—
preceded Sadie in death.
Sadie was a joyful soul who loved working around the house, cooking, singing, and
spending time with close friends like Ms. Joanne, Ms. Daniels, Ms. Garrett, Ms. Mary, Ms. Earlma, and Ms. Scott. She also loved going to church. She was a faithful member of Greater Mt. Eagle Baptist Church for more than thirty years, where she served on the Mother’s Board. She was a stay-at-home mom until 1976, when she took a job as a dietician at the aid center in Racine. She worked there for fifteen years.
It goes without saying that Sadie was the rock of her family, the one everyone turned to for support, comfort, and reassurance. She epitomized that song “Sadie,” which seemed to be written just for her: Sweeter than cotton candy | Stronger than papa’s old brandy | Always that needed smile | Once in a while she would break down and cry.
Sadie’s legacy is love. She loved her children, she loved her siblings, she loved her church family, and she loved her friends. For Sadie, love was the way of life.
She leaves to cherish her memory twelve children: Hazel, Clyde, Janice (Johnny Ray) Cook, David (Yvonne), Estella (Samuel) Berryman, Peggy, Dennis, Harold, Kinnie (Tawnya), Martin, and Andre; more than 300 grandchildren, including great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren; six siblings: Rosetta (George) Wilson; Jennie LuVert, Earnest Yarbrough, John (Pearline) Yarbrough, Delores Jones, and Barbara Walker; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.