Arthur Williams
January 1, 1937 – July 31, 2016
Obituary Arthur “Art” Davis Williams, 79
Arthur Davis Williams finished his journey here on earth on Sunday, July 31,
2016, and joined with his family waiting beyond the veil. He fought a valiant fight with a Glioblastoma Cancer Brain Tumor and he unwillingly lost the battle.
‘Art’ as he was called, always tried to live a Christ like life, he was very kind,
loving and compassionate to others. He tried to lift people up, he taught his family by example to do the same, and to have charity and love for their fellowmen.
Arthur was a very humorous and light hearted man, well liked by all who knew
him. He was really fun to be around, and loved to joke and pull pranks. Most
importantly, he made his family his first priority. Spending quality time with his
wife and his four sons and their families was always on the top of his list of things to do.
Arthur was a lifetime member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he served as Sunday School teacher, Priesthood Advisor, Stake Sunday School President, Scoutmaster for over 50 years, Home Teacher, and Deseret Industries Service Missionary for 1 ‘A years.
He lived by the Scout Law, and he loved the scouts that were in his care as if they were his own children. He was so blessed to be a ‘Beloved Scout Leader’ for most of his adult life. He saw the joy and accomplishment that many of his scouts had worked to attain in the Boy Scouting Program through the years. He truly believed in the Boy Scout Organization and recognized all the good that the activity and programs offered to these young men and how they could learn and grow by living and doing the things that the Scout Law and Scout Oath taught them.
Arthur was awarded the Silver Beaver Award for his donation of time and effort
given to the Boy Scouts of the Tendoy Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. In
1992 Arthur was surprised when the Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts of his own
unit 239, presented him with the Scoutmaster Award of Merit, an honor given
only by boy scouts of a particular unit to their leader.
Arthur was a volunteer, (A job he truly loved) with the Blackfoot Community
Dinner Table, Inc., where he loved working each week at the Blackfoot Pantry,
greeting all who came to receive help and assistance and a good welcome from him each and every week.
Arthur was born Jan. 1, 1937 at Malad City, Oneida, Idaho to Arthur LaVen
Williams and Hazel Hayball Davis. He was the third child of seven children. He
grew up in Malad City, with six siblings, and lots of aunts and uncles and cousins by the dozens. He attended school in Malad and graduated with the Class of 1955, from Malad High School. He and his many classmates have stayed in close contact one with another through all these 61 years. The Class of 1955, always has a set time and place to meet each year, for a social, along with the other reunions that they planned in between.
In 1957, Arthur received a mission call to West Central States Mission. He served mostly in South Dakota and Wyoming, but was forced to come home early because his kidneys failed him and he needed to be hospitalized for an extended period of time to recover from kidney failure. After his health returned he
continued to help his Dad on the Ranch both in Malad and Lyman, Wyoming and later in Geneva, Idaho.
Through a friend, Arthur met his sweetheart, Vee Ann Weaver of Soda Springs,
Idaho. They were married on March 9, 1962 in the Logan L.D.S. Temple, Logan,
Utah. To this union was born four sons. Arthur, Brenn, Charles and Dea. This
Williams family moved a few times before ending up in Blackfoot, where they
have resided for the past forty-four years.
Arthur was a Rancher, Cowboy and Farmer at heart, but he also, due to an
accident which caused health problems, had to give up the ‘Good Life’ as he called it and settle down to a little easier work. He went back to college at ISU in 1971 to learn a new vocation of Parts Distribution. Before he graduated, he was hired to come to Blackfoot, where he went to work at Bauer Equipment Company. A few years later, he ventured out on his own and became Art Williams Custom Spraying, which he finally retired from in 1995. Since that time, he enjoyed helping out with odd jobs at the Parkside Community Mobile Home Park in Blackfoot, where he and Vee Ann have resided since 1994. He decided to retire from his duties there on Jan 1, 2016.
Arthur is survived by his wife Vee Ann of Blackfoot, his four sons, Arthur W.
(Barbara Zillig) Williams of Columbia Falls, Montana; Brenn LaVen (Jamie
Burningham) of Blackfoot; Charles (Cristie Langley) of Blackfoot; and Dea
(Warrene Grace-Moon) of Portland, Oregon; his siblings, Charlotte Giles of Idaho Falls, Idaho; Alaina (Ray) Burrows of Ogden, Utah; Ruth Thomas of Malad City, Idaho; La Refta Davis of Soda Springs, Idaho; Elease King of Kaysville, Utah and Timothy Davis (Ellen) Williams of Oregon City, Oregon. He is survived by seven grandchildren: Arthur ‘Steven’ (April) Williams of Whitefish, Montana; Jill
(Thomas) Holmes of Spanish Fork, Utah; Angie (Brian) Thorne of Somers,
Montana; Camille (Tyler) Mason of Kalispell, Montana; Charles Jordan ‘CI’
Williams of Boise, Idaho; Haiden Williams and Garrett Williams both of
Blackfoot, he is also survived by fifteen beautiful, spoiled, & loved great
grandchildren: Walker, Harley, & A J Williams, Carson, Harper, & Oakley
Thorne, Cedar & Canyon Holmes, Maliyah Mason, Fox, Killian, & Charlotte
Williams, Chance, Kasen and Ahlfexis ‘Lexi’ Orr. He is also survived by a
sister-in-law, Sallee Lee Weaver of Snowflake, Arizona, a brother-in-law, Melvin
Jr. (Lori) Weaver of Grace, Idaho, many nieces and nephews, and four aunts, June Jones of Dillon, Montana, Hanna Lou Williams, Darlene Nielsen, and Barbara (Dennis) Bingham all of Malad, Idaho.
Funeral services have been planned for Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016 at the Blackfoot
LDS Stake Center at 1650 Highland Drive beginning at 11 am. A viewing is
scheduled at the church from 10:00 am until time of service. There will also be a viewing on Friday evening from 6 to 8 pm at the Hawker Funeral Home at 132 South Shilling, Blackfoot, Idaho. Burial will be at the Grove City Cemetery in Blackfoot following the services.
As a family we wish to thank all who have touched our lives through the years,
and for the sharing of your love and support to us at this time. We also wish to
thank the doctors, nurses, and other care givers especially the nurses, Darlene,
Hannah & Brandy of Encompass Hospice Care of Pocatello and friends and
neighbors who have provided loving and compassionate care and love to Arthur during this difficult time.