Zoe Rowena Williams (Barrett), born March 30th, 1909, died at age 74,  in 1982, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.  She was born to Alva Logan and Sciota (Moseley) Williams in Richland County, Olney, Illinois. 

She had an older sister, Eva Williams (Byrne) (d. 2000) and two brothers, my Uncle John Williams, and my father, Albert Rae Williams (the youngest) (d. 1998).

Rowena was a teacher during her Olney years.  My Grandfather Williams paid for a year of college, and then my aunt taught a year somewhere in Richland County.  She finished that year, used her earnings for another year of college and then got her teaching license.  She was teaching first grade in Olney in 1930, when she met Riley Boner Barrett (Born in 1910 in Boonville, Indiana).  He was the Band Director at OTHS

R.B. Barrett, 1930 Olnean Photograph

On a football night when the band was on the field, he looked up into blechers and saw Rowena for the first time. They married in November, 1931.

In 1943, after the Fed's established the atomic city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Rowena, Boner, and their two sons moved there.  My uncle first worked in construction management; then, 1945 shifted to city management.  As they all aged, they enjoyed a loving family life with many friends.  While Rowena kept the house and did substitute teaching, the boys got involved in Boy Scouts (with Boner as a leader), the local swim team, and the Community Chorus and the Presbyterian choir (with Boner as director). In time, they were blessed with a third child, Judith.

Dad missed his sister when she moved to Tennessee and so we'd drive down for visits when we could. One of my earliest memories was a WWII one, when the Atomic city was a top secret and we had to have passes to join the family there.  Uncle Boner would arrange all the paper work in advance.  I remember being waken at night when our car reached the gate to the city and we had to show the guards our passes.

Uncle Boner died suddenly September 23, 1957, at age 47.  Rowena found herself alone responsible for the care of children with no job and no insurance. So she started selling life insurance  -- and using her condition as a sales tool, she was very successful.   Then, in 1964, she married Bennie Ward and enjoyed a good life with him.

Before Uncle Boner died, the Barretts would visit Olney at least once a year.  During that time we five Williams-related cousins had a wonderful time.  There was my Cousin Sally, ERHS, Class of 1958, the three Barrett kids, my brother Ronnie (Class of 1963) and I.  Still to this day, when I think of my early years, the happy memories include the times when the Barretts visited Olney.

Richard Williams