Obituary for Amy P. Williams
On January 6, 2021, Putnam and St. Johns Counties bid farewell to one of their most dedicated educators, Mrs. Amy P. Williams. She passed away quietly in her home at Crescent Beach, where she had resided for 50 years. When asked her age, she always said she was 29.
A graduate of the University of Georgia and the University of North Florida, Mrs. Williams, or “Miss Amy” as some of her students called her, was one of the last “old school” elementary teachers to grace the hallways of Moseley Elementary School and First Baptist Church Kindergarten in Palatka, 1961 – 1968. Then from 1968 to the mid-1990s, she taught at Orange Street Elementary (three years), Hastings Elementary (16 years), and finally at Hartley Elementary School, all in St. Johns County.
What some people call “old school” today was the standard for her generation. Every day she “dressed up” for work, she addressed her fellow faculty members by their last names in front of the children, and kept impeccable written records and lesson plans. Her students happily memorized nursery rhymes, learning songs and classic children’s stories like “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Three Little Pigs.” There were only two rules in her classroom:
1. Be Kind.
2. Take care of yourself and your things.
Now, years later, some of her students from Putnam County are patients of her son-in-law in his medical practice. Several of her personal caregivers over the last four years are relatives of students from her classrooms at Hastings and Hartley.
Having taught for so long, she often shared memorable classroom moments with her family and close friends. When she was teaching kindergarten at Orange Street Elementary, her five-year-olds were just learning to put their A B C’s together to make words, like D-O-G and C-A-T. One hot afternoon on the playground, two of her young students got into an argument. The argument ended when one said to the other, ”You can just kiss my A-C-E.”
Kindergarteners in Hastings had time every day for “centers”: special areas for play like with building blocks or dressing up; and a kitchen area with a kid-size sink and actual running water. One day two little girls were washing tea set dishes and Mrs. Williams noticed they were catching and eating the soap bubbles. She cautioned them not to do so because it could make them have diarrhea. Another day soon after that, she overheard the same little girls talking in the kitchen center. One was scolding the other for eating the soap bubbles. She said something like, “You better stop that. You know Mrs. Williams says that’s gonna make you die for real!”
Mrs. Amy Williams was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Mr. Floyd E. “Bill’ Williams. Mr. and Mrs. Williams leave two daughters. The eldest: Janet Williams Stevens (Dan), and two daughters,
Caroline W. Dicks (Ben) and their children, Josie and Orson; and
Leah K. Williams. All reside in the Chattanooga, TN area. The younger: Marcelle Williams Grimard (Brian): their three children, Maxwell Grimard (Allison), their daughters Gracie and Molly, Tampa, FL; Anna Grimard Roche (Dave), Atlanta, GA; and Lee Grimard, Salt Lake City, UT.
Memorial service will be held on Sunday evening, January 17, 2021 at 6:00pm, Crescent Beach Baptist Church. Interment will be on Tuesday, January 19, Peavine Baptist Church, Rock Spring, Georgia. Local arrangements made by Johnson Overturf Funeral Home, and in Georgia, by Wallis Wilbanks Funeral Home, LaFayette, GA.
Special thanks to Pastor David Beauchamp, Greg, Joel and the congregation of the Crescent Beach Baptist Church; Mayo Clinic Family Medicine and Neurology, Homelife Personal Care, Mrs. Williams’ favorite ladies at Riverside Cottages and Nurse Nancy. Utmost gratitude to Teresa, Victoria, Lori, Heather and Jacqueline.
In lieu of flowers, the Williams family would be honored if contributions were made to either of the following: Tim Tebow Foundation, 2220 County Road 210 W, Suite 108, PMB 317, Jacksonville, FL 32259; or to the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund at Crescent Beach Baptist Church, 885 FL 206 E, St. Augustine, FL 32086.
Memories and condolences may be expressed to the family at Amy’s Book of Memories page at www.johnsonoverturffunerals.com .
A graduate of the University of Georgia and the University of North Florida, Mrs. Williams, or “Miss Amy” as some of her students called her, was one of the last “old school” elementary teachers to grace the hallways of Moseley Elementary School and First Baptist Church Kindergarten in Palatka, 1961 – 1968. Then from 1968 to the mid-1990s, she taught at Orange Street Elementary (three years), Hastings Elementary (16 years), and finally at Hartley Elementary School, all in St. Johns County.
What some people call “old school” today was the standard for her generation. Every day she “dressed up” for work, she addressed her fellow faculty members by their last names in front of the children, and kept impeccable written records and lesson plans. Her students happily memorized nursery rhymes, learning songs and classic children’s stories like “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Three Little Pigs.” There were only two rules in her classroom:
1. Be Kind.
2. Take care of yourself and your things.
Now, years later, some of her students from Putnam County are patients of her son-in-law in his medical practice. Several of her personal caregivers over the last four years are relatives of students from her classrooms at Hastings and Hartley.
Having taught for so long, she often shared memorable classroom moments with her family and close friends. When she was teaching kindergarten at Orange Street Elementary, her five-year-olds were just learning to put their A B C’s together to make words, like D-O-G and C-A-T. One hot afternoon on the playground, two of her young students got into an argument. The argument ended when one said to the other, ”You can just kiss my A-C-E.”
Kindergarteners in Hastings had time every day for “centers”: special areas for play like with building blocks or dressing up; and a kitchen area with a kid-size sink and actual running water. One day two little girls were washing tea set dishes and Mrs. Williams noticed they were catching and eating the soap bubbles. She cautioned them not to do so because it could make them have diarrhea. Another day soon after that, she overheard the same little girls talking in the kitchen center. One was scolding the other for eating the soap bubbles. She said something like, “You better stop that. You know Mrs. Williams says that’s gonna make you die for real!”
Mrs. Amy Williams was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Mr. Floyd E. “Bill’ Williams. Mr. and Mrs. Williams leave two daughters. The eldest: Janet Williams Stevens (Dan), and two daughters,
Caroline W. Dicks (Ben) and their children, Josie and Orson; and
Leah K. Williams. All reside in the Chattanooga, TN area. The younger: Marcelle Williams Grimard (Brian): their three children, Maxwell Grimard (Allison), their daughters Gracie and Molly, Tampa, FL; Anna Grimard Roche (Dave), Atlanta, GA; and Lee Grimard, Salt Lake City, UT.
Memorial service will be held on Sunday evening, January 17, 2021 at 6:00pm, Crescent Beach Baptist Church. Interment will be on Tuesday, January 19, Peavine Baptist Church, Rock Spring, Georgia. Local arrangements made by Johnson Overturf Funeral Home, and in Georgia, by Wallis Wilbanks Funeral Home, LaFayette, GA.
Special thanks to Pastor David Beauchamp, Greg, Joel and the congregation of the Crescent Beach Baptist Church; Mayo Clinic Family Medicine and Neurology, Homelife Personal Care, Mrs. Williams’ favorite ladies at Riverside Cottages and Nurse Nancy. Utmost gratitude to Teresa, Victoria, Lori, Heather and Jacqueline.
In lieu of flowers, the Williams family would be honored if contributions were made to either of the following: Tim Tebow Foundation, 2220 County Road 210 W, Suite 108, PMB 317, Jacksonville, FL 32259; or to the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund at Crescent Beach Baptist Church, 885 FL 206 E, St. Augustine, FL 32086.
Memories and condolences may be expressed to the family at Amy’s Book of Memories page at www.johnsonoverturffunerals.com .