Kenith Ray Williams

15 January 1926 - 21 February 2023

Kenith Williams of Jena, LA died peacefully at his home 21 February, 2023. He was 97 years young.

Kenith embodied the best of the greatest generation - hard-working, patriotic, frugal but generous, kind and always willing to lend a hand. He didn't believe in replacing anything that could be fixed with ingenuity, elbow grease or duct tape. He was a quiet man whose low-key demeanor often belied his great sense of humor and quick wit. He was an electrician by profession but a skilled fisherman, outdoorsman, and gardener by passion. He never tired of pulling a largemouth bass into his boat. Nothing made him happier than a day on one of the nearby bayous, rivers or lakes, even if he didn't catch anything. But when he did, everyone in the family knew they would soon benefit from his equally capable fish-cooking skills.

Born in 1926 in Broken Bow, OK, Kenith lived most of his life around Jena. He graduated from Trout-Good Pine School.

In March of 1944, Kenith joined the Army Air Force during World War II and served as an airplane mechanic and was stationed in Japan from November 1945 - April 1946.

He volunteered to serve his country again in 1949 when he joined the Air Force just before the start of the Korean War and was sent back to Japan where he served first as an airplane mechanic and later as a flight engineer. He returned home in 1953.

He married Geraldine Virginia Allen in 1955 and they were married for 61 years until Jerry died in 2016. They had one daughter, Marsha Rae.

After returning from the Korean War, he became an electrician with the IBEW Local 576 out of Alexandria and worked all around the south until he retired in 1988.  He then devoted his time to Jerry, fishing and gardening, not always in that order. He also enjoyed spending time with his two grandsons, Matthew & Christopher. He continued fishing regularly at his favorite fishing holes until 2021. He loved being outside and could still be seen sitting on his porch watching the birds and feeding racoons on his back patio until just a few weeks ago.

Kenith and Jerry attended Nolley Memorial United Methodist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James Melvin Williams and Ellah R. Williams, his brother, J. C. Williams and his wife, Jerry Williams.

Those left to cherish great memories of Kenith are his daughter and son-in-law Marsha and Dennis Walker (of Dallas, TX) and his grandsons, Matthew (of Brooklyn, NY) and Christopher (of Dallas, TX) as well as many descendants of Jerry's large family too numerous to name who all knew him as Uncle Kenith.

Funeral Services will be on Friday, 24 February, 2023, in the Chapel of Kinner & Stevens Funeral Home with Rev. Johnnie Phillips officiating. Mr. Williams will be laid to rest in the Woodland Cemetery following the services.

Matthew Walker, Christopher Walker, Brad Bradley, James Morgan, Scott Taylor and Gene Taylor are honored to serve as pallbearers.