Edna Earle Williams

Edna Earle Williams (Stephens), 90, of Fayetteville, formerly of Bryant, died Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, in Fayetteville. Edna Earle was born April 25, 1928, in Conway, Ark., to the late Earl and Edna Stephens. She attended Conway Public Schools through sixth grade when the family moved to Kansas City, Mo.; they returned to Conway when she was a senior in high school. From Conway High, she attended Bethany Nazarene College in Bethany, Okla. After two years, she transferred to Arkansas State Teachers College (now UCA). Edna Earle moved to Dumas in 1951 to accept an elementary teaching position. This is where she met and married the high school principal, J.K. Williams, on Aug. 23, 1953. They were married for 59 years until his death in 2012. In their education careers, Edna Earle and J.K. lived in Fayetteville from 1958-63, Paragould (1963-65), Blytheville (1965-70), and Cocoa Beach, Fla. (1970-71), before moving to Little Rock, where they remained after J.K.'s retirement. Edna lived out her passion of teaching Sunday school classes and holding Bible studies in each of the places she lived. She also worked for the Arkansas State Legislature for 20 years while it was in session. Besides her husband and parents, Edna Earle was preceded in death by her brothers, Bill Stephens and Allen Stephens of Conway. She is survived by her children, Steve Williams and his wife, Julie, of Malvern, Jaye Kay Brown and her husband, James, of Springdale, David Williams and his wife, Kristy, of Alexander, and Dr. Allen Williams and his wife, Shelley, of Prairie Grove; and her brother, Ken Stephens and his wife, Donna, of Conway. She dearly loved her grandchildren, Kadra Van Slyke and husband, Michael, of Bentonville; J.R. Williams of North Little Rock; Devre' Bain and husband, Devry, of Hot Springs; John Williams and wife, Natalie, of Bryant; Kara Wright and husband, Josh, of Alexander; and Sydney Williams of Prairie Grove. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Brooklyn and Cash VanSlyke and Dakota and Daeson Rhodes. The family would like to express a special thank you to the staff of Brooke-Stone assisted living and the Willard Walker Hospice Home in Fayetteville. A celebration of Edna's life will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019, at 2 p.m. Visitation will be held Monday, Jan. 14, 2019, 6-8 p.m. at Dial and Dudley Funeral Home, 4212 Hwy. 5 North, Bryant, Ark. 72022. To sign the online guestbook, please go to www.dialanddudleyfuneralhome.com.