Robert Wayne (Bub) Williams gained his heavenly wings on October
24th, 2023. He left this earth peacefully surrounded by his
family and staring out his living room window at his cattle.
Known by his family and most of the county as “Bub”, he never
met a phone he couldn’t fix.
Born August 27, 1938, in Burneyville, OK, to Atlas and Fannie
(Caldwell) Williams. He was named “Bub” by his two older
sisters, Rae Alma and Rowena. When he was four years old, the
family moved to Eastman in a three-room house and he attended
Meadowbrook School where he made lifelong friends and graduated
in 1956. The week after graduation, he started Business College
in Ardmore, OK, but after a couple of weeks was recruited by
Besaw & Johnson Plumbing. He worked there until enlisting in the
Army in 1961.
He met the love of his life, Nadella Keltner, on a blind date on
Jan. 13, 1962. They wrote love letters back and forth to each
other until he got out of the Army in Aug. of 1962. After
deciding the love letters were not enough, he and Nadella were
married on April 12th, 1963. Bub went back to work for Besaw
until he started with Southwestern Bell. He had numerous jobs
with Southwest including being a stockman, cable splicer,
lineman, installer/ repairman, and finally a customer service
tech until Jan. 13th, 1999, when he retired after 36 years.
Bub and Nadella were soulmates. They were devoted to only each
other their entire adult lives and just celebrated their 60-year
wedding anniversary. When they were married, they built a house
and lived in Springdale, OK for five years where they welcomed
their first child, Christy. Four years later came Robert and
shortly after he was born, they moved to Eastman, OK to the
family farm. Bub enjoyed traveling to Colorado, being around his
grandchildren, and working his cattle.
Bub loved to fish in the Red River, squirrel hunt, play cards
and dominoes, and could beat anyone hands down at Wahoo on a
board he made himself. Anyone who played him thought he added
his own special sauce to the board because it was hard to ever
beat him. On the yearly family vacation to Colorado, he enjoyed
sitting in his chair watching the river, sitting by the fire,
playing cards- solitaire- or dominoes, and visiting with his
grandkids who loved to make the yearly trip. Bub was a man of
few words, but you could never doubt his love or devotion for
his family.
One of the things Bub was most proud of was being the music
leader at Eastman Baptist Church for over 40 years where his
sister, Rowena, played the piano as they were a package deal. He
was saved in 1960 and baptized at Marietta’s First Baptist
Church. Bub was also a charter member of the Eastman Volunteer
Fire Department which he retired from in April of this year at
the age of 84.
Bub was preceded in death by his parents, Atlas and Fannie
Willliams and sister, Rae Alma Mapp. He leaves behind his
loving wife, Nadella Keltner Williams of Eastman; daughter,
Christy Ferguson and fiancé Kevin Hitt of Lone Oak, TX; son,
Robert Williams and wife Philecia of Eastman; grandchildren,
Cameron Williams and wife Danielle of Ardmore, Mikayla and
Kaytlin Williams of Eastman, Hunter Hames and Chad Songy of
Tacoma, WA, and Hanna Hames of Anna, TX; and a sister, Rowena
Montgomery of Eastman.
Funeral services for Bub will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday,
October 28, 2023, at the Eastman Baptist Church with Rick Sowell
officiating and Mike Williams assisting. Interment will follow
at the Lakeview Cemetery in Marietta under the direction of
Flanagan-Watts Funeral Home & Cremation of Services in Marietta.
Visitation will be Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the
funeral home.
Casket bearers are Robert Williams, Cameron Williams, Hunter
Hames, Chad Songy, Kevin Hitt, and Jackie Hartman. Honorary
bearers are Butch Lee White, Todd Hicks, GW Flanagan, Dale
Harris, Ronald Jacobs, Mike Ayers, Buford Rackley, Ray French,
John Richey, Billy Wayne Goldsmith, and the Eastman Fire
Department.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Eastman Baptist
Church.
FUNERAL SERVICE
Eastman Baptist Church
Saturday, October 28, 2023
10:00 AM
5343 Eastman Road
Overbrook, OK 73453
INTERMENT
Lakeview Cemetery
Saturday, October 28, 2023
10589 Cemetery Road
Marietta, OK 73448
