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Kenneth Harold Williams was born June 5, 1930 in Sentinel, Washita County, Oklahoma and departed this life Tuesday, February 14, 2023 with his wife by his side. He was the first and only son of Buster and Erna Mae (Gault) Williams. He was raised by his mother and stepdad, George G. Stehr. He received his formal education in Granite, Oklahoma. He was baptized at an early age for the remission of his sins.
On April 17, 1947, at the age of 16, and with the support of his parents, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. After basic training, he completed parachute and Ranger schools. Over the years, he completed every school offered him except for the Green Berets. After completing demolitions school his squadron was sent to Okinawa for a year to find and defuse bombs, mines and traps left by the enemy or later planted by the allies. He spent 1952 on the front lines in Korea. He still carries a piece of shrapnel in his left hand.
While on Okinawa, he began writing to a pen pal - a girl from Oklahoma - the USO gave him. Ten months later he was back in the states. The first place he went was to see his pen pal. On May 12, 1950, Kenneth and his pen pal, Elizabeth Falwell, were married in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he was stationed. To this union, three children were born.
The Air Force assigned him to Radar Maintenance Technical where he quickly earned the title of Specialist. Leading a team of five men he was given the rating of 5, the highest level of confidential security given in the military. He was stationed in Viet Nam for one year. It was during his time there that he was exposed to Agent Orange, which caused many health problems later in his life. During that year his team was sent to many places on temporary duty to repair the high radar towers guarding the shores of our nation and those of our allies, including Thailand, Loas, Cambodia, New Zealand, and Australia. His team was sent to every island in the Pacific. After the repair teams assigned to a certain tower could not find the problem, his team was sent for.
Over his 23 years in the Air Force, he received many honors including a Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, other medals and ribbons, letters of commendations from Commanders, Generals, and Presidents of other countries and islands in the South Pacific.
After his retirement from the Air Force on February 1, 1971, he began his career as a letter carrier for the United States Post Office where he again earned honors. He retired on December 31, 1991.
Kenneth was preceded in death by one grandson, Matthew Geona Williams; one son, George Alexander Williams; many aunts, uncles, and two nieces.
Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth, of the home; one daughter, Twilla Marie (Lee) Hardy of Fort Gibson; two sons, Kenneth Paul (Nora) Williams of Dallas, and George Leonard Williams of Tulsa; four grandchildren, Elizabeth Grace Bazan of Dallas, Wesley (Angel) Hardy of Okay, Stewart (Annie) Hardy of Fort Gibson, and Stefanie (Darien) Austin of Fort Gibson; nine great grandchildren, Zachary, Brenden and Emma Hardy; Makenzie, Jace and Kaiah Austin, all of Fort Gibson, Morgan and Levi Hardy, and Olivia Suire, of Okay.
The funeral service celebrating Kenneth's life will be held on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. at Chandler Road Church of Christ in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Interment will follow at Ft. Gibson National Cemetery at 11 a.m.
Viewing will be on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Mallett Funeral Home and Crematory in Wagoner, Oklahoma.
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