Elsa Mae Williams, age 93 of Vashon Island Washington, passed away
peacefully with her children at her side on February 1st, 2024, at Franke
Tobey Jones in Tacoma Washington, after a long battle with dementia. She
will be profoundly missed by family and friends.
Elsa Mae Schmidt was born and raised on Vashon, to George and Margaret
Schmidt on October 4, 1930. Her mother passed when she was 18, and she
took over raising her five siblings. She was a former Peach (Strawberry)
Festival Queen in and worked at the Center Store and Sears Roebuck in
Seattle before marrying the love of her life, the late Clayton Williams on
June 22, 1951. While raising their four children on Quartermaster Harbor,
she worked part time at Leightons Apparel, drove a School Bus, and worked
for Williams Heating. Elsa Mae was involved in many community
organizations, including Vashon Lutheran Church, Island Quilt Guild,
Orthopedic Guild, March of Dimes, Food Bank and Granny's Attic, where
she and Clayton volunteered for years.
Boating was a passion of the Williams Family where many summers were
spent with four children on the (24 foot!) Sea Shell and later the iconic Salty
in the San Juan and Gulf Islands. During retirement, she and Clayton
travelled in their RV and spent many winters in Arizona.
Everyone remembers Elsa Mae's warm smile, her baking, and especially her
cookies, famous birthday cakes and deserts. She canned everything. She
was an excellent seamstress, and even made her children's school clothes.
She was an award-winning Quilter, and her Children and Grandchildren will
treasure the special quilts she made for each of them. She frequently could
be found in her Garden and always said "be sure to pull the roots out with
the weeds".
She was mother to many more than her four Children, and her home was
open to all. She had a one-of-a-kind personality that put everyone at ease.
She loved to laugh. She was quiet and preferred everyone else do the
talking, but she was the rock.
Elsa Mae is preceded in death by husband Clayton Williams, sisters; Esther
Calhoun, Myla Garvin, Margaret (Miggie) Willsie, and brother Edward
Schmidt.
Elsa Mae is survived by Corinne (Sam) Kempton, Marnie (Ed) Broughton,
Digby (Pamela) Williams, Dennis (Janet) Williams; brother George
Schmidt: grandchildren Sasha Altizer, Tyler Broughton, Jacob Broughton,
Alex Williams, Tommy Williams and Sean Williams, Alaina Patrick and CJ
Williams: great grandchildren Garrett and Collin Altizer, Laila and Jakobi
Broughton, Hudson and Rosie Mae Broughton and Felix Williams.
A celebration of Life will be held in the afternoon of June 22nd at Vashon
Island Golf & Country Club (time to be announced later). All family and
friends are welcome for an informal gathering.
The family of Elsa Mae wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Franke Toby
Jones and the wonderful staff and caregivers. We all felt their love for Mom
and appreciation of her beauty and personality despite the challenges of
dementia.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Granny's Attic, Vashon Senior
Center, or Vashon Heritage Museum