RUTH WILLIAMS

1929 - 2023

RUTH JANET WILLIAMS

Jan. 3, 1929 June 4, 2023

Ruth Williams, a lifetime resident of the Imperial Valley, passed away on June 4, 2023. She was 94.

Ruth's grandparents and parents, the Wilkinsons and the Fletts, were Imperial Valley pioneers. They came to the valley to farm in the early 1900s, when it was just beginning to be developed. Both families homesteaded 8 miles east of Calipatria, where the closest water and supplies were 20 miles away in Brawley, which took a day by horse and wagon. Ruth's grandfather, Wallace Flett, a successful IV pea farmer, invented many early farm implements, including a 6 row pea planter.

Ruth was raised in Calipatria along with her older sister, Reeda. They were both accomplished horsewomen. They attended Calipatria schools and Stephens College in Columbia, MO, where Ruth earned her pilot's license at age 17. Ruth also attended Scripps College in Claremont, CA, until she became engaged to Carl J. Williams, from Brawley. She and Carl married in 1948 and moved to Brawley, where they raised their 3 children: Janet, Danny, and Reed. For 40 years, Ruth partnered with Carl in his farming operation in the north end of the Imperial Valley.

Ruth is remembered as a loving, nurturing, and very wise wife, mom, aunt, nana, neighbor, and friend. Her home was a favorite place to visit. It was filled with warmth and positive energy. Still to this day, she is thought of as a second "mom" to many nieces, nephews, and her children's friends. She loved sitting at her yellow kitchen table, talking for hours with a neighbor, a friend, or a family member about art, travel, books, metaphysics, or life in general. Times spent with Ruthie always left one feeling special!

Ruth took every opportunity to stretch herself creatively, and it spilled over into her personal life. She was an avid golfer, tennis player, piano aficionado, singer, reader, traveler, art historian, and collector of southwest artifacts. Her greatest triumph was that she was an accomplished abstract expressionist artist. She spent 35+ years expressing herself through her art by painting, drawing, and print making. Ruth was a true original, she never wanted to copy herself or anyone else. She searched for new ways to translate shapes and colors onto canvas. This gave her great joy!

Many of her art pieces were inspired by her and Carl's travels to Guatemala, Mexico, France, Ecuador, and the desert Southwest. She advanced her artistic talent by taking art classes at IVC, San Diego State, and the Idyllwild School of Art. In turn, she mentored Brawley High School art students. Ruth was honored to have many solo art exhibitions and to have her art accepted in many juried shows. Her art was always a favored auction item at the annual Pioneers Memorial Hospital Foundation Gala.

From the age of 14, Ruth spent every summer at her beloved Idyllwild home. She enjoyed sharing memories of riding her horse up and down the San Jacinto mountain trails. In later years, she loved nothing more than to stand at her easel painting another masterpiece or sitting on the porch reading a good book while listening to the sounds of Strawberry Creek. But her favorite pastime was teaching her grandchildren, nieces and nephews to paint when they visited Idyllwild every summer. She bragged more about their art pieces than her own creations.

Ruth will be deeply missed by her adoring family; daughter, Janet Malek (Indio); son and daughter-in-law, Danny and Karen Williams (Brawley); son, Reed Williams (Idyllwild); 6 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces and nephews.

Ruth was preceded in death by her loving husband of 62 years, Carl James Williams; beloved son-in-law, George Robert Malek; her dear sister, Reeda Quick; and her loving father and mother, Reed and Irene Wilkinson.

A Celebration of Life for Ruth will be held on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, from 11 am to 2 pm at the Brawley Stockmen's Club. Family and friends are invited to come and share fond memories.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Pioneers Memorial Hospital Foundation.