G. Yetive Williams

On December 27, 2024, Geneva Yetive (Hummer) Williams, at the age of 102, went home to be with the Lord after more than three years battling Dementia . Yetive was born on September 28, 1922 in Jay County, Indiana on a farm near Pennville to her parents, Eulia Naomi (Winget) Hummer and Edgar A. Hummer and passed away while living at Harmony of Avon. She was a sister to two brothers, Wendell and Winfred Hummer, both who died in childhood, as well as three sisters who preceded her in death; Agnes Delite Townsend, Naomi Maxine McIlwaine, and Dorothy Anna Gall.

She married Marion C. Williams on June 4, 1944. They were married for 49 years until his death on April 29, 1993. They were blessed with five children: William, "Bill," Williams (Linda), now deceased; James, "Jim," Williams (Sherry); Roger Williams (Kay); Mona Coalter (John); and Jay Williams (Maribeth). She had 14 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren, and 21 great, great grandchildren. She was a 45 year resident of Matthews, IN followed by a 24 year resident of Brownsburg, IN.

Yetive worked for 12 years as a secretary and music librarian at Taylor University, Upland, IN, retiring in 1985 at the age of 63. She loved to read and served on a committee to bring a library to the small town of Matthews where she lived, raised her family, and actively volunteered at the library following its implementation for many years. She volunteered at the Upland Community Church office and Library as well as the Connection Point Church Library in Brownsburg, IN.

Yetive was an avid quilter and made many quilts, participated with quilt clubs and guilds, and would instruct anyone who was willing to listen. She was physically active and would walk daily, weather permitting, until her assignment to memory care almost 3 years ago. After moving to Brownsburg in 1998 to be near her youngest son Jay and his family, she volunteered in the public library and local elementary school coaching reading and phonics skills.

Yetive loved Jesus and was a student of Scripture, memorizing many passages. She was active in her church, taught "Good News Club" (a Child Evangelism outreach) for 15 years, participated in short-term missionary trips, and led a women's bible study group until her dementia prevented her from continuing. Her short term mission trips took her to Columbia South America, Mexico, Ireland, and a Navajo reservation in Arizona.

Yetive loved music and sang in church choirs for many years. In her 80's, she danced on stage for a choir performances at Connection Point Church, even to the point of breaking her hip while "running" up on stage during a rehearsal. She strongly encouraged her children and grandchildren in their musical endeavors and attended their events whenever possible. She was a season ticket subscriber to the Marion and Indianapolis symphonies for many years until her hearing loss became too great for her to enjoy it any further. While in her 90's, she drove a group of ladies to the Indianapolis Symphony in downtown Indianapolis because they where too afraid of the traffic.

Yetive was fiercely independent, adventurous, and enjoyed traveling. She grew up in poverty on a small farm during the Great Depression and hadn't gone outside of Jay County, Indiana, until she was 18. After marriage, she ended up traveling to Mexico, Colombia, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany, as well as almost all of the states in the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. One example of her adventurous spirit was when she rode on a jet ski at the age of 95 with her great grandson while vacationing with her granddaughter's family at a lake in Pennsylvania. Before the week was up, she summoned up the courage to go, thinking "I might not have another chance to do this." She went for a ride with her pink pant legs rolled up and her rain bonnet on her head to "keep her hair dry and in place".

Arrangements for Yetive have been entrusted to the Jones-Smith Chapel of Armes-Hunt Life Celebration Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 259 N Main St, Upland, IN, where a visitation will take place at 12 p.m. on Monday, January 20, 2025 followed by a service there at 2 p.m. with Pastor Jim Littlejohn. Interment will take place at Matthews Cemetery, Matthews, Indiana.

Memories and condolences may be left at www.armeshuntfuneralhome.com