Nancy Avery Williams

Funeral Services for Nancy Louise Mitchell Williams, age 90, of Picayune, MS, who passed away Thursday, August 28, 2025, will be held Monday, September 1, 2025, at 11:00 am at New Palestine Baptist Church.

Visitation will be Monday, September 1, 2025 from 10:00 am until 11:00 am at New Palestine Baptist Church.

Burial will be in New Palestine Cemetery under the direction of McDonald Funeral Home.

Bro. Matt Mays will officiate the service.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Andrew Mitchell and Myrtle Smith Mitchell; first husband and father of her daughter, Lynwood Clyde Avery; second husband, Larry E. Williams; brothers, Kenneth Mitchell and Carthell Mitchell; sister, Phyllis Wise; and step son, Donnie Williams.

Left to cherish her memory are her loving and devoted daughter, Lori Avery (Lucian) Roberson; granddaughter, Ashley (Hunter) Miller; grandson, Chase Roberson; great grandson, Theo Dane Miller; brother, H. Wayne "Pete" Mitchell, her beloved friend and caretaker, Marie (Tony) Washington, friend and mother in law to her daughter, Marilyn Roberson, stepdaughter, Cynthia (Doug) Gale, step grandchildren, Lonnie Williams, Larry (Jewel) Williams, Jessica Williams, Dustin Gale and Christi Gale; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Born in Sones Chapel, MS, she graduated from McNeil High School in 1954. Two days after graduating, she began her banking career at First National Bank of Picayune. After marrying her husband, Lynwood Clyde Avery, they moved to New Orleans, where she graduated from Soule' Business College. She was an administrative assistant at the Bank of New Orleans. Upon the birth of her daughter, they lived for a time in Houma, Louisiana, where she worked at Bank of Terrebonne. After the death of her husband in 1965, she returned to Henleyfield, MS, where she worked for Bank of Picayune/Hancock Bank. She met and married Larry Williams in 1966. The two enjoyed three years together until his death in 1969. Her career at Hancock Bank spanned 31 years, until her retirement in 1998. Overall she had 44 years of experience in the banking industry. She was a devoted member of New Palestine Baptist Church, where she loved to sing in the choir. Even though in her later life, she was unable to attend services, she could regularly be heard over her baby monitor praying for her faith family and church. If you knew her, she prayed for you, whether you knew it or not.

In her younger years, she loved to travel all over the US, going on countless (hilarious) adventures with her brothers and sister.

In the sunset years of her life, she began every day opening her Bible, a lifelong source of comfort and connection to the Lord she loved so dearly. She loved to read, watch westerns, and gab about what happened on that day's episode of Little House on the Prairie. She also developed quite a notorious sweet tooth, thriving on a diet of cookies, candy, ice cream and cakes, often delivered by her dear friends.

She LOVED to visit and cherished all the time with her friends and family. Her favorite person to spend time with though, was her lifelong partner in all things, her daughter, Lori, who would not have had it any other way.

As age and sickness took a toll on her body, she never wavered in her faith and thankfulness to the Lord. The last months of her life, she often comforted her family, telling them, "Try not to be too sad when I leave. I know where I'm going and who I'll be with. I'm not afraid."

We rejoice now, and we hope you do too, that she is healed, worshipping at the feet of her savior, hearing the words she so longed to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."