Ronald J. Williams

RONALD J. WILLIAMS
Ronald James Williams was born at Beloit, Kansas on August 1, 1938, the son of Melvin E. and Laura Ida Irene Brooks (Hagan) Williams. They lived on a farm S.E. of Beloit, Kansas, near Melvin's parents. When Ron was an infant, the family moved to a farm three miles East of Clayton, Kansas. When he was about five, the family moved to a farm about ½ mile North of Clayton, Kansas. Ron enjoyed growing up on the farm, particularly with his two horses, a Shetland named Neal, and a paint named Spot.
Later he would view his growing up time as the crucial change years in agriculture from horses to modern farm machinery, to witness the age of radio-controlled tractors and computer-fed dairy cattle. Mel and Ron spent many hours together as Ron had his own seat on almost every piece of machinery on the farm. He was introduced to sheep farming by a flock of sheep given to him by his grandfather Evert Williams. Ron worked several summers at Jewell and Beloit working for his Uncle Roy Holway and Grandfather Evert Williams. He was blest with many, many, aunts, uncles, and cousins that brought great pleasure to him. During these years Laura's adopted father, Sam Hagan, had a stroke and he lived with Williams' family. He and Ron became kind of brothers. The family purchased a filling station in Clayton and Ron spent his high school years working in the station. The family had moved to Granddad Sam Hagan's house in Clayton.
Ron went to Clayton schools for all 12 years of school and graduated from Clayton High School in 1956. He spent 11 years in 4-H while growing up. Ron's introduction to the Christian faith had four important steps. He was introduced to prayer by his grandmother, Minnie Hagan, baptized and confirmed on Palm Sunday 1948 at the Clayton Evangelical United Brethren Church and then came to spiritual enlightenment at Camp Webster as an 8th grade youth. At this camp, he felt called to enter the ministry and later he progressed under the tutelage of Pastors Jack Mathis and G.A. Merkey.
Clayton Church approved him as a candidate for ministry on May 14, 1959, and he was licensed to preach at Annual Conference at Camp Webster in May of 1959. He graduated from Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa, spring of 1960. During his last year he was appointed as pastor of Star Prairie and Pleasant Hill Evangelical United Brethren Churches near Vermillion, South Dakota, in the Nebraska E.U.B. Conference. Upon graduation he was appointed as a local pastor to Huscher and Norway Evangelical United Brethren Churches near Concordia, Kansas. It was while Ron was at Huscher that he was griping about some of the leaders in the EUB Church to his Conference Superintendent, Don Smith. Smith replied, "Ronnie, there are two words a young EUB minister needs to learn, one is yes, and the other is sir."
It was also while at Huscher and Norway Ron served as camp counselor at Camp Webster in the summer of 1961 he became acquainted with Vera Mae Bott, just out of high school and headed for Kansas Wesleyan. Their long-distance romance would grow for the next two years and on November 24, 1963, they would be married by Pastor Bob Walter, the first wedding and third service at the new Alexander Evangelical United Brethren Church. They became the parents of two children, Eric Nevin and Rhonna Mae.
He graduated from Westmar in the class of 1960. Ron entered United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, in the fall of 1961 and was appointed pastor of Bethel Evangelical United Brethren Church at Fort Recovery, Ohio, in the Ohio Sandusky Conference. Ron also worked in a lumber yard and took care of A. Nevin Wagner, the owner who was quadriplegic. Vera joined him at United and Bethel in his second year. As summer came in 1964, Ron was appointed to spend a year of internship at the Dorguth Memorial Evangelical United Brethren Church in Baltimore, Maryland. His internship supervisor was Dr. Fred Mund. Ron and Vera moved into their first house which was Bishop Otterbein's Manse, and he was buried in the front yard of the Old Otterbein church which was next door. They integrated the neighborhood. On return to Ohio, Ron was appointed to the Middle Creek, Mt. Zion, and Blue Creek Evangelical United Brethren Churches.
Ron spent a semester in 1967 studying at the St. Charles Precious Blood Catholic Seminary in Carthigenia, Ohio. Ron received a M.Div degree from United in the spring of 1967 and he was ordained by Bishop Paul Milhouse in the Kansas EUB Conference Session and was ordained as the last Elder ordained in the Kansas EUB Conference. This was also at Camp Webster.
The PTA sponsored Scout Troup and Pack met at Clair Church and the pastor was always the committee chair, and thus Ron entered scouting. Clair Church introduced Ron to Boy Scouts of America. As Eric grew and they lived in Holden, Missouri Eric also began in Cub Scouting. He and Ron shared a life in Scouting through Eric's youth to Eric's Eagle Rank. Ron was honored with the Tribe of Mic-O-Say and the Order of the Arrow and served in Scouting for over 20 years. Eric started a lifetime of service to scouts.
Probably Ron and Vera's greatest pride was their two children. Eric and Rhonna's success in organizations, their grades in school, and their work in their Church, both local and in the conference, gave them great satisfaction. The two kids essentially paid their own way through their five college degrees by their superior grades, scholarships, and hard work.
Ron and Vera began camping in their first year of marriage. As the children came along, they joined in this pleasure, and this became some of their best family times. Grandma Laura camped with them a couple times, but Grandma Ruby joined them in tents and trailers many trips, to many places and times. The family traveled a lot and they all learned from travel and camping as well as enjoying it.
Ron was to serve Clair United Methodist Church for four years, and then he was sent to Holden, Missouri where he was appointed to be the pastor of Holden First, Wesley Chapel and Magnolia United Methodist Churches, and later he was appointed to supervise ministry at Medford and Blairstown United Methodist Churches. His ministry began to move into what became a lifetime of serving churches as cooperative parishes. He also came to a realization that he was called to serve small, rural and village congregations. He was to remain in Holden for 8 years, then he was sent to United Methodist Churches at Pretty Prairie and Murdock, Kansas for 7 years and then to the Tri County Parish in Herington Kansas where he directly served Herington and Burdick UM Churches and was parish minister for Hope, Woodbine, Lyona UM Churches and Herington Presbyterian congregation. He was there 4 years. While at Pretty Prairie, he enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry program at Phillips University where he completed all the class work but did not finish a thesis.
Vera then joined him in ministry and they served together at Longford, Mizpah and Industry congregations and then Caney Group Parish where they together served Caney, Niotaze, Havana and Tyro followed by appointment to the Jerusalem Road Parish in Riley County, Kansas serving Leonardville, Randolph, Swede Creek and Fancy Creek UM Churches. Ron's health then broke, and he went on disability, and Vera returned to her former profession in Medical Records. Ron retired from Ministry on July 1, 2005. After being under appointment for 47 years. Ron had served as the treasurer of the Kansas West Camps, the Chairperson of Kansas West Commission on Religion and Race.
Ron and Vera purchased a home in East Manhattan, Kansas in Pottawatomie County. Later they were together appointed to Dwight UM Church. Ron was also hired to serve as the pastor of visitation at the First UM Church in Wamego, Kansas. He finished his retirement at Pastor Emeritus of the Manhattan Blue Valley Memorial Church. Ron was also honored as Pastor Emeritus at Leonardville UMC. For 20 years he served in various positions of the Kansas Area United Methodist Rural Fellowship and later the Great Plains United Methodist Rural Advocates. He served as the editor of the National UMRF Bulletin and was awarded a life membership by that organization. After many years in East Manhattan, Ron and Vera moved to an apartment in Meadowlark Hills Retirement Center in Manhattan, later to Bramlage House at MLH.
Few things Ron and Vera enjoyed more than putting a book on disk in the player and motoring to far places. Organizational and Church meetings took them to many distant cities. Branson was always a favorite, and in retirement they loved theatre in the Abilene Great Plains Theatre, the Wamego Columbian Theatre and of course Branson.
Ron and Vera were married for over 60 years. Vera, for all of those 60 years joined him in parenting their children and grandchildren, led him in his spiritual journey, smoothed over his rough spots, joined him in the United Methodist Ministry, helped him significantly after his health failed, and showered him continually with her love. She was his rock.
Ron always served in service clubs, in the Sertoma, Optimist, Lions and Kiwanis Clubs. Ron was president of the Herington Kiwanis Club and was 17 years secretary of the Manhattan Solar Kiwanis Club. He was the Lt. Governor of Kiwanis Division IV and the Coordinator of Human and Spiritual Values on Kansas Kiwanis District for many years. Ron was a Hixson Fellow, a Putnam Fellow of Kiwanis, and a life member of the Kansas Kiwanis Foundation.
Ron and Vera had the great satisfaction of seeing their children perpetuate their faith and values and seeing them pass their faith and values on to their own children. They took great satisfaction in seeing their grandchildren grow with very different abilities, interests, and personalities, but with growing maturity.
Ron passed from this life on September 2, 2025, at Meadowlark Hills Bramlage House.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Melvin and Laura Williams.
He leaves to morn his passing his wife, Vera, of the home, his son, Eric Nevin and his wife Sarah, their children Isabella Grace, Nathan Goudy, and Margaret Hope (Mars) and his daughter, Rhonna Mae Hargett and her husband, Kirk, and their children Jess Orva Atticus and Isaac Alexander Clayton, friends at Meadowlark Hills, and huge amount of relatives, both by adoption and blood relationships and many other friends.
Funeral services will be held at the Blue Valley Memorial United Methodist Church, 835 Church Avenue in Manhattan at 10:00a.m. Saturday September 6, 2025. Interment will follow at the Leonardville United Methodist Church Cemetery in Leonardville, Kansas.
The family suggests memorial contributions in memory of Ron to the Blue Valley Memorial United Methodist Church, the Manhattan Solar Kiwanis Club, or the Boy Scouts - Coronado Area Council. Contributions may be sent in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.