Dixie M. Williamson

Dixie Magaline Williamson (nee Stanley) a 57-year resident of Colorado, age 90, died on November 23, 2021 in Thornton Colorado after a brief illness. She was the third eldest of eight children born from the union of Oscar and Cordelia (nee Williamson) Stanley in Piso, Kentucky on December 18, 1930. She is survived by eight of her children: Reba Mae Lukas, Barbara Rose Richhart, Wilda "Pauline" (Harold) Young, Anna Dolores Akes, Julius Edward (Valerie) Williamson, Dora Jean Russell, John Michael Wayne (Shelly) Williamson, Iris Renee Williamson, 20 grandchildren, 46 great grandchildren, 10 great-great grandchildren, younger Brother James "Benny" (Patty) Stanley, a host of extended family, friends and her beloved parrot "Bruiser". Dixie was proceeded in death by her husband of 54 years, William "Paul" Williamson, three children: Arnold Williamson, Sandra Williamson, and James David Williamson, two great grandsons, her parents, six siblings: Herman Stanley, Vicie Aileen Stanley, Oscar "Junior" Stanley, Donnie Stanley, Patricia Alexander and numerous extended family and friends.

On March 28, 1948 in a rural post office in Sprigg, West Virginia, Dixie and Paul were married. Over the next 16 years they bore 11 children and raised their young family in the hollows of Forest Hills (Road Fork) Kentucky. The Williamson family relocated to Colorado in 1964, first to Gunnison, Montrose, Pagosa Springs before finally settling in Thornton, Colorado, where both remained until their deaths.

Dixie was a woman that filled many roles, the most important being a devoted wife and mother, a doting grand/great/great-great grandmother. She was a natural homemaker and the family matriarch. The air around her home was always permeated with the aroma of her homemade food, it welcomed you, comforted you, nourished you. The large family gatherings, whether it be Christmas, Thanksgiving, weddings or no special occasion at all, have given way to some of the happiest memories she created for and are shared by all of us. To most she was known as mom, mama, mommy, and grandma. No matter how large her family was, she maintained a unique and special relationship with each of her "kids" As the family grew larger, each new addition brough her as much pride as if it were her first. Over the course of her life, she pursued numerous creative outlets. She was a master seamstress, making clothing for her children and linens for the home, an avid quilter, embroiderer, cross-stitcher, and crochetier. Her home was surrounded by a beautiful yard and gardens that she prided herself in maintaining until the end of her life. You would often find beautiful fresh flowers throughout her home that she skillfully arranged herself. With an innate ability for home maintenance and repair projects and an independent, resourceful and stubbornness about her she would often successfully undertake those projects without asking for or accepting assistance. She delighted in teaching generations how to play rummy and farkle, but always maintained her status as the reigning family champion. She enjoyed collecting and displaying anything of beauty, porcelain dolls, antiques, ceramics and had a unique collection of salt and pepper shakers that remain proudly displayed in the dining room as they have for decades. Her walls, shelves, refrigerator, and many other surfaces are adorned with pictures of family and special mementos of the family she has reared. Her soul was soothed by a love of music, from her early years with a victrola to The Grand Ole Opry every Saturday night on television to more recent times with the simplification of Google Home. Both Dixie and Paul found enormous joy in their parrot, Bruiser. After the passing of her husband, Bruiser remained a constant companion; they could be found eating meals together, spending time outside, playing, watching television and occasionally traveling. Driven by experiencing poverty firsthand, Dixie, became a long-term and dedicated community volunteer. She volunteered with several community gardens, numerous foodbanks, she prepared and distributed meals and food for the homeless as well as distributing supplies to needy families. Her efforts and contributions were recognized by the city of Denver.

As a woman accustomed to caring for others, she possessed great strength and character, as well as a strong personal conviction to her Christian faith these traits shaped her life whether she was taking care of her family, helping others, supporting her husband in his passions or pursuing her own interests. She led a long, productive, healthy, and fulfilling life that will continue through her children and all the lives she touched. It is with a heavy heart that we have to say goodbye to such a remarkable woman, while at the same time our hearts and lives are full for the gift that she was to all of us. Her life was lived fully, anyone would be fortunate to experience just half of the life she did in her 90 years. For all those that had the honor of knowing, loving and being loved by Dixie we can take comfort in the lessons and values that she taught and instilled in all of us. Now that she is gone, it is our turn to make her proud by honoring her legacy and continuing the notion of family that she lived by.

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