Helen Ruth Williams

Helen Ruth (Piper) Williams, 90, of Copan, passed away Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Bartlesville. Helen was born Oct. 11, 1930, in Cleveland, Ohio, to George Arthur and Maudie Max (Autry) Piper. When Helen was five, the family moved to Crabtree, AR. She attended 1st through 8th grades at Crabtree and then 9th and 10th grades at Clinton, AR. They then moved to Little Rock, AR where she attended high school. Helen developed a love for music at a young age. Her mother gave her first guitar at age eight. While Helen was performing live on the radio in Little Rock, she met the love of her life, Jack Albert “Happy Jack” Williams, whose band was playing a show at the same radio station. While playing a concert in Pennsylvania, Helen and Happy Jack were united in marriage onstage on Aug. 24, 1947, in front of a crowd of several thousand. Their band was called Happy Jack and Helen, and played television, radio and live all over Texas and everywhere east. They used their God-given talents to play Bluegrass, Country and Southern Gospel. To their union four sons were born: Robert Ralph Williams, twins Randolph “Randy” Eugene and “Ricky” Lamare Williams, and John Arthur Williams. Helen and Jack co-owned Happy Jack and Helen’s Furniture in Pittsburg, KS, from June 1972 through 1974. Later, they co-owned and operated Happy Jack and Helen’s Furniture in Dewey from March 1975 to October 1996. Helen was a member of First Baptist Church in Dewey. Survivors include two sons, Randy Williams and wife Cindy of New Bern, NC, and Ricky Williams of Dewey; daughter-in-law, Susan Williams in Joplin; seven grandchildren, Jennifer Tollefsrud and Michael, Shanna Powers and Kyle, Jessica Corsaro and Eric, Belinda Williams, Michelle Williams and Gene, Marilyn Miksell and Justin, and Shelly Dugan; 16 great-grandchildren, Ashley, Alex, Michael, Ava, Ella, Kelsie, Eugene, Alayah, Isaiah, Nicolette, Scarlett, Blake, Cameron, Lucas, Evie, and Aiyanna; and a host of other family and friends. She is preceded in death by her husband Happy Jack, her parents, two sons Robert and John; sister Eunice (Piper) Harvey, and two brothers John and Bill Piper. Helen’s family will receive friends at the Davis Family Funeral Home – Dewey Chapel, 918-534-3030, 113 S. Osage (Hwy. 75), Dewey, on Thursday, Jan. 7, from 6-8 p.m. Visitation will also be held 10-8 Thursday. Funeral services are at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8, at Dewey First Baptist, with Pastor Mark Wright officiating. Interment will follow in the Dewey Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Carter Davis and the Davis Family Funeral Home – Dewey Chapel. Online condolences and remembrances may be shared at www.DavisFamilyFuneralHome.com.

Helen Ruth Williams

October 11, 1930 - January 3, 2021