May E (Will) Cates

May Ellynn Wills Brown-Cates was born July 28, 1930 in Riverton, Nebraska and passed away on March 21, 2020 in Hillsboro, Texas. She is preceded in death by her husband H. Alton Cates of Dallas, Tx. and her parents, Ryan and Myrtle Wills of Red Cloud Nebraska. She is survived by two daughters, Charleen Carel of Whitney, TX. and Dayene Fritz of Berryville, Arkansas, one step-son, Robert Cates of Katy, TX. Two grand-children, Davin Carel of Waco, TX and Sheldon Carel of Lincoln, Nebraska. Two step-grandchildren, Jon Vandagriff of Palestine, TX and Sara Welch of Katy, TX., Three great-grandchildren, five step great grandchildren, other extended relatives and dear friends.

After moving to Dallas Texas where she worked in bookkeeping and accounting and, while raising and caring for a family, she returned to college and obtained her Bachelor Degree in Accounting from The University of Texas at Arlington. She then went on to become a Certified Public Accountant. Her work in that profession led her to ultimately begin her own CPA practice which she continued in Whitney, TX where she also served on the board of the Whitney Housing Authority until her retirement.

She loved gardening, her chickens, her pets and our Lord. One of the highlights of her life was to visit the Holy Land and “walk the paths that our Blessed Savior walked”.

While she will be dearly missed, her spirit of determination, fortitude, persistence and faith will live on in all of those whose lives she touched.  

She departed this life Saturday, March 21, 2020 at the Homestead Nursing Home in Hillsboro.

Family graveside services will be Tuesday, 11:00 am, March 31, 2020 at the Red Cloud Cemetery with the Rev. Gary Bennett officiating.

Williams Funeral Home
241 West 4th Avenue
Red Cloud, Nebraska  68970

Phone 402-746-2500
williamsfuneralhomes@yahoo.com

With the spreading of the COCVID-19 virus, we at Williams Funeral Home are practicing social distancing.

We are implementing the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) recommendation of only allowing 10 people at a gathering at any time.  This includes funeral services, gravesides and all visitations.  The CDC recommends that all in-person public gatherings of more than 10 people be postpone or cancelled for the next eight weeks.  While we acknowledge the importance for public gatherings to honor the lives of loved ones, the CDC believes control of such public gatherings is one of the most significant resources that may slow the spread and impact of this pandemic.

We wish to continue to serve within these guidelines.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of May E (Will) Cates, please visit our floral store.