Daphne Isabelle Williams

Daphne Isabelle Williams was born Feb. 12, 1926, to William J. and Stella E. Langman and went to be with her Lord on Feb. 28, 2012. She passed away from complications of pneumonia at St. Peter’s Hospital in Helena.

Daphne grew up on the family farm east of Sweetgrass. She was a hard worker on the farm and was noted as being the best truck driver in Toole County. The elevator owner at the time was Ed Olson who said “That Daphne can drive those trucks in here better than any of the men that come in here!!!!”

She attended the Wilshaw Country School through grade seven and her next two years were in a private girls school in Thompson Falls. Her sophomore and junior years were at Shelby High School. She graduated from Sweetgrass High School in 1944. She helped care for her younger siblings during her senior year while her parents went back and forth to the farm. After graduation, she attended business college in Great Falls and then began her work career at the ASC office in Shelby. She met and married Delbert H. Williams in 1947. They lived in Shelby for several years. Del was a well-loved police officer and Daphne continued at the ASC office where she was appreciated by all the farmers who came in to get help with their maps, etc. They thought she was A-1.

Daphne was a sharp shooter and won many first-place trophies in pistol competitions. She was a member of a women’s bowling team and considered the gals as some of her dearest friends. Later in life Daphne discovered her talent for painting and created many beautiful landscapes.

Once again farming called and they moved back to the Sweetgrass area and began farming. They lived in a quaint little home out of Sweetgrass where they began their family of two fine boys — what a handful she had, for they were more than typical boys!!! Farming brought good times and tough times as was true with all farmers, but they always came through it all with thankful hearts.

In 1972 a most significant light came into Daphne’s life. She became a Christian. Her faith in Jesus Christ brought new joy and hope and later sustained her through many of life’s unpredictable moments. In 1984, they moved to Lakeside and enjoyed the retirement life boating and fishing on Flathead Lake. Del and Daphne began an outreach and volunteer music ministry to area rest and retirement homes in the Flathead area. Del played the keyboard and Daphne sang. In 1994, they pulled up stakes and moved to Townsend, and in 1997 they settled in Helena. Daphne and Del were together for 55 years.

Daphne was very proud of her sons and imparted love, compassion and integrity not only to them, but to many others who came to know her. Daphne has joined her family in heaven, and though we will miss her now, we will all meet again.

She is survived by her sons, Brad of Helena and Wade of Fairbanks, Alaska; grandsons, Aaron of Great Falls, Phillip of Helena, Brandon of Elgin, Ore., and Bryan and Ben of Fairbanks; a sister, Berma Langman; nephew, Gregory J. Weatherly; niece, Debra W. Weatherly; and Jonathan, who knew her as “Grandma D,” all of Kalispell; sister-in-law, Anna Mae Purcell; nieces, Shirley Alexander of Billings and Bonnie Rasmussen of Trout Creek; brother-in-law, Ted Lakman of Sweetgrass; nieces, Kim Mehaffey of Great Falls, Becky MacArthur of Idaho; and nephew William Lakman of Florida.