Gran’Mommy

A Summer with Gran’Mommy: The Stories, Faith, and Burgers of Mary Williams

By Rich Williams

“This is what I remember.”

— Gran’Mommy

When we sat down with Mary Williams—known to her grandkids and great-grandkids as Gran’Mommy (a few call her Me-Maw?) —it wasn’t just lunch we brought. It was time, attention, and a microphone. Over three days during a recent summer, my son Charlie (her great-grandson) and I made the drive to visit her, bringing meals, questions, and an open hearts to listen.

Our conversations unfolded over cheeseburgers, spaghetti, and ziti, spanning everything from favorite restaurants to her deep faith in God, from her childhood in Oklahoma to raising kids and horses in Texas and Colorado. Through it all, Mary spoke with warmth, wit, and the kind of gentle authority you earn from living a full and examined (?) life.

A Childhood in Oklahoma

Mary was born in Duncan, Oklahoma—“about 60 miles south of Oklahoma City”—but it was in Oklahoma City where she spent much of her youth.

“My mother wanted to go home to Mama to have her baby, so that’s why I was born there.”

She was the only child of Bob and Beula Wilson. Her father later earned his GED from Oklahoma City University after helping on the farm during his youth. Her mother worked at Brown’s department store, selling fabric—and then using it to sew Mary’s clothes.

“My clothes were always different, which didn’t bother me because that is true—I like being different.”

From a young age, Mary was surrounded by love and structure.

“They made me mind, but they weren’t mean to me… My mother’s friends always thought I was spoiled, but I wasn’t.”

She recalls being told she talked too much—a trait she clearly passed on.

“I was talking to a little girl I was babysitting and she looked up and said, ‘Mary, you talk too much.’ I was doing such a good job, but she said I talked too much.”

Charlie grinned. “That sounds like me.”

Coming to Faith

“I’ve always felt the Lord’s presence.”

Mary can’t point to a dramatic conversion moment. Instead, her relationship with God was steady and ever-present.

“When I was about 10 or 11, I was at Vacation Bible School in Oklahoma City, and they asked if I wanted to turn my life over to the Lord. I already felt it, but I raised my hand and went forward.”

Wherever the family moved—and they moved often—the first order of business was always the same:

“Anytime we moved to a different town, we found our church home the first Sunday.”

Mary’s faith didn’t stay private. She taught Sunday school, led prayer groups, and helped anchor her family’s spiritual lives.

“The Lord has guided me all through all these things I’ve done, and I never failed to realize it and appreciate it.”

Love, Letters, and Measles

Mary met her future husband Dick in high school in Oklahoma City. He had his friend Ralph Wilson call her and introduce them.

“A day or two before our first date, I broke out with the measles… I think he came to the window and saw me all broken out.”

After graduating, Dick went into the Navy. Their courtship continued through letters.

“We wrote constantly… We didn’t have a long time to date, just about a half year before he left.”

She also grew close with his parents, Billy and Lena Williams, who ran a little B&L grocery store in town.

“They always worked together. It was just a little mom and pop grocery store.”

Horse Names and Colorado Snow

“That was a big chapter in our lives.”

Mary’s stories of raising horses are some of the most colorful and joyful. She remembers each one like an old friend:

• Socks, the buckskin gelding.
• Colorado Princess, a speckled mare.
•  Chucko Bars, their first colt—named after my father, Chuck.
• Vandy Do Bar, combining the names of her mare Do Bar and the sire.
• Star, black with a white spot on his head, who competed in youth rodeos.

“We joined the Amarillo Will Rogers Range Riders. Every weekend during the summer there were barrel races, potato races, wagon races… It was a lot of family fun.”

When the family moved to Golden, Colorado, the horses came, too.

“We had four horses right in our backyard. When it snowed, I had to get out and walk them so they’d exercise.”

The Best Burgers and Boston Baked Beans

Mary’s food memories are strong—and opinionated.

“My favorite place for special occasions here in Wichita Falls is The Pelican.”

She loves Olive Garden and Cheddar’s for everyday dining, and still holds a soft spot for Dairy Queen burgers.

But not all food memories were great.

“The biggest disappointment I had was eating Boston-baked beans in Boston. They were too dry.”

Charlie asked her favorite burger topping. She laughed, calling it “a legitimate question,” and settled on a classic:

“A cheeseburger. Cheese makes everything better.”

The Faith of Her Children

Mary raised three children—Charl, Chuck, and Clark—who all went into ministry.

“I just prayed for them to be guided by the Lord, and He did.”

She considered it her greatest blessing.

“Chuck was first. He was baptized again at Highland Park Baptist Church with Ann. Then Clark, about four years later, felt the calling while at Tech.”

Central Cardinals and Other Memories

Mary attended Central High School in downtown Oklahoma City.

“We were the Central Cardinals.”

The building is now the University of Oklahoma City’s law school.

“When we went back for a reunion, it was dark and dreary. But later, it was renovated beautifully. You can’t change the outside of a historical building, but you can redo the inside.”

She rode horses pretending to be Dale Evans, sang Western songs, and wore riding clothes even when she wasn’t on horseback.

A Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, and Keeper of Stories

“I went to every one of the parents when they had the baby to help take care.”

When asked what it was like to have three great-grandkids in one year, Mary said it best:

“Man, I was busy. That was so much fun.”

She was always there—to help with rides, to cheer at games, to cook meals, and to pray. Through all the houses and cities, ministries and memories, Mary has been steady.

Final Thoughts

“So much of what I’ve done was guided by love—love of the Lord, of family, of friends.”

And she remembers all of it.

Not perfectly, maybe. Not chronologically. But wholly. Honestly. Warmly. Just like she’s lived it.

“I can’t say whether or not a particular moment. I’ve just always felt it.”

We feel it too, Gran’Mommy. Every minute.

Gene’s Burgers and a Town That’s Changing

On her first cheeseburger as a girl in Oklahoma,

“I used to get a cheeseburger when I was 10. And I think they are good.”

Mary’s relationship with Wichita Falls isn’t just about place—it’s about taste. One of her favorite local spots, Gene’s, has recently closed, much to her dismay—and ours.

“They’ve been here a long time and everybody likes them. All I know is it closed down. The gossip mongers have it maybe they’re going to build a new place somewhere in town.”

Charlie guessed they were retiring. I admitted I got emotional seeing the shutters and signage coming down.

“I actually cried at Gene’s when I saw that it was closed,” said Rich.

Mary’s practical response? A mix of grace and gumption:

“Well, I’m sorry you saw that. That’ll hurt their—that’ll make them (Gene’s Family) feel sad.”

On Grandkids, S’mores, and a Blue Teddy Bear

“Remember when you were born and Ann didn’t have a robe to wear home from the hospital?”

Mary recounted helping after each of her great-grandchildren were born, vividly recalling the trip Chuck made to get Ann a robe after Rich’s birth.

“I came in with this real fuzzy blue robe and a little blue teddy bear. You know, it’s was so cute. I don’t think I would have picked that out, but Chuck did. He liked it.”

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She also shared how Tommy had planned a birthday firepit for s’mores—until summer heat forced a delay.

“I have a rain check for s’mores when the weather gets a little more pleasant.”

Charlie, ever the pragmatist, chimed in, “That’s why I microwave my s’mores.”

On Cardinals, Cars, and Campfire Girls

“I just have loved Cardinals all my life.”

From childhood to high school mascot to backyard birdwatching, Cardinals are Mary’s symbol. She even shared a story about one mistaking its reflection for a rival in a red truck’s mirror at Possum Kingdom.

“He could see himself and he’d peck at it. He thought it was another Cardinal.”

And her memory for makes and models of cars is matched by her recall of community service. She started a Camp Fire Girls group when her daughter was young:

“We had a group of about eight or nine girls meet every week at our house, and we had a lot of fun with them.”

Home Economics and the Homemaker’s Life

“I was a good old homemaker.”

Mary didn’t just keep a home—she ran it. With three kids in three different schools at once, she orchestrated a complex web of pickups, drop-offs, laundry, and sports schedules.

“Keeping the house clean, cooking the meals, and saving the money. Making sure everybody had clean clothes to wear.”

She says it like it was no big deal, but even Charlie—who walks to school himself—recognized the hustle. “It really is nice to be able to walk to school.”

Family Photos and Faded Hairstyles

At one point, Mary pulled out pictures to show us—a golden anniversary dishwashing moment featuring my dad and uncle.

“That’s your dad and Kyle in the kitchen doing dishes.”

Another photo, older still, captured the whole family staring slightly off-camera.

“Somebody probably told us to. That was at the church in Graham.”

There was some hair-related teasing, especially directed at a photo of me beardless.

“He looks like Dr. Evil,” Charlie offered.

“No, he does not. Mr. Clean. I see,” said Mary, laughing.

Technology Through Her Eyes

“Television is a big one.”

Mary’s seen more technological change in one lifetime than many families see in three.

“Most folks had one telephone and it sat in a little niche in the hallway in your house.”

She learned to drive using a stick shift and didn’t have a car until after Dick graduated college.

“We walked. We caught the bus. That is a good question.”

Charlie, ever curious, pressed about air conditioning.

“We opened the windows. We had electric fans that go around.”

Mary’s Quiet Confidence

Throughout our visits, Mary was unfailingly modest, sometimes unsure whether her memories were worth recording. But her stories were full of grace and grit. She’d interrupt a tangent with a reminder:

“I haven’t been interviewed officially for a long, long time.”

Then she’d reflect on life lessons and blessings:

“I don’t remember anything I didn’t admire about my parents… A lot of times they wouldn’t let me do something I wanted to do, but that was just for my own good.”

Or she’d glance at us from across the table, smile, and say simply:

“I just went with the flow.”

And honestly? That’s what makes her unforgettable.

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Rich is a Texas-born bass player with a deep love for chili, beef ribs, and the twang of a well-played groove. When he’s not laying down a rhythm or catching a local indie rock show, he’s writing stand-up comedy and cracking jokes with his son. Rich’s heart is as big as his laugh—especially when he’s with his Gran’Mommy, who he adores beyond measure. Texas proud, music loud, and always hungry for one more story.

Charlie is full of heart and imagination. He loves cool sneakers, clever jokes, and the kind of music that makes you want to dance in the driveway. He’s curious, kind, and always thinking about the next big idea. And he sure loves his Gran’Mommy.