Keith Jones Family, 1947
Virginia, Kathy,Kris, Keith, Bruce
There were several people missing from the celebration of Virginia Williams Jones’ life yesterday – notably, of course, Ginger herself. As the eldest surviving member of the Ilwaco Williams contingent, she had been the Grande Dame of their reunions for a good many years and this gathering felt and looked like a ‘typical’ Williams reunion – many cousins and in-laws and cousins of in-laws to say nothing of children and grandchildren and greats and great-greats – all sharing memories and enjoying one another as Williamses always do.
Also missing were Ginger’s daughter Kathy who died unexpectedly just days after her mother’s death and Ginger’s cousin Rod, who died here at his home on the Peninsula last week. As my cousin Beeg Williams Hook wrote to me shortly after she had received the news of Rod’s death, “When we got the call on Friday morning about Rod my first thought was: the Williams loved reunions and each other so much… But this is becoming ridiculous!”
Walker Spooner and Mom Anna
But perhaps that kind of thinking was comforting to the crowd yesterday. Certainly, there were no tears – just hugs and laughter and stories. Always stories. Plus, there were brand new faces, too! It was the first Williams-reunion-sort-of-gathering for two of Beeg’s grandsons: eight-month-old Walker Brongwyn Spooner (born December 23, 2012) and two month old Brongwyn “Bo” Bemis (born August 29, 20013). ‘What a kick’ (one of Ginger’s favorite expressions) she would have gotten out of these newest great-great nephews! And she would have loved that they both carry her brother Brongwyn “Bronk” Williams’ name.
Uncle Rob Spooner and Baby Bo Bemis
There was no formal ceremony – just a warm greeting at the door from Ginger’s children and grandchildren and an invitation to take one of her paintings which lined the walls. We looked at them all and enjoyed her versatility and her penchant for painting people; she was, after all a very ‘people person.’
In the end, we went home empty-handed, well satisfied with our little six-by-six painting of a rooster that we scored at the Heritage Museum’s auction a few years back. It hangs in our kitchen, a constant cheerful reminder of Ginger. When she heard we had bought it she told me, “If I’d known you wanted it, I’d have given it to you directly!” And that’s another treasured memory of Virginia Williams Jones. She was a generous, larger-than-life sort of person. She still is!
I wasn’t even remotely related to Virginia but loved every visit with her. I feel lucky to have known her. I haven’t seen the rest of her art work but I always admired the painting that hangs in Dorothy Williams’ home.