Lydia Marie Williams

Our mother Lydia Marie Hamm was born on July 15, 1940 to Purvis T. Hamm and Lena Merva Hamm In Guadalupe County, New Braunfels, Texas. As the 5th child of six kids birthed to Purvis and Lena, she attended New Braunfels Public Schools and attended Live Oak Baptist church with her parents and siblings where she accepted Christ at a very young age. She was an active member of many utilities of the church including the choir. Upon entering High School she was one of four of the first black students integrated into New Braunfels High School where she graduated in 1958.

Lydia enrolled at Prairie View A&M in 1958 where she obtained a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration along with being certified to teach. She started her teaching career in Cuero, Tx. During school breaks Lydia would return home to New Braunfels to visit family and friends. It was during one of those breaks that she met this debonair dude from Abilene, Texas by the name of Donald Benjamin Williams. Donald and Lydia were married on December 26, 1964 in New Braunfels, Texas at Live Oak Baptist Church. It was soon after that she relocated to San Antonio and started working with the San Antonio Independent School District in 1965 where she taught English, typing, and physical education. While taking off into her education career, Donald and Lydia decided they wanted to start a family and to this union a son was born on May
13, 1970 by the name of Kgai Benjamin Williams. Even while being a mom, Lydia’s ambitious nature still thrived and drove her to return to Prairie View A&M University in 1978 to complete her Masters Degree in Counseling. She continued her career as a middle school Counselor at Rhodes Middle School for the next 30 years until she retired in 1995. However, Lydia wasn’t finished yet. She used her reading and administrative skills to continue working part-time for S.A.I.S.D. as a Reading Specialist at Rodriguez Elementary, long term assignment substitute teacher at Bowden Elementary, and sub-Principal/Administrator at Tynan Elementary Pre-K Academy for the next 13 years.

After finally leaving teaching, Lydia turned her attention to serving the Lord more than she ever had before. Being a long time member at Mt. Zion First Baptist Church in which she joined under the Pastorate of The Dr. Rev. Claude W. Black Jr., she was a very dedicated member of the Choir, Mt. Zion Usher Board, Mission #1, Secretary for Mission #10, A past Women’s Day Chairperson, Mt. Zion Sheltering Arms Board Of Directors, Bereavement Committee, and a former member of The Ministers, Deacons, and Trustee Wives Council. Lydia thoroughly enjoyed her church family and was a faithful member for many years. You could always count on her to assist you with anything…and I do mean anything. Praising the Lord is what she would do…and she did it every chance she got with a loving heart.

On September 6, 1999, Lydia lost her husband Donald after 35 years of marriage. As devastating as that was, she continued to be very active with her family, Community, and grandkids. She was a member of Phi Delta Kappa Inc., and The Alamo Area Council Lions Club. She also had the opportunity to travel to Japan as a representation of The Alamo Area Chapter Lions Club in which she was so excited, but told us upon returning that she would never do it again because being in the air over twenty hours just isn’t natural! Some of her interests included fishing, watching the Cowboys, and she definitely was an avid Spurs fan. She would always say, “I helped pull them through those five championships they received.”

Our mother was a very compassionate, funny, warm, vibrant, ambitious, caring, and loving woman. She physically had one son, but adopted many others as her own. I don’t think she ever met a stranger in her life. She enjoyed entertaining, and believed in feeding anyone that came to her home. If you ever got her started laughing…she just couldn’t stop. It breaks our hearts to say goodbye to such a lovely woman, but it is truly a blessing from the Lord that he let us experience one of his most beautiful and wonderful creations, Lydia Marie Hamm Williams.

Our Mother transitioned to Glory on Monday August 1, 2022 at home snuggled in her bed. She has joined her Mother and Father Lena and Purvis Hamm, one sister Pauline Murphy, and three brothers, Purvis, Wilbur, and Bobby Hamm. She leaves to cherish her memory, her beloved son Kgai Benjamin and his loving wife Elizabeth Williams, three grandsons Kristian Williams, Matthew Lopez, and Mark Lopez, three granddaughters, Kayla Williams, Kelsey Williams, and Malorie Lopez, one great grandson Jacob Lopez, one sister Bertha Watkins, her significant other for over 20 years Earl L. Campbell, Adrienne and Raymond Hardemon, and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and life long friends.

Mom, we love you, we will miss you, and we can’t wait to see you again…

In Loving Memory,

The Williams’ Family