Muriel was born in Whitewater on July 26, 1927, the daughter of Floyd Jolliffe and Bernice (Hanson) Jolliffe.
She graduated from Whitewater High School in 1945. She attended Whitewater Teachers College, Stout State University, and UW-Madison, where she graduated in 1949 with a major in home economics education and a minor in chemistry.
Muriel taught high school home economics in Menomonee Falls 1949-1951. She worked at the UW-Whitewater Theater Department Costume Shop designing and creating costumes as well as teaching the theater students sewing and design skills.
On August 11, 1951, Muriel married Daniel Garfield Williams. They lived and raised their family in Whitewater for 54 years. They then moved to Montfort, WI in 2005 and lived there until when they moved to Skaalen Home.
Muriel was passionate about family and devoted to Danny and to raising her children. She loved holidays and get-togethers with family and friends. She was incredibly talented. She was an amazing cook. She loved gardening and had a “green thumb”. She loved sewing, machine embroidery, weaving, spinning, knitting, painting (especially rosemaling), and photography. She belonged to Round Table and enjoyed the camaraderie and art/craft skills of the group. She demonstrated spinning and weaving to students. She excelled musically, including saxophone and piano, and instilled the love of music in her children. She volunteered as a foods and clothing leader in 4-H. She joined the Tri-Delta Sorority while at UW- Madison and kept in touch with some of her sorority sisters over her lifetime. She and Danny loved taking day trips traveling around Wisconsin.
Surviving are her children, Tracy Williams of Madison, DeAnn Preston of Grapevine, TX and David Williams of Fort Worth, TX; grandchildren, Danielle (Doug) Emery and Whitney (Luke) Oas: great-grandchildren, Cooper and Jaxon Oas; nieces and nephews, Sue Anne Jolliffe, Dean Jolliffe, Patty Jolliffe, Tim (Sandy Jolliffe), Scott (Tanya) Jolliffe, Bob Jolliffe; cousins and sisters-in-law.
Muriel was preceded in death by her parents, her children Bryan Williams and Dana Williams, her siblings, Russell Jolliffe and Floyd Jolliffe, and cousins.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2018, at 11 a.m. at the Nitardy Funeral Home Chapel, 550 N. Newcomb St., Whitewater, WI. Interment will be in the Hillside Cemetery in Whitewater.
Visitation will be held on Friday, 2/9/18 at the Nitardy Funeral Home from 4 -6 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. until the time of the service.
Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider a memorial to the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
