PAULINE WILLIAMS OCT12, 1932 – MARCH 7 2026

Pauline Jean (Rife) Williams passed away Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Wooster, OH after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Pauline was born October 12, 1932 in a small house built by her father just north of Peru, Indiana. Her parents were Paul B Rife and Jennie Mae (Glassburn) Rife.

Young Pauline loved playing in the creek and on the hill behind their house with cousins and neighbors. Peru is known as Circus City, and she also loved emulating the acrobats by playing on a trapeze that her father built in the back yard. Often, she was even dressed in costumes similar to the performers’, which were given to her by some of the performers. In the winter, she and her cousins would sell hot chocolate to neighbors tobogganing down their hill.

Money being tight, when she entered high school, her father told her that she would have to pay for her own clothes from that point forward. So, she took jobs with neighbors and in businesses in town and learned to sew. In high school, she joined the band, playing the flute, and was always proud of the fact that she became the first female student band director in Peru High School history.

Shortly after high school, she met and married Harry Williams on January 28, 1951. Harry received his draft notice on that same day, but he didn’t tell her about it until they returned from their exotic honeymoon – a train trip to St. Louis for three days in the middle of the winter.

What followed was a whirlwind life, which, by our count, had her living in more than twenty apartments, houses, and assisted living facilities. First stop was Newport News, VA while Harry was stationed at Fort Eustis. They lived on the post, sharing a small house with another couple. Apparently the army pay wasn’t much, as Pauline fondly recalled having to share the Sunday paper with the other couple. And, though small, the house must have had thick walls, because they soon started their family there, with Mitchell being born in the Army hospital in 1953.

Coming home to Indiana, Harry worked for the Wabash Railroad in Lafayette and the family grew by two more children. Harry was eventually convinced by his supervisor to take advantage of the GI bill and go to college. Four years later, now with four children, Harry had his degree from Purdue University and a job with RR Donnelley and Sons. His first assignment was Crawfordsville, IN, where they had their fifth and final child.

Pauline was an extremely organized and efficient homemaker, becoming especially adept at packing and assigning chores to the children. Harry’s job took them to Warsaw, IN; Willard, OH; Dwight, IL; Chicago; back to Crawfordsville; Harrisonburg, VA; Hendersonville, TN; then back to Lafayette when Harry retired. After Harry died, Pauline moved to Wooster, OH where she resided until her passing.

Pauline was very proud of her family. She was very loving and gracious – everyone was welcome in her home, wherever it was. As the extended family grew, she treated every new in-law as if they were her own.

She loved helping out with all the new grandkids. There was a time when 3 granddaughters were born within three months of each other in Illinois, Texas, and Virginia, and she went to each of the homes to help the new mothers for the first week or so.

And, even as the family kept growing, she loved having them all together. Almost every summer and Christmas for the ten years they lived in Tennessee, she would host the entire extended family, which consisted of around 30 people at that time, for a week at a time. No hotels, very few restaurant meals – just controlled mayhem and lots of wonderful memories. She was in her glory during those times, baking, cooking, organizing outings or activities, and just communing with her family.

By word and deed, she taught all her kids and grandkids manners, grace, humor, empathy, humility, the importance of a good work ethic, how to take responsibility, and the importance of reading, among many other important qualities.

She will be deeply missed by her family, and all of the friends and neighbors whose lives she has touched over the years.

Pauline was preceded in death by her husband, Harry, her parents, her brother Eldon Rife, her sister Helen Rife Baldwin and a grandson Morgan Wolfford.

Pauline is survived by her five children:

• Mitchell Williams, wife Donna, of Rowlett, TX,granddaughter Emilie Ingram and husband Joey; granddaughter Lindsey Smithson and husband Matt, and great-granddaughters Peyton, Bailey, and Jordan; grandson Spencer and wife Lara, and great-granddaughters Emma and Jane.
• David Williams, wife Beth, of Morris, IL, granddaughter Jessica, granddaughter Allison Naser and husband Steve, and twin great-grandsons Isaac and Jameson, grandson Evan and wife Kristina, and great-grandson Kellen; grandson Curtis.
• Beth Williams Wolfford and husband Skip, of Culpeper, VA, granddaughter Christy Sandler and husband Joel, and grandsons Zachary, Simon, and Levi; granddaughter Becky Morrison and her partner Brandon Tate, grandson Morgan (deceased) and great-granddaughter Sasha.
• Alec Williams, wife Jeanne, of Wooster, OH, grandson Jay of Diamond, OH, and great-granddaughters Faith, Juniper, and Marin, and twin great-grandsons Asa and Whitman; granddaughter Amy Money and husband Jake, and great-grandson Cash and great-granddaughter Penny .
• Kerry Williams, wife Tami of Findlay, OH, granddaughter Erica Hackworth and husband Caleb, and great-granddaughters Charlotte and Janey; grandson Collin Williams and husband Xavier Watson; grandson Derek.

Visitation will be held at Roberts Funeral Home 7067 Cleveland Road, Wooster, OH from 10 AM (EDT) to 11 AM on Saturday, May 2. Services will start immediately after. There will be a catered reception for friends and family starting at 12:45 at the Excelsior Room on the second floor at 144 W. Liberty St. in Wooster. For those unable to attend services in person, the service will be live-streamed on the Roberts Funeral Home website (www.robertsfuneralhome.com) starting at 10:55 AM.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation in Pauline’s honor to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org).