Frances Marion Williams' Obituary
Frances Marion (Dolly) Williams, nee Buchholz was born March 15, 1936. She was one of 12 children, born to humble but hardworking parents Albert and Irene. She grew up in the Wolverton Minnesota (Woverton Mountain was a favorite song) and North Dakota area, graduating from Christine North Dakota High School. On a lark, and thinking she could lasso a cowboy, she at 17 moved with her sister Margie to Tulsa Oklahoma, a place she'd never been prior to moving there. She met and later married W.R. Gragg in 1953 in Tulsa Oklahoma. Their marriage produced three children: Becky, Rick, and Kevin. She and her husband owned and ran a cafe in Tulsa called Van's Hamburgers, which was extremely popular and she was instrumental in its success for the next 13 years. After W.R.'s health began to decline they decided the cafe was too much for them, and in 1966 she began the next chapter of her life. Dolly then got a job at the then-new Penney's store in Southland shopping center, where she worked for the next several years in ladies ready to wear. She found she was very good at selling women's clothing, something she then did for the next 30 years. Dolly, wanting to learn more about the business, and in a chance to move up, then got a job at Aberson's in the then new Woodland Hills mall situated on the extreme south edge of Tulsa at 71st and Memorial. She worked there as a manager for several years till she, sensing a greater opportunity sought out and purchased her own clothing store called Roberta's in Broken Arrow which she owned and ran for the next almost 20 years.
Dolly and W.R. Divorced in 1976 and Dolly then later met, fell in love, and married Tom Williams of Broken Arrow in 1980. He was a widower with three boys, Bryan, Tim, and Duane, making this new family have 6 children and creating a modified Brady Bunch, all of which she joyously mooned over till her passing. Dolly also loved her grandchildren very very much and enjoyed seeing and spoiling them on every occasion. She and Tom later bought a home in the Ft Meyers Florida area in which they spent many a winter, migrating back to Oklahoma each summer. She loved the Florida area and remarked how green it was and how easy it was to get almost anything she wanted to grow there. Tom began to suffer from Alzheimer's, which caused them to finally stop their bi-coastal migrations, albeit with much sadness. Tom and Dolly then faced Tom's illness head on and they continued to live in the Broken Arrow area till Tom, needing more care, caused them to move to the Ambassador's manor retirement home in Tulsa. Dolly and Tom embraced this newest change in their life the way they'd always done and they both enjoyed their time together till Tom succumbed to his disease earlier this year. Dolly loved Tom so, and his passing set in motion her end as well. Dolly, suffered several small strokes which finally robbed her both of walking and of speech. Her children though got where they could understand her new modified way of “speaking” and as her illness progressed they got, Becky got, much better at understanding her. Dolly finally lost her race and went to be with Tom on September 6, 2022. They immediately probably started right up where they left off here on earth.
Dolly leaves behind 6 children, 5 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren, all of which miss her more than they could ever express. The world has lost a very strong, very successful woman, and she will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. God Speed Mom, we love you very much.
Graveside service will be 3:00 pm, Friday, September 23, 2022 at Floral Haven Garden of Apostles
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