Esterlene Williams was born on January 10, 1935, in Wellborn, Texas to Johnnie and Viola Wilborn. She is known by her nickname, Sister, and has two brothers and four sisters. Estherlene was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church for many years.
She attended elementary school in Wellborn, Texas and completed middle school and high school in College Station. While attending Lincoln High School she was in many organizations; UIL singing, in which she won state (this took place at Prairie View A & M University), NHA (New Homemakers of America), Tri-Hi-Y and was Valedictorian of her 1953, graduating class.
She attended five different colleges. Estherlene first received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Prairie View A & M University in 1957, where she majored in Elementary Education with a Minor in Health. She also sang in the college choir and women’s choir while there. Estherlene next attended the University of Houston and was certified in Special Education. She then attended Lamar University and became certified in English, Language Arts and Computers. Estherlene then attended the University of St. Thomas in Houston and was certified in Discipline. The fifth and final college she attended was Stephen F. Austin where she received a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education with a Minor in Reading.
Estherlene taught school for thirty years. She began at Carver Elementary where she taught first through fourth grades and after the Anahuac schools integrated she taught Special Education classes at the Anahuac Elementary School until she retired.
At a young age, she took piano lessons from Mrs. Curry in Bryan and later became a piano teacher herself where she taught in Anahuac for over thirty years. During her earlier years, she was the PTA President of Carver School and was a den mother for the Boy Scouts. Estherlene has been a member of the Court of Calanthe for many years and held the office of Worthy Counselor. She also was a member of the Sewing Club and had presented many scholarships during the Anahuac High School Graduations from the Sewing Club.
Estherlene was a very active member of the First Missionary Baptist Church of Anahuac and was the Mission President, pianist for Sunday School, church (adult and male chorus) and a teacher with their Vacation Bible School.
Her hobbies were traveling where she just about visited every state in the United Sates and also visited two countries. She also liked to sew, sing and play the piano.
She leaves to cherish, her devoted husband, Herman E. Williams, Sr. of Anahuac; son, Herman E. Williams, Jr. and his wife Tommy of Houston; daughters, Jacqueline Williams of Anahuac, Gwendolyn McClain and her husband Lloyd of Houston, and Sharon Egland of Beaumont; grandchildren, Shareese Williams of Anahuac, Temeka Feliciano and her husband Jemarie of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Joseph Egland, Jr. of Beaumont and Herman E. “Trey” Williams, III of Houston; great-grandchildren Ashton Williams of Anahuac and Nalani Feliciano of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; brothers, D. H. Wilborn of Houston and Lorenzo Wilborn, Sr. and his wife Lana of Arlington; sisters, Betty Jo Hudspeth and her husband Louis of Austin and Dorothy Fay White and her husband Andrew of Grand Prairie; loving brothers and sisters in-laws; nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, Johnnie and Viola Wilborn and sisters, Elma Debra Simington and Therma Lee Mosely.
Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Sunday, May 8, 2011, at the First Missionary Baptist Church, Texas Avenue at Hamilton Street with burial to follow in Anahuac Cemetery under the direction of Broussard’s, 134 W. Buccaneer Drive in Winnie. A gathering of her family and friends will be from 12:00 p.m. until time of service Sunday at the church.
