(1920 – 2003)
Carolyn Virginia Brown Williams was an exceptional lady. Her devotion to her family, her job, her friends, and her Lord set her apart from the “average” person. She was definitely an inspiration to others.
Mrs. Carolyn Williams was County Agent with responsibilities in home economics in Macon County from 1962 to 1982. During her Extension career, she encouraged and assisted both adults and 4-H youth. As the home agent, she trained clothing leaders who taught homemakers to repair and construct clothing; she worked with assistants to reach families with preservation and nutrition information. Her work was critical to the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program in helping families develop better eating habits. Her advice helped to improve many families.
She believed in the Extension mission and found personal satisfaction in planning and performing her work. As her colleague wished her well upon her retirement in 1982, she described Carolyn best with these words: “She is a quiet person who works diligently with people to get jobs done.”
A native of Uriah (Monroe County), Alabama, she completed high school at Wilcox County Training School and earned the B.S. in 1944 and the M.Ed. in 1981 in Home Economics Education at Tuskegee University. Mrs. Williams’ first professional position was with the Extension Service from June 4, 1944, to September 15, 1945, as a home demonstration agent in the Tallapoosa County office. She next became a classroom teacher at the Monroe County Training School from 1946 to 1962 before she returned to the Extension Service in Macon County on September 16, 1962.
Mrs. Williams received several citations for her good work, including the Certificate of Recognition from the Tuskegee Women’s Club, a Certificate of Appreciation from the Tuskegee Kiwanis Club, and a Certificate of Appreciation from St. Mark Baptist Church. She served on the Advisory Councils of Macon County Head Start, Macon County Public Health, and the Dietetic and Food Service at Tuskegee University.
Mrs. Williams died on January 1, 2003, and is survived by her three daughters Carolyn Sippial, Tuskegee, Muriel Harding, Florence, and Debra Taylor, Winters, California. Carolyn describes her mother as a caregiver (“There was always someone whom Mama saw to their needs”), a life-long learner (“She always found joy in learning something new”), a gardener (“She could grow anything – and did”) and “a good steward of her time, money, talent, and other resources.”
Perhaps we could all learn from Carolyn Brown Williams. It is a fitting tribute to her inspiration to others that we inscribe her name on the dedicatory plaque of the Extension Memorial Chapel.
Chapel Plaque Inscription Number: 452
