Delores Adele Rasch Williams

Obituary

Delores Adele Rasch was born on November 15, 1954 in South Bend, Indiana, to parents, Ejnar Gottlieb Rasch and Florabelle White Rasch. She joined two older brothers, Ejnar and Randolph, making her the youngest and only daughter. Her family and close friends called her Lori.

She grew up in Cassopolis, Michigan amongst a very close-knit community of family and neighbors. Delores was a country girl and enjoyed the beauty and environment of nature throughout her entire life. She loved going to winter and summer camp. Eventually, she started working at camp and became a camp counselor in her teenage and young adult years.

At twelve years old, on July 15, 1967, Delores formally accepted Jesus as her Savior and was baptized into Calvin Center Seventh-Day Adventist Church of the Lake Region Conference.

She attended grade school in a one-room schoolhouse at Calvin Center Seventh-Day Adventist school. Delores attended high school at Andrews University Academy and graduated in 1973.

She attended college at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan and finished her degree in education in 1978. While attending Andrews University, she met Frank Williams, a seminarian who would later become her husband.

Delores and Frank were married at Calvin Center SDA Church in Cassopolis, Michigan on August 26, 1979, when she became Delores Adele Rasch Williams. In 1984, Elise Adele, their first daughter was born to this union. The family circle was completed in 1990, when their youngest daughter, McKinley Joy, was born. Becoming and being a mother was one of the greatest joys of her life. She adored her children and encouraged them to be the truest versions of themselves and to follow their passions. She was extremely proud of her daughters and it was evident to anyone who witnessed her with them or when she spoke of them. She was a wise, loving, humorous, supportive, sage guide, best friend and confidante to her children. Her love, trust and faith in God leaves a wonderful example and rich legacy for her daughters to follow.

Delores was a dedicated school teacher for 34 years. She taught in many different locations and states as her husband was a minister and had to move frequently for his profession. She was passionate about teaching and loved every one of her students. The most notable school that Delores taught at was Rogers Elementary School in the North Forest district, the last black-run school district in the state of Texas. She worked at Rogers Elementary from 1996 until she retired from teaching in 2013. Delores and her colleagues were very close-knit and became more like family than co-workers.

Delores was a multi-talented and faceted woman. She had a beautiful singing voice and sang in choirs and solos at church. She loved thrift-shopping and decorating. She loved plants and animals. Shoes were a great passion of hers (like her parents and older brothers) and she loved jewelry and dressing well. She loved to craft and sew and was talented at painting and drawing, her favorite medium to use were charcoal pencils. Delores was also a very talented DIY-er; she had her own toolbox and liked working on household projects and reupholstering furniture. She stayed active through walking, weightlifting and high-intensity interval training. She loved to laugh and attracted friends and admirers wherever she went. There will never be adequate words to fully and truly describe the amazing and indomitable spirit of Delores Adele Rasch Williams.

The treasured loved ones she leaves to grieve the loss of her beautiful presence and celebrate her legacy are her husband, Frank Williams, her daughters; Elise Adele and McKinley Joy, her granddog, Mistletoe Delaware, her siblings; Ejnar Rasch (Laura; whom she considered more sister than sister-in-law), Randolph Rasch (James), Candida Francis (more sister than cousin) and son, Isaiah Henry, Patricia Ervin (more sisters than friends). Her nieces, Nicole Jones (Rodney) and Shannon Rasch. Her great-nephews, Cameron Wilson-Rasch and Jordan Jones. Nephews-in-love, Joshua Williams (Joy), Joel Williams (Faye), James Williams and a host of in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

memorial service

Memorial

January 14, 2024

Houston Berean Seventh-Day Adventist Church 2119 St Emanuel St, Houston, TX 77003, USA

The memorial will be live-streamed on the YouTube and Facebook pages of the Houston Berean Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

Funeral/Cremation Provider: aCremation