ELIZABETHCITY – Herscal Peele Williams, Sr., 99, of 626 Forest Hill Circle,Elizabeth City, NC went to his heavenly home on Wednesday, March 29,2017. He was born on January 27, 1918 in the village of Avon, NC to thelate Andrew and Minerva Gray Williams and was the husband of LeonaMeekins Williams.
Herscal grew up in the village of Avon, and in 1936 was in the secondhigh school graduating class. He enlisted in the Civil ConservationCorps which was referred to as the CCC Camp and was stationed inBeaufort, NC. After two years, he joined the US Navy, and after threeyears and eleven months achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Heretired as an Aviation Ordnance Chief after serving twenty-one years,seven months, and twenty-five days. Upon retirement, he worked for thelocal telephone company and retired again, this time after twenty-oneand one half years.
A member of City Road United Methodist Church since the fifties,Herscal was its oldest living member and served as Superintendent ofthe Sunday School, Sunday School Teacher, and was a certified layspeaker in the United Methodist Church for forty years. He was onceheard to say that he was privileged to speak in twenty-two churches inthe Elizabeth City District of the United Methodist Church. As acharter member of the Men’s Fellowship Breakfast, (renamed Herscal P.Williams Men’s Fellowship Breakfast), he served as the president sinceits beginning April 8, 1978 and also wrote a monthly article for thechurch newsletter (The Cross and the Flame). His many joys includedplaying the guitar and singing, fishing in the Pamlico Sound and LittleRiver with gill nets and sharing his abundant harvest of vegetablesfrom his large garden. He has been a Master Mason since January 1998and was presently a member of Eureka Lodge #317 AP & AM.
In addition to his wife, Herscal is survived by two daughters, KayeBean and Andrea Cook (Robert); two sons, H. P. Williams, Jr. (Sybil)and Harry Williams (Dewanna); eleven grandchildren; fifteen greatgrandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. In addition to hisparents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Alton Williams and foursisters, Helen Scarborough, Evelyn O’Neal, Mildred Austin, and JeanneWilliams.
The Williams family would like to thank Elizabeth City Health andRehabilitation and staff, Albemarle Hospice, and Dr. Michael Sutton fortheir loving care and concern.
A funeral service with Military Honors will be held at 2:00 p.m. onSunday, April 2, 2017 at City Road United Methodist Church officiatedby Rev. Charles McKenzie. The family will greet friends immediatelyfollowing the service at a reception in the fellowship hall or at othertimes at the residence. Burial will be in West Lawn Cemetery. In lieuof flowers, memorial donations may be made to City Road UnitedMethodist Church, 511 North Road Street, Elizabeth City, NC, 27909 orto St. John United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 129, Avon, NC, 27915.Twiford Funeral Home, 405 E. Church Street, Elizabeth City, NC isassisting the Williams family. Online memorial condolences may be sentto the family at www.TwifordFH.com.
