Floretta Williams

Floretta Johnson was born on August 28, 1942, in Los Angeles, California. She was the youngest of the late Kelly and Hattie Johnson’s three children. She grew up in a nurturing family setting with her brothers, Ellis and Ernest, and went to school in Monrovia. Floretta graduated from Monrovia High School in 1960. She worked at City of Hope and was also employed as a Lab Technician at Calgon Vestal in City of Industry, a company now owned by Merck, in City of Industry until she retired in 1996. She accepted Christ as her personal Savior in August 1967 and united with her family’s church, New Zion Hill Baptist Church in Monrovia, now called New Beginnings Church. Her pastor, at the time, was Rev. E.V. Ellis and later she served there under Rev. David January. Floretta was a faithful involved church worker. One of her gifts was directing choirs. She used her gift to serve to Lord until her health prevented her from doing so, nine years ago. On April 15, 1972, she married a gifted singer, David Williams. They were blessed with two daughters, Adrienne in 1972 and Jennifer in 1975. Floretta was known as “Flo” to her husband, “Mommy” to her daughters and “Mo-Mo” to her grandchildren. Floretta did not want to be called “Grandma”. David and Floretta walked together on their matrimonial journey for almost 40 years. They took their marriage vows seriously. They demonstrated what “In Sickness and In Health, Until Death Do Us Part” really means. Sister Williams joined Second Baptist Church on April 29, 1990, by letter. Under Bishop Wm. LaRue Dillard’s parish leadership, she attended classes and received Certificates of Completion, on October 7, 1990, from New Members Orientation and on July 21, 1996, from the Evangelism Ministry as a trained Follow-up Counselor. Floretta liked to bake cakes. She was on the Food Pantry and Vacation Bible School Culinary staffs. By 2002, she had been an Announcing Clerk, and was the director of our Sanctuary and Gabrielettes choirs, a New Members teacher and our Book Store attendant. She sang with our Mass Choir and Praise Team. Add Wednesday Night Prayer & Bible Study, United Women’s Fellowship Guild, Centennial Jubilation Celebration Commission and Christian Education to the list of ministries Floretta was a part of. Even after she had her first stroke in 2003, she had David bring her to church until her health prevented her from being mobile. At 7:20 a.m. on Sunday, February 26, 2012, after months of convalescence, God’s angels visited her sick room and her suffering ceased. Preceded in death by both of her parents, Floretta Johnson Williams leaves to cherish her memory a loving husband, David and their youngest daughter Jennifer Patrice Williams both of Ontario, CA and daughter, Adrienne Williams-Twitty (Samuel) of Upland, CA; five grandchildren; two brothers, Ernest Johnson (Thelma) of Rancho Cucamonga, CA and Ernest Johnson (June) of Pasadena, CA; numerous nephews, nieces, and other relatives and friends too numerous to name, in California, Mississippi and elsewhere. Whether you called her “Flo”, “Flo Mo”, “Mommy”, “Mo-Mo” or “Floretta” her passing hurts and leaves us sad. But then we are comforted in knowing that God called her “HIS CHILD” because she lived her life like one of His children should. And that, plus knowing if SAVED, we will be with her again, makes us glad.