Dec 5, 2018

Stella Bartins Williams, 102, passed away comfortably Wednesday, December 5, 2018, in her home in McDonald.

She was born August 2, 1916, in Washington County, a daughter of Leo and Amelia Bartins.

The beloved wife of the late Sam Williams, she was also preceded in death by eight siblings, brothers, Stanley, Joseph, Edward and Eugene Bartins, and sisters, Anne Fehl, Mary Bernhart, Helen Flanigan and Jewell Pavlic.

After graduating from Fort Cherry High School, she worked for a grocery store, then began her career as a telephone operator for Bell Telephone Co. in 1941. She married Sam Williams, also from McDonald, in 1944. Seven years after they married, Sam fell from a ladder, breaking his back and both arms, and was no longer able to work. Despite the accident, Stella and Sam enjoyed a happy marriage that lasted until Sam’s death in 1979.

Stella continued to commute daily to her job in downtown Pittsburgh and recalled everything from blackout curtains being used to darken the windows of office buildings during World War II to the riots of the 1960’s, the Pirates and Steelers victory parades of the 1970’s and the record breaking freezing temperatures of the 1980’s.

Stella retired from Bell Telephone in 1982, but remained active as a member of the McDonald Garden Club, where she had many friends. She loved gardening and maintained her large yard by herself for most of her life and her home was full of plants, in particular ferns, which she was remarkably good with.

Stella was interested in local and world events and enjoyed discussing them with anyone who had an opinion, but even more so, enjoyed jokes and social events where there was plenty of laughter. She was also an avid football fan and traveled nationwide to watch two of her nephews play for Pitt and Notre Dame and then professionally for various teams. She was also a staunch Steelers fan. Everyone who knew Stella knew not to call or visit during a Steelers game when she was having, as she called it, “her own private party.”

Stella Williams lived a full life; she was a supportive and loving wife, a fun and caring sister, a much loved aunt, a dear friend and a true lady.

She is survived by a multitude of nieces and nephews, and friends who will miss her very much.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday in Thomas Little Funeral Home, 314 West Lincoln Avenue, McDonald, PA 15057, 724-926-2800. A blessing service will be held at 10:15 a.m. Saturday, December 8, in the funeral home.