Renford Tolbert Williams - Submitted for the USGenWeb by Richard P. Sevier 12/15/2010

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Renford Tolbert Williams - Madison Parish, Louisiana

From Monroe News-Star December 15, 2010

Funeral services for Renford Tolbert Williams, 79 of West Monroe will be held at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, December 15, 2010 in the chapel of Kilpatrick Funeral Home West Monroe. Rev. Troy Patrick will officiate. Interment will follow at Roselawn Memorial Gardens, Calhoun under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home West Monroe.

Mr. Williams was born February 19, 1931 in Quebec, LA and passed away December 13, 2010 in West Monroe. He was a member of Parkview Baptist Church, Tallulah, Louisiana. He was a veteran of the United States Army serving during the Korean Conflict. He began his career in wildlife working for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries where he worked as a game warden for over 25 years before retiring. He then played a pivotal role in pushing Congress to "Save the Tensas". After saving the Tensas he was hired to protect it. He retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Tensas Wildlife Refuge after 26 years.

Tolbert enjoyed sharing his love of wildlife and the refuge through the pictures he had taken and the stories he told, including the pre-civil war landmarks found in the Tensas Refuge. He shared his passion of the Tensas with anyone who would listen from children on school field trips to the descendant of a former United States President. One of his greatest memories was showing off his beloved Tensas to Theodore Roosevelt IV. He was a member of the coalition that formed Tensas Federal Wildlife Refuge.

Mr. Williams was preceded in death by his son, Allen Williams; parents, Renford Carlos Williams and Eunice Ponder Williams; brother, Bobby Ray Williams; sisters; June Horton and Jean Cheek.

He is survived by his wife; Ruby Williams; children; Denise Wilhite and husband Johnny and Steve Dowdy; grandchildren; Laura Williams, Jordie Wilhite, Thomas Wilhite; brother, Jack Williams and wife Sue; sister, Dorothy Howland and husband J.B.; several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Mike Colvin, Andy Lee, Bobby Taylor, Sam Hunter, Steve Williams and Houston Williams.

Honorary pallbearers will be Ray Aycock, Tina Wright and Dick Brown.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to his caretaker and friend, sister-in-law, Marie Laws.