John Williams

(From Buchanan Funeral Home)

John Henry Williams, age 72, closed his eyes in this earthly life and opened them in heaven in the presence of his beloved Savior on Friday, August 14th, 2026, with his wife by his side.

John was born on August 22nd, 1953, to Elwood and Ruth (Douthitt) Williams in Monett, Missouri, who preceded him in death. John was also preceded in death by his brothers, Howard Roy and Eldon Williams; his brothers-in-law, George Roller, Bobby Garcia, and Russell Larson; as well as his precious granddaughter, Janely Hope Landazuri.

He is survived by his devoted and loving wife of over 51 years, Sherri Williams, previously of Aurora, Missouri and his five daughters, Ruth McGarrah and husband Robert of Charleston, South Carolina; Susan Joeckel and husband Ryan of Fort Worth, Texas; Shawna Landazuri and husband Juan Manual of Republic, Missouri; Jessica Coker and husband Jeremy of Marionville, Missouri; and Debbie Seal and husband Tony of Little Mountain, South Carolina.

His 12 grandchildren who were his pride and joy also survive him: Michael McGarrah and wife Jenny, Matthew McGarrah and wife Bailee; Kaylynn (Joeckel) Tatum and husband Kyle, Elianna, William, and Samuel Joeckel; Ryder and Jeslyn Coker; and Brock Seal and wife Riley, Troy Seal and wife Savannah; and Titus and Justus Seal. He has one great-grandchild surviving, Walker Seal.

In addition, he is survived by his two sisters, Evelyn Larson and Brenda Garcia; his sister-in-law Mary Ann Williams, six nephews, George (Tammy) Roller, Erik Larson, Chris (Miranda) Garcia, Mark (Tiffani) Garcia, Jason Garcia, and Andrew (Steffanie) Garcia; one niece, Laura (Brad) Farnsworth; one nephew, Curtis Bullock; as well as a host of great nieces & nephews, and cousins.

In the summer of 1962, John was attending church camp when he realized he was a sinner and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. God began to do a great work in John’s heart and life, and in the summer of 1970, while attending Baptist Hill Christian Camp in Mt. Vernon, MO, he was led to become a preacher. At the age of 17, he preached his first sermon at First Baptist Church of Purdy, Missouri. Soon after his military service he began his full time church ministry.

In the summer of 1972, John joined the United States Air Force, where he served until 1976, when he was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant. During his time in the Air Force, he was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he also met his wife, Sherri. They met on May 11, 1974, at a friend’s birthday party, and, as he would always tell his family, it was love at first sight!

John loved to reminisce and share stories of when they first met and going on their first date to go putt-putt. On April 5, 1975, John and Sherri were married and would later welcome five daughters.

John had the privilege of pastoring and preaching for over 50 years, including many small churches throughout Missouri and Texas. He and Sherri served alongside each other throughout the years, running bus routes to bring children to church, as well as starting children and youth ministries. Through his time in the ministry, they saw many souls saved and lives changed for the glory of God.

John and Sherri loved to travel together, whether to the Florida beaches, to Kansas City Chiefs games, or to visit their daughters and grandchildren. They also enjoyed traveling to Washington, DC, where they made 18 trips to support the Rolling Thunder organization that honors the memory of those who never came home and pay tribute to the POW/MIA cause. John was an active member of Rolling Thunder from 2001 to 2016 and was a proud American patriot.

A visitation will be held at Buchanan Funeral Home in Monett, MO from 5:00-7:00 pm on Friday, August 21st, 2026. His funeral services will also be held at Buchanan Funeral Home at 1:00 pm on Saturday, August 22nd, 2026. His burial will be at Monett I.O.O.F. Cemetery following the service.