Elisabeth Duke Williams King, age 93, of Cordele, Ga. passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday morning, May 10, 2018.

Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m., Monday, May 14, 2018 at the Cordele First Baptist Church. Friends and family will be received at a reception in the church following the service. A private interment is scheduled for later in the day.

Mrs. King was born May 18, 1924 in Houston County, Ga. with most of her childhood spent in Marshallville, Ga. Hers was a depression-era farming family. Surrounded by loving parents, Cliff and Pearl Duke, and seven siblings, she often commented that though times were lean, she only had fond memories of those days and their close family. In later years, her own home became the hub of the extended family connections, and it was Elisabeth’s special talent to turn every gathering and event into a special occasion.

In 1942, Elisabeth married Wendell Williams and settled into life in Cordele. She became, and was an active member of the Cordele First Baptist Church and enjoyed the Garden Club and Fine Arts Club. 1952 saw the beginning of a new era for Elisabeth and Wendell when they bought Daphne Lodge restaurant, which has subsequently become one of the oldest family operated restaurants in Georgia.

Elisabeth’s second-half-of-life story centered around Cliff King of Albany and his family. Childhood sweethearts, they reunited and married in 1984 after the loss of their respective spouses. During the following years Elisabeth and Cliff found great satisfaction in working with the Cordele Habitat for Humanity.
Mrs. King is survived by a daughter, Susu Burt (Sonny) of Cordele; a son, Buddy Williams (Kathy) of Jacksonville, Fla.; and a niece, Mary Rainwater (David) of Cordele. Her grandchildren are Daphne Burt (Craig Wong) of Ottawa, Ontario; Jim Burt (Mary Frances) of Macon; Jonathan Burt of Atlanta; Michael Williams (Courtney) of Jacksonville, Fla.; Katie Williams of Jacksonville, Fla.; Bert Williams (Kristi) of Houston, Tex.; Neal Rainwater of Cordele; Beth Waldrip (Dustin); and eight great-grandchildren.

In addition, her step-children are Ladd King (Madge), of Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.; Kitty Sokol (Dave) of Columbia, Tenn.; Rodd King of Plano, Tex.; and Ivy Bell of Albany Ga. Their children are Kathleen King (Jeff Lay), Kristin Scully (Ben), Ashley Orton (Josh), Caleb King, Kelsey Everett (Pete), Blair Arvidson (Arlo), John Bell, and Frances Bell, and ten –great-grandchildren.

Mrs. King was preceded in death by her husbands Wendell H. Williams and Cliff W. King and by a step-daughter Lee King and Lee’s son, Avery.