I was blessed to have a wonderful family. I was the youngest of two kids. I  was born on August 3, 1950 at 9:15 AM in Greenville Hospital in Greenville. PA.

My full name is Arthur Charles Williams. Named after my dad and his older brother Charles. My dad and I are not Jr. & Sr. His full name is Arthur Coolidge Williams. My grandfather who was a Republican at the time of his birth gave him the middle name Coolidge after President Calvin Coolidge. Later on grandpa became a Democrat and told my dad to not tell anyone his middle name.

Growing up I was mostly called Artie. Some still call me that. To a few relatives I am called Ace and to one relative I am called Artie Charlie. Now days most people call me Art. My line is, “call me anything but don't call me late for dinner”. The other names I am called are Mr. Williams from my teaching days and Coach from when I was coaching.

My mom, Norma Jean (Stuver) Williams was born on June 18, 1926 in Greenville, PA. She was an only child. She attended Penn High School and graduated in 1944.

She was involved in sports playing softball, basketball and volleyball where she was the captain of all three. She also was an excellent roller skater and ice skater.

After graduation she briefly worked at Camp Reynolds as a clerk typist in the Camp Surgeon's office in the hospital area.

She was a great salesperson and worked as a Stanley Home dealer for over 30 years. She helped organize “Hi-Neighbor” a local ladies group and was a founding board member of RAYA (Reynolds Area Youth Association).

She coached the Transfer girls softball team which won a Mercer County Championship. She also coached girls basketball back in the early 1960’s and in the early 1970’s she started the Reynolds girls basketball team, which because a school sport in 1973.

She also was a Reynolds School District bus driver for 16 years.

My dad, Arthur C. Williams was born on May 18, 1925 and was from Transfer, PA. He was the youngest of four children. His sister Nora was the oldest, then his brother Charles and then his sister Naomi.

He attended Transfer High School. During 1943, his senior year he was working for the Mellon-Stuart Construction Company out of Pittsburgh, PA. They were contracted to build Camp Reynolds, a War World II Army Camp in the area. He was helping to build the roofs on the camp's water towers.

On May 4th he quit school and resigned his job at Mellon-Stuart and joined the U.S. Navy. He was a Fire Controlman aboard the USS McGowan DD 678, a destoryer, in the Pacific Theater of Operations.

Checkout the website I made for him at www.ussmcgowan.com. It includes his war dairy, photos, information about his ship.

He attended several McGowan reunions where he got to see several of his shipmates and the ship's captain.

He and shipmate Lowery were in the parade for the opening of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans in 2000.

He has a brick in the WW II Memorial in Mercer PA by the Mercer County Court House.

After returning from the Navy he worked as a carpenter with his father in law Troy Stuver for 10 years and then he worked at CB&I (Chicago Bridge & Iron Company) in Greenville  for 33 years until his retirement.

He was involved in the community; as a  Charter Member of the Transfer Voluntary Fire Department, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, an Explorer and Scout Leader.

He enjoyed and followed sports locally and nationally and was involved with Minor League and Little League baseball. He was an avid bowler, golfer, tennis player, roller skater and ping pong player.

He was an outdoorsman, hunting locally and out west in Wyoming. With five friends in 1949 he built a hunting camp “Mi Mo Mo Wi Po”  in Tionesta, PA. He also fished locally and in Canada.

He was also rode motorcycles, attending National BMW Rallies and went on a trip to Mexico with a PA State Trooper and the Head Juvenile Probation Officer in Mercer County.

He also hiked the Continental Divide.