Portrait of Jane Williams. IMB Photo

Jane Williams, an International Mission Board missionary emeritus who shared the gospel in Liberia, died July 10, 2025. She was 87. 

Jane was born May 2, 1938, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to the late Fred R. and Ruby W. Willaims. She graduated from Karns High School in Knoxville; received the Bachelor of Arts from Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City, Tennessee; and attended Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (now Gateway Seminary), Mill Valley, California.  

During the summer before her junior year of high school, Jane felt the Lord leading her to commit her life to mission service anywhere in the world. Following graduation from college, she served as a summer mission volunteer in California before enrolling in Golden Gate seminary. While there, she met graduate student Earl Williams and they were married on March 18, 1961, in the seminary chapel. Shortly after, they moved to northern California where Earl was pastor of Colfax Baptist Church and Jane worked as a substitute teacher. In 1963, they felt led to return to the South where Earl was called as pastor of a church in Louisiana.  

In 1967, the International Mission Board appointed Earl and Jane missionaries to Liberia. Through their ministry there, her family said, many people came to saving faith in Christ and were baptized. 

Jane was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Irvin Earl Williams.  

She is survived by her five children; Susan Wariner (Luis), Joel Williams (Melissa), Timothy Williams (Amy), Pam Johnson (Tommy), and Kenneth Williams (Kristi); 22 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.  

A funeral service was held July 18 at Kilpatrick Funeral Home in West Monroe, Louisiana, with burial in New Chapel Hill Baptist Church Cemetery. 

Donations in her memory may be made to the Lottie Moon Offering, IMB, 3806 Monument Avenue, Richmond, VA 23230, or online at Generosity Resource Center – IMB Generosity.  

Read an obituary here.