Charles S Williams

Charles Samuel Williams

September 13, 1942-September 17, 2018

Charles Samuel Williams was born September 13, 1942 to parents, Charles Albert Williams and Theresa (Pingitore) Williams. He was raised in Rescue California with his sister and three brothers. It was as a boy that a teacher of Charles’s introduced him to the life of the honeybee which would become a life-long passion. Charles grew up amongst many aunts and uncles including Uncle Archie and Aunt Mildred who cared for and loved him as one of their own. After graduating from high-school, Charles joined the Army where he became a paratrooper with the 82^nd Airborne as well as the division’s mess cook. Following the military, Charles continued as a chef, eventually coming to work at Bay Bridge Resort in Shasta Lake, California. During this time, he also resumed his education in and practice of beekeeping. Eventually, Charles felt drawn to the ministry, leaving behind his career as a chef to fully pursue ministry and beekeeping. Charles moved to Colorado where he founded Wilderness Ranch Ministries a multi-faceted ministry that operated an adoption agency, a food bank, a work program, and his true passion; a boy’s ranch for wards of the state and troubled boys, housing and educating up to twenty boys at a time. During his work with the boy’s ranch, Charles himself raised seventeen boys, adopting five; Larry, Scott, Tony, Chris, and Jimmy. Charles used beekeeping as a therapy for his boys and a way to support the ministry. Eventually, Charles took his ministry and his beekeeping to Idaho, where he continued to provide assistance and support to the community. In his later years, Charles lived with his son, Larry, in Oregon where he continued to be a beekeeper and a beloved figure in every community he lived in. He always had comfort, advice, education, a story, a smile, or if needed, a lecture for those who needed it. He was dearly loved and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his mother, Theresa;  sister, Phyllis; brother, David;  sons, Larry, Scott, Tony, and Chris; six grandchildren; a great-grandson; many nieces, nephews and cousins; and an innumerable multitude of people who’s lives were made better by his presence.

“Rest in the Lord”

Psalm 37

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