Obituary of Ronald E. Williamson

Ronald Eldon Williamson was born on June 4th, 1943, in Portland, Oregon. He was the second son to Eldon and Helen (Ball) Williamson. At the age of 2 his family moved onto the farm which would be his home for the vast majority of his life. The four siblings Lloyd, Ron, Janice, and Ken would grow up to raise dairy cows and be active members in FFA and 4H. While attending Hillsboro High School (’61) he became close friends with Ted Sahlfeld and was later introduced to Ted’s cousin, Margaret Waibel. After dating for five years and supporting Marg while in nursing school, they were married on Feb 17, 1968, at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church in Hillsboro. After their wedding Marg returned to Eugene to finish nursing school, while Ron stayed in Hillsboro driving a feed truck for Western Farmers. Early in 1970, Ron moved his growing family back to the family farm to start planting berries and other row crops. Over the course of 10 years, Ron and Marg grew their family to include Jolene, Jeff, Jennifer, John Paul, Jill, and James. Over the years Ron successfully farmed strawberries, cane berries, beans and corn. The family sold their produce at the family stand which became a staple in the community starting at Cook’s Market. Each kid, and including future spouses took turns in managing the stand, running to pick up berries from the fields and call local stores for berries orders. Ron always loved that his berries were a part of so many happy occasions, plus he taught his children so many valuable lessons on how to count money back to customers and to always treat them right. One of Ron’s greatest joys was when the grandchildren began to arrive. He loved babies and was always the first to hold and comfort the little ones. You had to be careful as he would likely fill their pockets with candy too. Ron was always the first to arrive when anyone needed help whether it be driving to Montana, fixing a water pipe, or getting a toy out of a toilet. Ron’s handyman skills were unmatched. Two of Ron’s defining values were faith and education. He became Catholic before he got married, with his Wedding Day being the day he received his First Communion. Many Sundays, while Marg had to work, he would take 6 kids to Mass. The night before he passed, we were blessed to have one more Mass together as a family. Ron’s passion for education was instilled into his children at an early age. He was born with dyslexia and struggled through school, but he wanted the best education for his children and all 6 went through 12 years of Catholic education and then they all went onto graduate from various Colleges. Ron was a fiercely loyal man who fought for his beliefs and family. On his 70th birthday, he was told his heart was failing and he needed a new one. Ron was determined to beat the odds, which he successfully did through sheer determination and working with his doctors. Ron is survived by his wife, Margaret (Marg), his six children, Jolene (Gregg), Jeff (Kerri), Jennifer, John Paul (Monica), Jill (Bill), and James (Lindsey) and 20 grandchildren. There will be a viewing on Friday, June 10, 2022 starting at 10:00 am at St. Matthew Catholic Church, 475 SE Third Ave, Hillsboro. A Rosary will follow the viewing at 10:30 am, then the Funeral Mass will be at 11:00 am. Military Honors and interment will follow the Mass at 1:00 pm at the St. Matthew's Catholic Cemetery, 3355 SE Rood Bridge Rd, Hillsboro. Everyone is invited to the Williamson family farm for a reception following the cemetery services at 2:00 pm. Memorials in Ron's name would be appreciated to the Oregon Branch International Dyslexia Association. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=VWJKB7YZ5LNBQ