Darlene Thurman Williams

Joyce Darlene Thurman Williams, 85, of Charleston, Missouri, died Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Missouri.

Born on July 17, 1940, in Anniston, Missouri, to Lindsay P. “Boydie” Thurman and Bertha Ann Littrell Thurman, Darlene grew up in Anniston and attended school there before graduating from Charleston High School, where she proudly served as a cheerleader. She began her working life as a young woman at Warren’s Café, later becoming a dedicated aide at Bertrand Nursing Center. She spent the final 23 years of her career at Walmart before retiring. A woman of deep Nazarene faith, she remained active at the Church of the Nazarene in Charleston until the church closed.

On June 25, 1994, Darlene married Wendell Curtis Williams, who survives at their home in Charleston. She is also survived by her children, Lindsay “Linnie” Cross and Renee Cross Medina; a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren; her brother, Monte (Janie) Thurman; her sister, Ann Thurman Oliver; her nieces, Leslie Butler and Ashley (Randy) Casey; and many cousins and extended family members.

In addition to her parents, Darlene was preceded in death by her son, Richard Edward Cross, her nephew, Mark Todd Butler, and her brother-in-law, David Oliver. She will be remembered as a hardworking, faithful woman who cherished her family and her roots in the small communities of southeast Missouri.