“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the father but through Me.” John 14:6

Born on July 13, 1940, Sharon went home to be with her Savior Jesus Christ on June 9, 2026, surrounded by loved ones, just one month shy of her 86^th birthday.

Sharon was born at home to her loving parents, Amos and Freda (Dobbs) Tate, near Drury, Missouri. Her heart never truly left the beloved Ozark hills and communities of Champion and Drury. Sharon carried a lifelong love and fond memories of roaming and playing in the hills and hollers with her brother, Baxter. Sixteen years later, her sister Sherri was born. A built-in best friend. She wore her “hillbilly” upbringing like a badge of honor—a testament to a life built on grit, simple pleasures, and an unbreakable connection to nature.

After graduating from Mountain Grove High School in 1958, Sharon stepped into a new season of life. She married Jim Lewis, and from their union came her two precious children, Jana Dianne and James Eric. They moved to Springfield in 1966. Years later, a beautiful new chapter unfolded. In 1979, Sharon married Harold Lee Williamson, a union that knit two families into one. With open arms and an expansive, unconditional grace, Sharon received four bonus children into her heart—Kent, Kelly, Joe, and Jill—blending their lives into a beautiful, sprawling legacy of shared love and devotion.

Sharon possessed a profound, lifelong passion for nature. She was an avid birdwatcher and a true student of the outdoors, holding a remarkable knowledge of the world around her. She didn’t just enjoy her flowers and the wildlife; she knew every intricate detail about them. Sharon could identify the birds visiting her yard by sight or song and knew the specific needs and names of every flower she tended. To look at nature through Sharon’s eyes was to see the deliberate craftsmanship of the Creator!

Above all else, Sharon loved her Lord and Savior, walking through life with a gentle spirit anchored firmly in her faith. A woman of profound prayer and grace, she faithfully served her church by teaching children and women’s classes, her every action beautifully reflecting the love and compassion of Christ. Her greatest earthly joy was her family, and her deepest prayer was to see each of them, alongside her dear friends, accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. As a mother, she nurtured her home with unconditional love and steadfast Christian values. As a grandmother and great-grandmother, she was a steady pillar of wisdom, warmth, and endless encouragement, leaving behind a magnificent legacy of faith that will guide her family for generations to come.

Preceded in death by her beloved parents, Amos and Freda Tate, and waiting to welcome her into her Eternal glory was her precious son, James Eric Lewis, with whom she is now joyfully reunited. Sharon’s abundant love lives on in the hearts of those she cherished most, including her devoted husband, Harold Williamson; and her children, Jana Lee and her husband Shannon, Kent Williamson and his wife Paula, Kelly Williamson and his wife Sharon, Joe Williamson, and Jill Williamson. She is also survived by her dear brother, Baxter Tate and his wife Peggy; her sister and lifelong best friend, Sherri Jo Unger; as well as 15 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren who were her absolute pride and joy. Her memory will be forever held close by her two nieces (Pam and Donda), one nephew (Ty), a multitude of cousins, and a vast host of deeply cherished friends.

While our hearts are heavy with her passing, we find profound peace and comfort knowing that she is safely in the arms of Jesus, experiencing the fullness of heavenly joy alongside the loved ones who went before her. Her gentle spirit, her wisdom, and her boundless legacy of love will be forever cherished by all who were blessed to know her.

A service to celebrate Sharon’s life and faith will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026, at Greenlawn Funeral Home East, 3540 E. Seminole, in Springfield.  Visitation will be held 2:00 ~ 3:00 p.m.  Services begin at 3:00 p.m.  Burial will follow at Mount Comfort Cemetery, in Springfield.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Sharon’s honor to Franklin Graham’s Samaritan Purse, a cause close to her heart.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.” – Matthew 25:23

Care has been entrusted to Greenlawn Funeral Home East.