Cordula Margaret Schwebach Williamson was born October 17, 1923 on the family farm outside Dell Rapids, SD. She was the fourth of eight children of Anna and Joseph Schwebach (Isabel, Joseph, MaryAnn, Cordula, Urban, Helen, Joan, and Clare).
She moved to New York City when she was 17 and held a variety of jobs over the years working for General Motors during WWII, Macy’s flagship store in Manhattan and even marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
She married Walter Robert Williamson on April 8, 1953. They had two daughters, Cara and Lisa Williamson. Their family moved from New York and lived in the Washington D.C. and Chicago suburbs over the years. In 1975, Cordula and Walter travelled around the world including parts of both Europe and Asia. They retired in Florida where they were active in their church and community. They eventually moved back to Washington, DC to be closer to their daughter, Lisa.
Cordula was always a farm girl at heart. She loved to garden and could grow any kind of plant. She was also a great cook. She learned many different styles of cooking and collected recipes from all over the world. Although she was quiet and did not do a lot of socializing, many people liked her for her good sense and pleasantness. She almost never complained and was always willing to help anyone with any kind of task. She was very faithful and had a special devotion to family and prayer.
Cordula’s husband, Walter, passed away on December 10, 2002 at the nursing home where he was being cared for, 4 months before their 50th wedding anniversary. She lived with her daughter Lisa until her death on November 24, 2014.
She is survived by her daughters Lisa Williamson, Cara Perille (Peter); granddaughters Catherine and Eileen Perille; brother Urban Schwebach (Rosemary), sisters MaryAnn Louiseau, Helen Hattervig, Joan Brown and Clare Hubert as well as many beloved nieces and nephews.
Her cremains are being interred at St. Mary Cemetery, Dell Rapids on Saturday, May 30, 2015 at 11 a.m. Condolences may be left at www.kahlerfh.com.