Lucille J. McWilliams

To watch a recording of the service, please use the link: https://youtu.be/hr8QEAaWLDA 

Lu (Srnsky) McWilliams passed away with her family gathered around her in the Heartland Neighborhood at Woodside Village on May 16^th.

If you knew this lovely woman you were lucky.  If you were raised by her it was a privilege. Lu lived an entire life of dedicating her heart to people around her.  As a young girl she helped care for her parents and siblings while helping with farm chores and having a job so she could contribute to the household.  She married Harold (Tex) McWilliams and they promptly started a family that began with a baby girl.  Over the next twenty years they added nine more kids to make things complete.  It has been said that a woman is born with a natural maternal instinct.  If this is true she was beyond blessed.  She cared for her kids with such a fierce love and loyalty that even though she is gone, every day we will feel it so strongly that she will never truly leave us. That love carried over to the lucky ones we married. Her legacy will forever live on in the way we love and raise our own kids. When her kids were grown her loving heart only multiplied and her grandchildren were blessed to call her Grandma.  She didn’t reserve special treatment for only her family. Everyone she came into contact with was drawn to her and felt a love that only she knew how to give. Always affectionately known as Mama Mac.  She was everyone’s mom. Huge heart, open arms, the sweetest smile, infinite patience.

As if the ten of us didn’t keep her busy enough every summer she’d set up shop in the garage and have a rummage sale that rivaled any thrift store.  People came back year after year.  The shopping was good but the company was better.

We each spent time sitting on her bed, holding her hand and talked about things that we could picture her hands doing. Forming fresh dough into buns, running an iron over a clean shirt, hanging sheets on the clothes line, mixing our birthday cakes, wrapping a present, slicing potatoes, putting on her Oil Of Olay, providing comfort. If we start talking about her Christmas spirit there would be no end because it was magical.

Her quick wit and hilarious one liners kept us laughing. Her organizational skills kept a house of twelve in order at all times.  Her talent in the kitchen kept us in fresh bread, fried potatoes and late night sandwiches after a work shift. Her money managing skills kept us wanting for nothing. Her love of holidays kept our home festive and happy all year long.  All of these things wee gifted to us with only a hug asked for in return.  She gave the best hugs.

Lu is survived by her daughter, Tammy (Wade) Horner; son, Bob (Mary); daughter, Lori (Paul) Johnson; daughter, Donna (Marty) Steen; son, Randy (Dianne); son, Donny (Teresa); son, Roger (Sue); daughter, Karen Lauckner; sons in law, Sam Christley and Jack Jorstad; brother, Bob (Lois) Srnsky; and her many grandchildren.

Lu was preceded in death by her husband, Tex; daughters, Tracy Christley and Diane “Chickie” Jorstad; parents, Libby and Adolph; brothers, Adolph, Leonard, and Art; sisters, Dorothy, Dolly and Alice; grandsons, Timmy and Jimmy Cagle; and son in law, Don Lauckner.

Lu’s family would like to express gratitude to the staff at Woodside Village. Gratitude for not only tending to our mom’s day to day care but also for sharing smiles and laughs on good days but also for giving hugs and holding her hand on the hard ones.  With love and appreciation, thank you.

Memorial services will be 11:00 AM Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at Amundson Funeral Home of Grand Forks. Visitation will be for the hour before the service in the funeral home.