>WILLIAMS, Marjorie Ann Logan, longtime citizen of the world, loving mother, grandmother, great-grand-mother and bon vivant, passed from this world to the next March 24, 2007, after a long battle with emphysema (acquired from smoking). Born September 1, 1924, to Juanita Robson and John A. Logan of LaGrange, Texas, she was a hard-driving and stubborn lady from the start. She graduated from LaGrange High School in 1941 as valedictorian and went on to the University of Texas, receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1945, with not one but four majors, government, history, both lifelong interests, economics and Spanish. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa and was a member of the Orange Jackets, Mortar Board and other honorary, music and literary societies. Life in Austin being too pedantic, she went on to take a job with Eastern Airlines and worked as a stewardess, the old name for a flight attendant, before deciding that, while traveling was exciting, it was not mentally fulfilling. She saw an ad for a stock broker training school while working at the Statler Hotel in Washington, D.C., and applied. She was accepted, but noticed that, at that time, women were not allowed on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. She went straight to managing partner Winthrop Smith of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Beane, who took it to the board, and after the completion of her six-month training course, she lead the first nine women out onto the floor of the NYSE during trading hours, a first in the exchange' s 150-year history. She went to work in Detroit, Mich., for Merrill Lynch, and her first child, Philip Cyrus Simpson, was born there in 1954 following her marriage to her first husband, Sydney E. Simpson. Philip would be adopted by her second husband and renamed John Phillip Williams following her return to Texas in 1955. She married her second husband, Dr. Edward T. Williams, in 1957, and they had two children together, Lucia Leigh Williams in 1957 and Bruce Gilman Williams in 1959. She was also the stepmother of Dr. Williams' first son, Edward "Bill" T. Williams III, born 1943. Ted preceded her in death in 1970. Not content with the homemaker' s role, she began teaching in the LaGrange Independent School District in 1964. Initially, Marge taught fifth grade, but for the majority of her teaching career she was in high school, where she taught economics, history and government. She was a lifelong learner and returned to the University of Texas and obtained her Master of Arts degree in 1970. She fought for and successfully established the first academic lettering program at the high school. She taught for 16 years, resigning in protest in 1980 over unfair labor practices. She was continually active in publishing and editing numerous articles in "Texana," "American Heritage" and the "Southwest Historical Quarterly," as well as being co-author of the textbook "Texas: The Land and the People." She was perhaps most proud of her high school students, however, who published, "Fayette County, Past & Present," which she edited. She was also honored for these contributions as well as numerous activities in the community, secretary of the advisory council at Winedale, president of the board of directors of the Fayette Heritage Museum and Archives, secretary-treasurer and president of the LaGrange Cemetery Association, establishing the first chapter of the Daughters of the American Revoloution in Fayette county, establishing and becoming president of the Hospital Auxiliary, co-chairman of the Fayette County Historical Commission, among many others, with the title "Woman of the Year for 1978." Regionally, she was program chair for the Texas State Historical Association in that same year and was inducted into the international honor society of Delta Kappa Gamma. Her retirement from teaching was a great turning point in her career, as rather than sit and retire in the archives in LaGrange, she decide to travel the world and did so in 1980, completing a circumnavigation in a little more than 80 days. This perspective allowed her to see the next horizon, however: law school. Ignoring all naysayers, she applied to and was accepted at all seven schools in the state and entered the University of Texas in 1982, graduating in 1985. 1985 was a momentous year for Marjorie, as she would not only pass the bar exam, but would do so with a major head injury acquired during a taxi accident in Austin! She would recover, however, and went to work for the Texas Legislative Council in 1986, leaving to work for a state legislator in 1988. She retired again in 1994 and moved to Laguna Hills, Calif., to Leisure World. She was not going to a sleepy retirement, however. She immediately became part of numerous clubs and activities at Leisure World including the DAR, secretary and regent, American Association of University Women, historian and parliamentarian, Community Association, College Club, Mac-Users Group, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Colonial Dames, Daughters of the Republic of Texas and Historical Society, serving as archivist. For her service to these committees and Leisure World, she was named "Leisure Worlder of the Month" for October of 1999. Her service to the Aachives were recognized not only by the society, Life Achievement Award 2000, but also by an article on her activity from the Los Angeles Times Orange County edition December 12, 2000. Finally, in 1999, she ran for and was elected to the California Senior Legislature, a shadow group composed entirely of seniors that proposes legislation of importance to seniors. She introduced two bills; one added seniors to the targeted populatlons for environmental impact of new state programs and policies, and the second required that the consumer guide to funeral and cemetery purchases be available by telephone, Internet, computer and any other form of electronic requests. The latter was enacted! She also served on the Orange County Senior Citizens Advisory Council and was a member of the legislative committee. As her health gradually deteriorated, she returned first to her native Texas and finally to Pennsylvania to a retirement home, St. Barnabus Villages, where she was living at the time of her death. Not surprisingly, she was organizing an archives for St. Barnabus when she died. Margie is survived by her brother, the Rev. Canon John A. Logan of Houston, Texas; her four children, Edward "Bill" T. Williams III, M.D., and his wife, Janice, of Tampa, John P. Williams, M.D., and his wife, Valerie, of Pittsburgh, Pa., Lucia L. Williams, M.D., of Jacksonville, Texas, and Bruce G. Williams of Colorado Springs, Colo.; nine grandchildren, Ian Williams of Tampa, Allison Shamblin and her husband, Keith, of Tampa, Colin Williams and his wife, Maureen, of Orlando, Fla., Lauren Signorino of Jacksonville, Brynna M. Williams of Houston, Alex Williams of Jacksonville, Connor Trott of Gibsonia, Pa., Eleanor Williams of Jacksonville, and Victoria Trott of Gibsonia; and two great-grandchildren, Kate C. and Reid Shamblin of Tampa. Flowers may be sent to Koenig-Strickland Funeral Home, 208 W. Pearl St., LaGrange, TX 78945, and donations will be accepted at a later date for an educational fund to be set up in Marjorie' s name. If you wish to donate, please send your name and contact information to Dr. John P. Williams, M.D., 5004 W. Grove Lane, Gibsonia, PA 15044. Viewing will be 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday, March 31, 2007, at Koenig -Strickland, with the funeral to follow at 2 p.m. in St. James Episcopal Church. Interment will take place at LaGrange City Cemetery.