Max Williams

November 8, 2024

 Graveside funeral services for Max Williams will be held at 11:00 a.m. MST, Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at the Holly, Cemetery in Holly, Colorado. 

Max Shane Williams was born August 21, 1940 to Roy O. and Thelma L. (Hager) Williams in Wellington, Kansas and went to live with his Lord Jesus on November 7, 2024 at the age of 84.  

Max graduated from Holly High School in 1958.  He joined the Navy where he was honorably discharged after 4 years of service as a 3rd Class E4 Hospital Corpsman.  Max married his high school sweetheart and to that marriage was born three daughters, Vicki, Kammie, and Tara.  Max attended college at Colorado State University in Fort Collins and Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado, majoring in animal science.  He then went to California for Farrier School. Maxheld jobs as a farm laborer, worked in feedlots, taught ag and was a meat inspector for the USDA.   He received his Master’s Degree at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas while teaching the art of blacksmithing, forge work and horseshoeing at the college. Max returned to Cimarron, Kansas and founded his own shoeing school, Shod Right.  He developed lasting relationships with many of his students, even traveling a couple of times to Australia to visit with a former student and friend.  The Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association entered Max into their Master Educator Member and Hall of Fame Inductee in 2012. He had several articles in Farrier magazines.  Max was also invited to many different places to shoe many types of horses and teach staff at places in India, St. Lucia Island and West Virginia.   Max was a farrier and blacksmith by trade, but he also loved teaching others how to properly trim and shoehorses.  He was a master and taught students how to make horse shoes from just a bar of metal and make corrective shoes for just about any hoof problems.  Max was a perfectionist when it came to shoeing a horse or in the forge and many people have a special twisted piece of iron that he had made them.   When he could no longer physically perform his trade and retired in 2017, he took a position as a Para at the Cimarron Schools where he enjoyed the staff and students until his passing.  He was tough and lived through more than his allotted “9 Lives”.  Max thought he would live to see Jesus come back but he got the jump and gets to be in heaven earlier.  He shared the Gospel with many and his prayers were that his friends and family accept the Lord Jesus as their Savior and meet him again in heaven.  

Max was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Terry and just by hours, Ferris.  Max is survived by his daughters, Vicki Berry (MikeHarkness) of Scott City, Kansas, Kammie (Claude) Cathcart and Tara Neugebauer, both of Holly, Colorado;  grandchildren, Ashley Pecina, Christopher Campbell, Kallie Cathcart, Jace (Lonnie) Cathcart, Tack Neugebauer, Taylor Neugebauer, Madysyn Neugebauer and Makynna Neugebauer; great grandchildren, Autumn Veal, DraeVynn Pecina, Daunte Maldonado, Dominique Maldonado, Tristen, Rustynn, andTate Cathcart; as well as nephews, nieces and a host of friends.

Memorial Donations are requested in lieu of flowers to either Gray County EMS or Holly Pride Committee in care of Valley Funeral and Cremation, P.O. Box 950, Lamar, CO 81052.  To leave online condolences, please visit www.valleyfuneralcremation.com.