Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)

Subject: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) 1945 - 2025
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 May 25 - 10:59 PM

It took me a little while to connect the dots, because years ago Jenny Williams was JennyO and lived in Australia. But she married and moved to the UK and became Jenny Williams. She wasn't very active on Mudcat after 2018, but did drop in as a guest occasionally.

I noticed a past tense remark about Jenny on a Facebook post by Liz the Squeak and went looking. The following was posted on April 8, 2025 by Sammi Lucille Carter, Jenny's daughter.

Dearest friends Sadly we lost mum after fighting an extremely hard battle with a God awful Bacterial/ Respiratory infection *caused by Strapptococous dysgalactiae along with secondary pneumonia, then treated for Septicemia & other serious health complications in December 2024. She was lucky enough to survive all that because yes she was a fighter . Unfortunately she was extremely weakened by the Sepsis but regardless fought on another 3xmonths back at home with the amazing & thoughtful care of Nurses and Rob Williams who has been an absolute legend. I'm sorry for ours &everyone' loss , to Mum& Rob's friends & family and everyone who was part of Mums life . Yesterday her struggle ended & she got her Angel's wings , love you forever Mum I will miss you soooo much this world won't be the same without you xXxxxx may you Rest in P.e.a.ce. xXxxxxxxx @Jenny Williams 1945 ~2025

Another post a couple of days later from Sammi to the Facebook account of Mudcatter freda underhill:

More info about Jenny Williams from her daughter Sammi:
Hi Amalina , so Mum passed away on Tuesday 8th April 2025. She passed in her sleep, the Doctors & nurses would have made her as comfortable in the hospital as possible as they were treated her as an 'end of life ' on this last hospital admission. It all happened very fast Rob said, he said he would have thought she at least had a couple of more days. I found out the news from my Brother as I was just about to board the Airoplane. I must have sat & cried for a good 4 hours during my Hong Kong stopover. Anyway I've made it to Cossington England now helping Rob clean up a bit and along with Uncle Graham we'll organise a funeral followed by some type of 'music session', Graham suggests . It's a shame Mum won't be there ,I'm truly missing her so much . You were a good friend & found a nice piece of your Artwork xXxxxxx

I'll also share a bit of biographical information plucked from a post by Amalina:

All those festivals, all the singing and laughs xxx thank you You ran the excellent folk club North by Northwest for many years, promoting Australian singers and songwriters. You were part of the Wicca and goddess communities, you sang in the excellent Lemon Tarts with the wonderful Sue Gee who is also grieving. With our friend Pam we were a fearsome threesome, carousing and carrying on ..You joined us with Len Neary, Sandra Nixon, Malcolm Menzies, Judy Pinder, Miguel Heatwole and Margaret Walters and other wonderful singers at the Glengarry Castle singing sessions, and I met you in the Solidarity Choir (remember one performance at St Albans where neither of us knew the song or the tune???)

This post includes monikers from Mudcat that aren't the same on Facebook. If any of the folks I've quoted or referred to want the names changed here, let me know and I can make adjustments.

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) 1945 - 2025
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 May 25 - 11:03 PM

Mudcat posts logged in as JennyO

Posts as GUEST, JennyO

It's quite possible I've missed parts of her history here at Mudcat with the name change, but this is a starting point.

RIP, Jenny.

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) 1945 - 2025
From: GerryM
Date: 22 May 25 - 11:11 PM

If JennyO was who I think she was, I remember her and her husband doing a fine rendition of Paper of Pins at the Loaded Dog folk club (Sandra from Sydney's club) here a few years back. My condolences to all who knew her.

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 May 25 - 11:24 PM

Oh, she was so nice. I'll miss her.

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 23 May 25 - 04:14 AM

Sad news, we chatted on Mudcat chat when it was on the go, and later became FB friends when she moved to the UK and married Rob.
Condolences to Rob and all her family, a sad loss.

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: Acorn4
Date: 23 May 25 - 04:18 AM

We got to know Jenny and Rob well after they regularly attended a Zoom session run by Terry Helyar during and after lockdown.

A great singer who had a fine line in humorous songs as well as the more serious side. Always full of life and a sad loss.

The last I heard Rob was putting up a great fight against pancreatic cancer - Jenny's illness seemed to come suddenly our of the blue.

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 23 May 25 - 05:15 AM

google search "north by north west folk club site:jam.org.au" gives articles Jenny posted & this was one of her best ever concerts -

Les Barker at North by Northwest - JAM - NSW Folk Federation. 1 Apr 2005 — A concert featuring this amazing and popular poet from the UK, this Sunday 17th April, at 2pm at North By Northwest Poetry and Folk Club - at the Cornucopia ...

damn - Unable to connect Firefox can’t establish a connection to the server at jam.org.au - it is a very old site.

I remember Les standing there, smile on his face, booklet in his hand sweltering on a hot night in his thick English cardigan, & we all knew every response!

We had some great nights at North by North West Poetry & Folk Club.

pic of Jenny here at The Dog in 2002 -image 24

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: GUEST,Janie
Date: 24 May 25 - 06:28 AM

So sorry to learn of this. Condolences to Rob, her family, and all who loved her.

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: rich-joy
Date: 24 May 25 - 08:14 PM

We only met once, JennyO, but Go Well and Sing Out in the Great Beyond.
Vale, Jenny.


R-J

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 May 25 - 08:38 PM

My wife and I met Jenny at a song party at her house in Sydney, Australia, and several other sings in and around Sydney for a couple of years.

Our condolences to her friends and family. She was a special person.

Charlie Ipcar and Judy Barrows

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: cnd
Date: 24 May 25 - 09:31 PM

Sandra -- thanks to the magic of the internet, here's an archive of your page: https://web.archive.org/web/20050618180542/http://jam.org.au/moxie/venues/northbynorthwest/les-barker-at-north-by-no.shtml

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 May 25 - 01:05 AM

many thankyous!!! it is wonderful to see it again.

As I want to check some old ads for the Dog I know where to go now & will actually get around to it, rather than just say/think - I really must ...

sandra (very good at procrastinating)

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 25 May 25 - 09:31 AM

Alas, known only from afar, but we connected in Facebook posts and comments and knew each other better on Facebook than via Mudcat posts. My impression is that we had a lot in common besides mutual Mudcat friends.

I already miss her comments at FB. My world becomes a little bit less rich with the passing of each friend.

My very sincere condolences to Rob and her family.

Linn

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 26 May 25 - 10:11 AM

Another good Mudcatter gone. Damn. RIP Jenny

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 27 May 25 - 05:01 AM

I met Jenny and Rob through the Middle Bar Singers at Sidmouth Folk Festival, and looked forward to hearing their songs each year.
There were a good number of tributes posted on the Middle Bar Singers’ Facebook page,(which is a private group), and Rob posted details for her funeral there: it took place on 13th May, so will possibly still be available to view online. I still have the login details if anyone wants them (pm me).
My sincere condolences also to Rob, and hoping for the best for him in his cancer treatment. Also my best wishes to Jenny’s daughter and other friends and family.

Subject: RE: Obit: Jenny Williams (JennyO) (1945-2025)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 May 25 - 07:57 AM

I wish I'd known about this sooner, as there I was blithely oblivious, wishing Rob Happy Birthday on what was the day of Jenny's funeral service. I felt so embarassed when I found out.
I did hear Rob was unwell too, belatedly, so I wish him all the best.