WILLMS, JOHANN JACOB “JOHN” PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY WITH HIS LOVING WIFE TINA BY HIS SIDE AT THE LETHBRIDGE REGIONAL HOSPITAL MAY 20, 1996 AT THE AGE OF 84 YEARS.
HE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY TWO DAUGHTERS ELINOR (GEORGE) HOOGE AND KATIE (PETER) KRAUS ALL OF CALGARY, SIX SONS EDWIN (PENNY) OF SCANDIA, JOHN (LaVAUN) OF VANCOUVER, ART (KAREN) OF CALGARY, HERBERT (GLORIA) OF VERNON, WILLI OF PENTICTON AND VIC (KAREN) 0F CALGARY AND A STEP-SON PETER (SARA)PETERS OF WINNIPEG, TWENTY GRANDCHILDREN, FOURTEEN GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, TWO SISTERS MARGARET WILLMS AND HELEN SYMMONDS BOTH OF CALGARY AND MANY OTHER RELATIVES AND FRIENDS.
JOHN WAS BORN FEBRUARY 24, 1912 AT HIERSCHAU IN THE UKRAINE. HE CAME WITH HIS PARENTS JACOB AND HELENE (NEE; JANZEN) TO MEXICO AND IMMIGRATED TO CANADA. AFTER SPENDING ONE YEAR IN SASKATCHEWAN THE FAMILY MOVED TO PINCHER CREEK WHERE THEY FARMED. HIS FATHER PASSED AWAY IN 1932, WHEN HIS MOTHER MOVED THE FAMILY TO COALDALE. AT THE AGE OF 18 YEARS JOHN TOOK THE LORD JESUS AS HIS PERSONAL SAVIOUR INTO HIS HEART AND TWO YEARS LATER HE DECLARED HIS BELIEF AND WAS BAPTIZED BY PASTOR JOHANN TOWS. HIS BAPTISM VERSE WAS REVELATION 2: 10: “BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, AND I WILL GIVE THEE A CROWN OF LIFE”.
JOHN WORKED FOR FIVE YEARS IN COALDALE FOR A BEEKEEPER BEFORE HE STARTED HIS OWN. HE FOUND MUCH HAPPINESS IN HIS WORK. IN I952 HE MOVED CLOSER TO LETHBRIDGE WHERE HE CONTINUED HIS BUSINESS UNTIL HE RETIRED IN 1985. SINCE THEN, GOD HAS GIVEN HIM MANY PEACEFUL AND HAPPY YEARS TO SPEND WITH HIS CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, RELATIVES AND FRIENDS WHICH WERE A CONSTANT SOURCE OF ENJOYMENT FOR HIM.
FUNERAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, MAY 25, 1996 AT 2 P.M, AT COALDALE MENNONITE CONFERENCE CHURCH WITH PASTOR PETER FUNK AND GERALD KLASSEN L.M. OFFICIATING.
INTERMENT TO FOLLOW AT COALDALE CEMETERY.
IF FRIENDS SO DESIRE, DONATIONS IN JOHN’S MEMORY, BE MADE DIRECTLY TO THE ALBERTA CANCER FOUNDATION 1331-29 ST. N. W. CALGARY T2N 9Z9.
VULCAN FUNERAL HOME, DIRECTORS. TELEPHONE 1-402-485-2633.