WILLEMS, Gerhard 1865-1958

WILLEMS, SWYTER, ROSKAMP

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 5/1/2016 at 22:17:54

Gerhard Willems, 92, Passes Away Mon.; Funeral Wednesday

Gerhard Willems died Monday at the age of 92 years and five months in Allen Memorial hospital, Waterloo, where he had been taken January 4, following a fall in which he fractured his hip. He was a lifelong resident of this area.

Funeral services were held Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Brandt Funeral Home and at 1:30 p.m. at the East Friesland church, with the Rev. C. F. Siemsen officiating. Burial was in the East Friesland cemetery.

Mr. Willems, the son of Bohle and Martha Swyter Willems, was born August 29, 1865 in Clay Township, Hardin county, Iowa. On January 6, 1887, he and Antje Roskamp were married. They farmed in Grundy county for 50 years, then retired in 1937 and moved to Abbott, where Mrs. Willems died the same year. In 1946, Mr. Willems moved to Ackley where he spent the rest of his life.

Mr. and Mrs. Willems were the parents of twelve children, three of whom, Hans, Claas and Hannes preceded him in death.

Surviving are six daughters and three sons: Martha, (Mrs. Will Jutting), Maggie, (Mrs. John Beving), Bohle Willems, Hattie (Mrs. Louie Schultz), George and Jake Willems, all of Ackley; Lucy (Mrs. John Ross), Sarah (Mrs. Jerry Lutterman) and Annie (Mrs. John Jutting), all of Wellsburg; 25 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren.

--Ackley World-Journal (Ackley, Iowa), 13 February 1958, pg 1