Contact Us / Location
330-18th Street North
Brandon, MB R7A 7P3
Phone: 204-727-0330
Fax: 204-725-0971
J. W. Wesselius
In Memory of
J. W. "Bill"
Wesselius
1934 - 2018
Memorial Candle Tribute From
Memories Chapel
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Family Sonnenschein
"Our condolences to the family. Bill was a kind man. "
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Anke Tuininga
"Thinking about all of you; Dianne, Janet, Peter, Alynne, and the brothers and se"
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Chris, Ailsa and kids, Michelle and Brenda
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Obituary for J. W. "Bill" Wesselius

J. W. "Bill"  Wesselius
With much sadness, the family announces the passing of Jeremias Wilhelmus (Bill) Wesselius on September 18, 2018 at the Brandon Regional Health Centre. He was 84.

Bill and his twin brother Hendricus (Henk) were born on June 30, 1934 in the Haarlemmermeer area, the Netherlands to Jeremias Wilhelmus (Wim) Wesselius and Janneke Jannigje (Jannie) de Blaeij. Henk and Bill were the sixth and seventh children of nine, and grew up near the small village of Oude Wetering.

When Bill was just six years old, the Netherlands were invaded by Germany; he and his family lived through the Nazi occupation for five years. After their schooling, the twins apprenticed in the shipbuilding trade. Sadly, Henk suddenly passed away in 1952 and Bill undertook his mandatory military service without his beloved twin. The life-changing experience of losing Henk brought Bill to consider emigration. He chose Canada, a country he felt connected to because it had liberated Holland. In 1955, he boarded a ship bound for Montreal and from there travelled to Brandon where his older brother Andy was already living.

On an afternoon at Delta Beach, he met Dian te Hennepe, who became the love of his life. They married just four months later on December 5, 1958. Their daughter Alynne was born in 1960, followed by a son, Henry, in 1962; he passed away a short time later. Janet was born in 1964 followed by Cornell (1965), Eric (1967), Darren (1969), and William (1971). Two weeks after William’s birth, Alynne died suddenly. In 1972, another son Charles joined the family.

After working in Brandon a few years, Bill became the manager of a hog farm near Shilo in 1962 and the family lived there until 1993. When the farm closed, he worked at the Green Spot in Brandon for several years before retiring to their farm home northeast of Forrest. He and Dian read voraciously, gardened, spent time with friends and family and took many trips to visit their children, as well as to visit family in the Netherlands and Michigan.

Bill was a quiet, kind man whose demeanour belied his mischievous sense of humour. He had an amazingly strong work ethic, and his deep faith was an important part of his life. He cherished his family, and his children and grandchildren were a delight to him. He worked hard, lived simply, loved deeply and leaves a legacy of devotion, honour and integrity.

Bill was predeceased by his daughter Alynne, his son Henry, his parents, his brothers Carel, Dirk, Cees and Henk, an infant sister Maartje and his sisters-in-law Hilda and Aly. He is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Dian; his daughter Janet Catherina (Peter Sinnema), his sons Henry Cornell (Shaunna deGroot), Eric Harvey (Julie Kentner), Darren Gerard (Gaylen Eaton), Jeremias Wilhelmus (called William), and Charles Abram (Susan Robinson); his grandchildren Jonathan, Samaira, Katherine, Heather, Alynne, Anneke, Rebecca and Cornell (called Cees); and his great-granddaughters Teyla and Danika. He is also survived by his older brother Andries (Maria) in Brandon and his elder sister Catharina, his younger brother Gerardus, his brothers-in-law Bill te Hennepe (Kathy) and Jack te Hennepe (Sherry) and many nieces and nephews in Canada, the United States and the Netherlands.

A private family interment will be held at Rosewood Cemetery in Brandon. The funeral will be held at Memories Chapel, 330-18th Street North at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 29th. A reception will follow.

The family would like to extend their thanks to the staff at the Brandon Regional Health Centre and to the palliative care staff at the Assiniboine Centre for their kind, thoughtful and attentive care. Bill had a strong commitment to social justice; in lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s memory can be made to Citizens for Public Justice at www.cpj.ca.

“Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.” Isaiah 57:2