Willems, Anna Isaac (1896-1945)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1945 Dec 13 p. 3

Birth date: 1896 Mar 20

text of obituary:

Mrs. A. F. Willems

Anna, daughter of Abraham T. and Marie Isaac, was born March 20, 1896, in McPherson county, Kansas, and passed away in Greensburg, Kans. November 17, 1945, at the age of 49 years, 7 months and 28 days. She was united in marriage to Abraham F. Willems on March 14, 1945.

To this union were born six children: Esther, (Mrs. Roy Selzer) Protection, Kans.; Abraham, Exeter School, Lafayette, Rhode Island; Aaron, Protection, Kans.; Rosalena, Ezra and Johnnie of the home. She leaves to mourn her loss her bereaved husband, four sons, two daughter, two daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, three grandchildren, one brother Pete Isaac, Greensburg; two sisters, Mrs. Sara Adrain [sic Sarah Adrian], Dinuba, Calif.; Mrs. Mary Fedrau, Reedley, California, and many other relatives and friends.

She accepted Christ as her personal Saviour at the age of twelve years, to whom she was faithful to her very end. December 12, 1909, she united with the K. M. B. church near Inman, Kansas. In the year 1916 the family moved to Greensburg, Kansas, on a farm. On March 22, 1936, she and her husband united with the Calvary Mennonite church in Greensburg.

She was a loving wife and mother. No sacrifice was to [sic] great for her. She was always ready to help others that suffered. She was ever concerned that her children walk in the way of the Lord. She prayed much for her family and for the work of the church. A consoling verse for her during her life and for the family now is, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.”

She was active in church and Sunday School work as long as her health permitted. She was of much help in church work. She was ailing for several years, but her end came suddenly as the result of a cerebral hemorrhage. She has overcome, as is written in Rev. 14:13, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” One of her favorite songs was, “When I Get to the End of the Way.” She read much in her Bible which gave her joy to look ahead, as the poet says in a poem she liked:

The hills ahead look hard and steep and high,
And often we behold them with a sigh;
But as we near them, level grows the road,
We find on every slope with every load,
The hills abroad look harder than they are.

Her prayer was;

Lord, for tomorrow and its needs, I do not pray
Keep me, my God, from stain of sin
Just for today,
Now set a seal upon my lips, for this I pray
Keep me from wrong or idle words
Just for today,
Let me be slow to do my will
Prompt to obey.
And keep me, guide, use me, Lord,
Just for today.

Funeral services were held Nov. 21, at the Calvary Mennonite church. The services were in charge of the Brethren E. M. Yost, P. A. Friesen and Samuel Janzen. Interment in the Greensburg cemetery.