Willms, Peter John (1943-1971)

Mennonite Brethren Herald obituary: 1971 Sep 24 p. 30

Birth date: 1943 May 03

text of obituary:

PETER JOHN WILLMS

Peter John Willms was born on May 3, 1943, in Coaldale, Alta. Three years later the family moved to Chilliwack, B.C. He attended the Mennonite Educational Institute at Clearbrook, B.C., and graduated from Bethany Bible School, Hepburn, Sask., in 1965.

Under the influence of Rev. C. C. Peters at M.E.I. he began to take a sincere interest in Christ. At the age of 17 he accepted Christ as his Saviour and shortly afterwards dedicated his life to the Lord during a Janz Team Crusade. He also followed the Lord in baptism and joined the Chilliwack (B.C.) Church.

On July 1, 1966, he married Rosalie Block, whom he had met at Bible school. They felt that God was calling them to serve the church at Foam Lake, Sask. They spent two very rewarding years there, before moving to Saskatoon where Peter resumed his pilots training for a year, receiving his commercial and instructor's rating. They spent the next two years in Regina where Peter instructed in flying and received his instrument rating. During this time two of his former instructors were killed in a plane crash. This affected Peter very deeply, but he was convinced that he had a ministry for God in flying.

In April, 1971, Peter obtained a job with NorCanAir in Prince Albert, Sask. One of his responsibilities was to help fight forest fires with a water-bomber. It was while serving in this capacity at Pine Point, Northwest Territories on September 1, that the plane he was co-piloting collided with another plane in the dense smoke of the fire, and Peter was suddenly called home to glory.

He leaves to mourn his wife, Rosalie; his three-month-old son, Steven; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wilmms of Chilliwack, B.C.; three brothers, Walter of Kamloops, B.C., and Victor and Henry of Chilliwack, B.C.; one sister, Irma of Chilliwack; his parents-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Jake Block of Borden; four sisters-in-law, Mrs. Walter Willms of Kamloops, Mrs. Irene Penner of Sandspit, B.C., and Violet and Karen of Borden, Sask., three brothers-in-law, John Penner of Sandspit and James and John Block of Borden; and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Pe1er Epp of Chilliwack and Mrs. Elizabeth Block of Saskatoon.