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April 25, 1953- John and Dolores Willems with Dolores' sister Ruth Pupp
as maid of honor, and John Werner, best man. |
John M. Willems rode up to Milwaukee with Herman, Elizabeth, John and Bob Werner, with the two grandsons taking turns driving. The day of John and Dolores' wedding arrived, April 25, 1953. Family and friends gathered at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Milwaukee for the wedding. A reception followed, so the couple spent their wedding night at the nearby Dreamland Motel before heading to their honeymoon in Illinois at Starved Rock State Park.
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| John Werner, Ruth Pupp, John S., Dolores, and John M. Willems |
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| 1953 Adults L-R Phillip, Anne, Irene, and Regina Willems |
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Circa 1952, Phillip and Phyllis (back)
Frannie, Ruth, Irene, and Phillip Willems |
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1953 Hedy and Mary Willems in a wagon made
by their father Ollie and Papa Willems |
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| John M. Willems, circa 1954 |
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| John Martin Willems and granddaughter Mary Willems, Ca.1954 |
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| 1953 Matt and Tince's children- David, Charlotte, Betty, Alice Jo, and Patsy |
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March 1953 Bill, Mary, and Hedy play on the well of the John M. Willems farm.
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1954 Zola Mae with Susan Willems,
firstborn of John and Dolores Willems |
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| John M. Willems and grandson Bill Willems |
Papa used to drape his coat over a heater or stove. The house was so large with the fourteen rooms, that it had many stoves and heaters. Anna Marie received a gift of a chinchilla coat from Papa one year. Anna Marie made the mistake just once of doing the same with her fur. It started quite a blaze but was extinguished before it did more than minor damage.
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| Circa 1954, Margaret Willems |
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1954 Anna Marie with
6 month old Jimmy Bub |
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1954 L-R Dolores Willems, her mother Agnes Pupp, Irene Willems, Anne Willems, and Geneva Willems
and a friend, Audrey Zubalik. |
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| 1954, Matt and Tince Willems in the cotton field with their son, David |
Down in Louisville, Margaret Willems met a young man who was in the US Army stationed at nearby Fort Knox. Linus John Grathwohl, a native of Minnesota, was the son of a farmer. He enlisted in the army on December 16, 1953, spent some time as an MP in Germany and was released from service on September 30, 1955.
Then on November 26, 1955, Margaret, age 29, married twenty eight year old Linus Grathwohl. They were married by the priest she worked for, and were wed in Louisville at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church. Margaret's Papa, though at the time was not happy she left the convent, proudly walked her down the aisle. See the newspaper clipping for other wedding attendees.
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| Mr. & Mrs. Linus Grathwohl |
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| click on article to enlarge |
By the end of 1955, all eleven of John Martin Willems surviving twelve children were married. The seventy four year old was a grandfather many, many times over. Catherine's son Bill, who was born in 1924 was the first of the grandchildren, the last would be born in 1966. The local grandchildren he saw at the very least on Sunday when they and their parents would come for Sunday dinner, after Sunday Mass, a family day of play and visiting. The grandchildren, who most usually called him "Papa" despite his being their Grandpa, enjoyed sliding down the banister, playing near the well and cistern. There were outbuildings to explore and interesting things to do. Papa's children and grandchildren who lived out of state came for visits almost every year, often staying a week or more.
One day Anna Marie was visiting with her sons Chuck, Mike, and Jimmy. At the same time Anne and Ollie were visiting with Hedy, Bill, and Mary. Bill and Chuck who were born about 15 months apart palled around quite a bit. While exploring their grandfather's farm the pair discovered a dog shut up in one of the outbuildings whining to get out. They immediately released her not knowing she was in heat and keeping her locked up was an attempt at doggy birth control. When their grandpa discovered she was out he asked the two why they'd released her. They calmly replied "Because she wanted out", and didn't get in any trouble whatsoever.
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| May 1956, Phillip and Irene with godson, Stephen Willems |
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Circa 1956, Frannie, Ruth, Irene,(front)
and Phyllis, Phil, and Phillip Willems, (rear) |
A family reunion was held at the Willems homeplace in August of 1957. It was a grand time of fun with siblings reuniting and cousins who lived in different states getting to know each other better.
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Justin and Geneva with (back) Abe, Julia, and Martin,
and Theresa and Linda (front) |
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Frank and Regina Willems (back) with their children:
Mary, Ramona, Dennis, and Dolores, (middle);
Joan, Rose, and John (front) |
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| Louise (back), Alice Jo, and David with their parents Tince and Matt Willems |
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| Dolores and John Willems with daughter Susan, and son Steve |
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| Barbara and her mother Catherine Willems Schwartz, Aug 1957 |
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August 1957, Fred and Ceil Willems with sons
Edwin, Gregory, Gary, and Larry |
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August 1957, John Martin and Zola Mae Willems and family L-R:
Anna Marie, Justin, Catherine, John, Matt, Aloys, Frank, Fred, and Elizabeth |
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| Clockwise from front-Justin, Frank, John, Matt, Papa John M. Willems in his favorite chair, Aloys, and Fred |
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| The Willems family reunion attendees, August 1957 |
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| John Stephen Willems at the homeplace, Circa 1957 |
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Circa 1957, Zola Mae, granddaughter Susan,
and John M. Willems |
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| 1950s Zola Mae and Lassie |
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| Papa feeds granddaughter Linda Grathwohl, circa 1957 |
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Margaret, Linus and baby Linda Grathwohl
visit John M. and Zola M. Willems in Paris |
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| Phillip and Irene, circa 1957 |
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1957, Dolores, John S., Zola M., and John M. Willems
and Dolores' parents Albert and Agnes Pupp
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| 1958, Siblings Frank and Anna Marie |
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| Circa 1958, Regina and Geneva Willems |
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1958, L-R, Fred Lester, Greg, Fred, Cecilia, Edwin,
Larry, and Gary Willems |
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1958-Linus, Linda, Margaret Grathwohl,
Aloys, Hedy, Mary, and Bill Willems |
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| Frank Willems with Joan, Dennis, and John |
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| 1958 Hank and Anna Marie Bub |
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| 1958 Margaret, Linda, and Linus Grathwohl |
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| Zola Mae and John Martin Willems, circa 1958 |
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| Phillip and Abbot Michael Lensing at Subiaco |
Phillip Willems became ill and today would have been put on dialysis. Sadly, his life was cut short on February 6, 1959 by kidney failure. When Abbot Michael Lensing heard about his good friend's death, and how he'd seen Jesus the day before his passing, he left Subiaco and headed north, driving the 800 miles to pay his respects at his good friend's funeral despite the cold and snowy weather.
Left to mourn his passing were his widow Irene, and children Phyllis, Phil, Frannie, and Ruth. Phillip and Irene were two months shy of their 24th wedding anniversary. Phillip was missed as a loving husband and father. He was laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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| Phillip's obituary in the Falk Corporation newsletter |
John Martin Willems health had been failing. It wasn't a shock to any of the family when finally he was bedridden most of the time. Zola Mae, who was an LPN, took care of her husband and saw to it the doctor called on him as needed. Finally it came that he needed around the clock care. Death was imminent. Family and friends stepped up to help. One of these was Charlotte Willems, Papa's granddaughter by son Matt. Charlotte had graduated nurses training and was living in Fort Smith when she and her roommate would drive over on weekends to give Zola Mae a break. Finally at peace, John M. Willems died May 18, 1959.
His death record states the cause of death as cerebral hemorrhage due to hypertension and arteriosclerosis with diabetes mellitus as a contributing factor. Papa's death was mostly viewed as a blessing, with family concerned about Zola Mae, then age 65, who was exhausted from the ordeal. It was decided the funeral should be three days later, on May 21st to allow the out of town family members time to travel to Paris.
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| John and Anna's marker at St. Joseph's Cemetery |
Prominent
Layman Dies
In Paris, Ark.
Paris, Ark.—Seventy-seven-year old John M. Willems, one of western
Arkansas’ most prominent Catholic laymen, died here last Monday.
He was a successful farmer, an influential political and
civic leader, and had remained active in church affairs until his death.
Mr.
Willems’ funeral was conducted yesterday morning at St. Joseph’s Church
here. The pastor, The Reverend Cletus
Post, O.S.B., offered a Solemn Requiem Mass, with The Rev. Father Hilary,
O.S.B., and The Rev. Father Stephen, O.S.B. as Deacon and Subdeacon
respectively. The Right Reverend Michael
Lensing, O.S.B., Abbot of New Subiaco Abbey, preached the sermon.
Mr.
Willems was president of the Catholic Union of Arkansas for many years and he
served in the Arkansas State legislature in 1911, 1913,and 1933. He retired last year as president of the
McLean’s Bottom Levee Board after 44 years service. In this capacity he had been instrumental in
negotiating construction of levees along the Arkansas River to protect farmland
six miles north of Paris from recurring floods.
Mr.
Willems was born in Luxembourg, Germany. July 15,1881. He was brought to the United States at the
age of two and his family settled in Cuba, Kansas. During his boyhood the family moved to
Charleston, Arkansas. At the age of 21
he married Miss Anna Guenther, and he spent the next 57 years as a resident of
Paris.
After
the death of his first wife, Mr. Willems married Zola Stanley Manus in
1934. They celebrated their Silver
Anniversary last February.
Survivors,
besides his wife, include, four daughters, Mrs. John Schwartz of Paris, Mrs.
Herman Werner of Fort Smith, Mrs. Henry Bub of Massena, NY, and Mrs Linus
Grathwahl of New Ulm, Minn., six sons, Matt Willems of Paris, Justin and Frank
Willems of Subiaco, Aloys and John Willems of Milwaukee, and Fred Willems of El
Paso, Texas; 48 grandchildren, including Mrs. Carl Pinter of Conway, wife of
the manager of The Guardian Press Store, and 30 great grandchildren. In addition he is survived by four stepsons,
Evan Manus of Tulsa, Okla., Stanley Manus of Merced, Calif., Thurman Manus of
Azusa, Calif., and Leon H. Manus of La Puente, Calif.; one stepdaughter, Mrs.
Albert C. Hunter of El Paso, and 18 step-grandchildren.
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| May 1959 The Willems and Manus siblings with mother/ stepmother Zola Mae Willems |
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Zola Mae with children from her marriage to Adron Manus
-Evan, Stanley, Ophelia, "Tommy" Thurman, and Leon Haskell |
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| Who is Jim Trimble? |
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John M. Willems will, page 1--
click to enlarge |
Papa knew he wouldn't live forever, so in an effort that reflects a great deal of thought, he drew up a will dated February 28, 1950. His knowledge of the law obviously was a great help in drawing up the document. Margaret was a Benedictine nun when he drew up the will so instead of leaving her land he willed her $1000. The approximately 213 acre "river bottom farm" was divided among ten of his children, into plots of 20 to 23.5 acres each.
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| John M. Willems will, page 2 |
Matt, as the executor, set about getting his Papa's last wishes fulfilled by selling those belongings that weren't mentioned in the will.
Zola Mae wasted little time in deciding the large fourteen room farmhouse, outbuildings and surrounding lands of 120 acres, were more than she needed to take care of, and put the homeplace up for sale. She moved to a house on 315 W. Main Street in Paris by the end of 1959. Horace Cotton was the new owner of the "homeplace" which had been in the family since Anton Mesel purchased it March 24, 1881--over 78 years earlier. Mr. Cotton put money down on the land and mortgaged the rest, paying it off quickly. The rankling part of this-- he sold timber from the property that Papa wouldn't allow his sons to cut in order to pay off the loan!
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