1920
Lila
2011
Lila Willems
February 7, 1920 — July 28, 2011
Funeral services for Lila E Willems, age 91 will be held 10:00 am Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at the First Church of the Nazarene. Rev. Bruce Johnson will officiate. Burial will be in the Memorial Park Cemetery. Family will receive friends Monday evening from 6-7:30 pm at the funeral home. Arrangements are under the direction of Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home.
Lila E. Willems was born February 7, 1920 to Nicholas and Elizabeth Schmidt, in Buhler, Kansas.
Her early years were spent on the farm in Inman, Kansas, attending school in Inman and graduating from Inman High School. Lila was baptized at Fenamore Lake and became a member of the Hebron Mennonite Church in Buhler. The eldest daughter of nine children, she worked hard on the farm, always taking care of her siblings and learning how to cook from her Mother. Life on the farm was never easy—getting to school sometimes meant having to take a wagon—but Lila was never deterred by hardship, and always put her family first.
On February 11, 1940, Lila married Leonard Willems and moved to Junction City, Kansas to start her new life. Not long after, Leonard was called away to war, and Lila found herself alone, raising her children and trying to work to help support them while he was away.
In 1950 with four children in tow, another move took them to Enid, Oklahoma where they joined Enid Church of the Nazarene. With a husband who traveled in the corporate world, Lila spent the next years as a homemaker raising her children and being active in her church and the community. Lila was known for her great cooking and her love of family and church. Vacations were spent with family camping and fishing making memories to last a lifetime. Baking pies in the back woods on a stove
with no running water or stores nearby were no problem for her.
Again in 1969, a move took them to Amarillo, Texas for a short while and then on to Kansas City, Missouri, their final move before retirement. With the last child graduating and grandchildren far away, it was time to work outside of the home and she did so at the Ramada Inn, now serving customers to their delight.
Upon her husband's retirement, the final move back to Enid came in 1979. Closer to family and grandchildren, life now was full of cooking again for her family, camping, fishing, playing rook
and getting back to her church and Enid friends, finding time to substitute teach at the Vocational Tech school.
At the age of 91, after a wonderful life tending her family, she went to be with the Lord on July, 28, 2011. Lila will be missed by her children, grand children and extended family very much, but she left a lifetime of memories to be cherished by all.
Lila was preceded in death by her husband Leonard, parents Nicholas and Elizabeth Schmidt, brother Victor Schmidt, brother, Elmer Schmidt, infant sister Rose, along with grandchildren, Jamie Michelle Willems and Jeremiah Willems and great grandchild Elizabeth Grace Huffman.
She is survived by her four children: Sandra and Curtis Dorris, Bethany, Oklahoma, James Willems, Hillsdale, Oklahoma, Randy and Brenda Willems, Plano, Texas, Terry and Teresa Willems, Breckenridge, Oklahoma;
Fifteen grandchildren: Paul and Kim (Dorris) Hufman, Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, Derek and Tiffany Dorris, Bethany, Oklahoma, Burk and Amy Willems, Parsons, Kansas, Ben Willems, Hillsdale, Oklahoma, K.K. Willems, Hillsdale, Oklahoma, Philip and Chea (Willems) Coyle, Mckinney, Texas, Chad Willems, Plano, Texas, Autumn, Willems, Austin, Texas, Sarah Willems and Sean Wills, Enid, Oklahoma, Tony Willems, Enid, Oklahoma, David Willems, Arizona, Danielle Willems, San Antonio, Texas and Michael and Jeanne Bell, Enid, Oklahoma.
Seventeen great grandchildren: Jeremy and Laura Huffman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Adam and Amy Huffman, Forney, Texas, Grace, Meagan and Landon Huffman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Molly and Ava Dorris, Bethany, Oklahoma, Logan and Noah Coyle, Mckinney, Texas, Brent and Shawn Bell, Enid, Oklahoma, Madison Willems, Breckenridge, Oklahoma, Shane Wills, Enid, Oklahoma
One great great grandchild: Mattie Huffman, Oklahoma City, Ok
Sisters: Helen Ediger, Inman, Texas, Elda Yoder, Newton, Kansas, Irene Dunn, Washington, Velma Jean Whittle, St. Marys, Kansas
Brothers: Nick Schmidt, Inman, Texas, Bob Schmidt, Denver, Colorado
Memorials may be made to the First Church of the Nazarene.
Lila E. Willems was born February 7, 1920 to Nicholas and Elizabeth Schmidt, in Buhler, Kansas.
Her early years were spent on the farm in Inman, Kansas, attending school in Inman and graduating from Inman High School. Lila was baptized at Fenamore Lake and became a member of the Hebron Mennonite Church in Buhler. The eldest daughter of nine children, she worked hard on the farm, always taking care of her siblings and learning how to cook from her Mother. Life on the farm was never easy—getting to school sometimes meant having to take a wagon—but Lila was never deterred by hardship, and always put her family first.
On February 11, 1940, Lila married Leonard Willems and moved to Junction City, Kansas to start her new life. Not long after, Leonard was called away to war, and Lila found herself alone, raising her children and trying to work to help support them while he was away.
In 1950 with four children in tow, another move took them to Enid, Oklahoma where they joined Enid Church of the Nazarene. With a husband who traveled in the corporate world, Lila spent the next years as a homemaker raising her children and being active in her church and the community. Lila was known for her great cooking and her love of family and church. Vacations were spent with family camping and fishing making memories to last a lifetime. Baking pies in the back woods on a stove
with no running water or stores nearby were no problem for her.
Again in 1969, a move took them to Amarillo, Texas for a short while and then on to Kansas City, Missouri, their final move before retirement. With the last child graduating and grandchildren far away, it was time to work outside of the home and she did so at the Ramada Inn, now serving customers to their delight.
Upon her husband's retirement, the final move back to Enid came in 1979. Closer to family and grandchildren, life now was full of cooking again for her family, camping, fishing, playing rook
and getting back to her church and Enid friends, finding time to substitute teach at the Vocational Tech school.
At the age of 91, after a wonderful life tending her family, she went to be with the Lord on July, 28, 2011. Lila will be missed by her children, grand children and extended family very much, but she left a lifetime of memories to be cherished by all.
Lila was preceded in death by her husband Leonard, parents Nicholas and Elizabeth Schmidt, brother Victor Schmidt, brother, Elmer Schmidt, infant sister Rose, along with grandchildren, Jamie Michelle Willems and Jeremiah Willems and great grandchild Elizabeth Grace Huffman.
She is survived by her four children: Sandra and Curtis Dorris, Bethany, Oklahoma, James Willems, Hillsdale, Oklahoma, Randy and Brenda Willems, Plano, Texas, Terry and Teresa Willems, Breckenridge, Oklahoma;
Fifteen grandchildren: Paul and Kim (Dorris) Hufman, Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, Derek and Tiffany Dorris, Bethany, Oklahoma, Burk and Amy Willems, Parsons, Kansas, Ben Willems, Hillsdale, Oklahoma, K.K. Willems, Hillsdale, Oklahoma, Philip and Chea (Willems) Coyle, Mckinney, Texas, Chad Willems, Plano, Texas, Autumn, Willems, Austin, Texas, Sarah Willems and Sean Wills, Enid, Oklahoma, Tony Willems, Enid, Oklahoma, David Willems, Arizona, Danielle Willems, San Antonio, Texas and Michael and Jeanne Bell, Enid, Oklahoma.
Seventeen great grandchildren: Jeremy and Laura Huffman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Adam and Amy Huffman, Forney, Texas, Grace, Meagan and Landon Huffman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Molly and Ava Dorris, Bethany, Oklahoma, Logan and Noah Coyle, Mckinney, Texas, Brent and Shawn Bell, Enid, Oklahoma, Madison Willems, Breckenridge, Oklahoma, Shane Wills, Enid, Oklahoma
One great great grandchild: Mattie Huffman, Oklahoma City, Ok
Sisters: Helen Ediger, Inman, Texas, Elda Yoder, Newton, Kansas, Irene Dunn, Washington, Velma Jean Whittle, St. Marys, Kansas
Brothers: Nick Schmidt, Inman, Texas, Bob Schmidt, Denver, Colorado
Memorials may be made to the First Church of the Nazarene.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Lila Willems, please visit our flower store.
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