| As Martin's sisters, Annie, Lee and Marie and myself, Gerald, Martin's brother, gathered for supper Wednesday evening we reminisced of Martin's life and realized how he touched each of our lives in a loving - caring way and how a loving - caring husband and parent he was. The following is an attempt to share these reminisces with you. |
Martin William Willems was born in Hysham on December 15, 1931, the second son of Willem and Mary Verhelst Willems. His first four years were spent in Hedgesville where he and his older brother, Charley, were joined by another brother, Bill, and two sisters, Annie and Lee. He would later have the addition of another brother Gerald and a sister Marie to make a family unit of nine. It was in this family unit that he was nurtured and grew up with the work and caring love ethic that he carried with him all his life, and he shared with his wife, Grace, of nearly 44 years, his daughters, Debbie, Loretta, Martina, and son, Martin Jarrod. He passed the torch of work and caring love to each of them, and which they are now nurturing in each of their own families in Martin's and Grace's beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Martin moved with his family in 1935 to his grandmother Renidle Verhelst's farm in Hysham. It was the depression years and times were difficult. In 1941 the family moved to a farm one mile north of Hysham along the banks of the Yellowstone River. Here he would spend the rest of his formative years.
He worked hard at home. He cultivated the sugar beets on the old Farm-All tractor; thinned and hoed them; pitched the hay on the horse-drawn wagon to be stacked near the barn; did the daily morning and evening milking, which brought the life-sustaining cream check; dug the potatoes that were piled high in the cellar each fall; gathered the logs and branches that were sawed and split into firewood to keep the house warm during the long, cold winter days and nights. His winter work for several winters was clearing the wooded area of trees and brush to make new fields to farm.
He took time to play and work with his sisters and brothers -- the game of hide and seek; the play farms of houses; the stringing fences and fields; the pitch card games and checkers; the listening to radio programs from KGHL in Billings.
Martin's dad taught him and his brothers Bill and Charley to swim - this was in the Yellowstone River and much to the dismay of their mother. Martin as a boy loved to fish in the Yellowstone River. He often would go to set-lines in the evening that he had in the Yellowstone. He built a boat to cross the Yellowstone to an island that was rented from the state for pasture land. If memory serves me right, this boat capsized more than once and again to the dismay of his mother.
St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Hysham was part of his growing up and where he learned of God -- the God he knew and the God that sustained him through life -- the God that he passed on to his children by his Christian example of attendance at the weekly Sunday Mass, here at St. Pius X Church, serving as a Sacristan, participating in Bible studies and the Couple to Couple program.
Living a mile and a half from school, Martin made that daily walk to and from school. A good student in school, Martin especially enjoyed math and excelled in it. School at times was interrupted by having to stay home and help in the beet fields -- beets were pulled, then topped and loaded by hand. A strong back was needed . High school brought the fun of football and basketball. The senior year saw the Hysham basket ball team beating Forsyth and placing fourth in the district tournament in Hardin. Mom and a load of kids made it to that tournament. He was prom king his senior year with his future sister-in-law, Patti Wilson as the prom queen. He graduated from Hysham High School in 1950. Martin along with Grace enjoyed the several class reunion gatherings of that class.
Graduation from high school brought leaving from home. What did he know best -- farm work -- and the opportunity came to work for his Uncle Ed Verhelst in Big Horn. Those of us at home were happy to see him come home on Saturday night and spend Sunday with us. After a few months of work he bought his first vehicle -- a red Studebaker pick-up.
Soon a young lass, Grace McErlain, caught his fancy. Inexperienced in such matters, he wasn't sure how to win her attention. The first obstacle was Charley Church, a young man who already had Grace's attention. He took a dare from Charley Church that he could win Grace's attention-and of course Martin won and the rest is history. That Grace was a smart lass and knew quality when she saw it. After a courtship that grew into true love, Martin and Grace were married on June 20, 1953.
Farming was a natural career choice for Martin, and the opportunity came for Martin to form a three-way partnership with his brother Charley and Clarence Engle. It became a partnership of just Martin and Charley with the death of Clarence. Then in 1962 Martin and Grace bought their farm here in Billings. Martin and Grace worked hard and many long hours each day to make the farm a success and to provide for their family. He became knowledgeable of good farming practices that brought good yields -- being a top beet producer in the Billings district. He had time for civic duty as a schoolboard member of the Elder Grove School, a member of the High Ditch Board, and the Mountain States Beet Growers Association.
Martin was a man of caring as husband, father, son, brother, friend. We, his sisters and brother, remember him as a boy and a young man as caring for his parents. He gave Mom and Dad support, and they relied on his judgment in making decisions. They knew he always would be there to help them with any need they had -- the understanding of a tax form, a social security form, fixing a tractor, plowing ditches in a field. He, as a young man in high school, stayed home summers and worked on the farm not taking the opportunity to earn money by working for neighbors.
As a busy, hard working farmer and with each of his brothers and sisters busy with their own families and lives we only occasionally crossed paths -- holiday -- a family wedding -- a death. When these paths crossed, Martin loved to share his experiences of his growing up years. At future gatherings Martin will be dearly missed for he greatly added joy to each occasion with his childhood stories of each of us.
Also as our paths crossed we could see and hear how joyous and proud he was of his wife and children and how he cared for and nurtured their endeavors. It was obvious that his family was his life. It was evident that he and Grace gave support that made each of the children fine students in grade and high school and what seemed to be to them eternal college students. The having of horses and pets for the children. The support of early employment efforts. And later the forever fixing of cars that just didn't seem to want to run right without his care. The support and guidance that helped the children through the rough times of the growing up years. The sharing of the great joy of both academic and sports accomplishments which saw Martin and Grace traveling all over Eastern Montana. Martin cared and he was a pillar of strength for the family.
Later years saw more free time. Winters were more free with no longer the buying and fattening of calves for market. A new interest developed -- travel. Martin and Grace took many tours throughout the United States and made many trips of their own. They joined his sisters and brother for family gatherings at Fairmont. They traveled to see children and grandchildren.
Through the years sadness came with the passing of Martin's father in 1963, brother Charley in 1969, his mother in 1974, granddaughter Rebecca Ann Merrick in 1983, and brother Bill in 1992. Bill's passing was particularly hard as he and Bill, and Bill's wife Patti, shared a heritage of growing up together and shared a common occupation of farming and a common bringing up of children of similar ages.
After a year-long battle with cancer, Martin spent his last days on the farm he shared for 35 years with his wife, Grace. His children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sisters, brother and close friends gathered to be with him during his final week. Martin went gently into that good night as he slept among his family at his home on April 1, 1997.
Survivors include his beloved wife, Grace, of nearly 44 years, their children, Debby Merrick, Kent, Washington; Loretta Willems, Billings, Montana; Martina Willems-Pfarr and her husband Paul, Mount Vernon, Washington; and Martin Jarrod Willems and his wife Kim, Belgrade Montana. Surviving grandchildren Eleanor, Daniel, and Mary Reichert, Billings, Montana; Micheal and Martin Merrick, Kent, Washington; Andrea Pitcher and her husband, Troy, Charlotte, Michigan; and Martin Jameson Willems, Belgrade, Montana. Surviving great-grandchildren are Ezeckel Reichert, Billings, Montana, and Jaclynn and Jennifer Pitcher, Charlotte, Michigan. A brother Gerald Willems, Miles City, Montana; three sisters Marie Rangel and her husband Felix, Forsyth, Montana; Rosa Lee Dudley and her husband, Tom, Miles City, Montana; and Annie Petroff, Miles City, Montana; and a sister-in-law Patti Willems, Hysham, Montana and 27 nieces and nephews.
Yes, dear Martin, a life in Christ well-lived.
Love,
Your Family