John Willems was born Feb. 28, 1928, in Paris, Arkansas, the twelfth child of John Martin and Anna Marie Guenther Willems. John was educated at St. Joseph's Catholic School in Paris in grades one through eight. His High School years were at Subiaco Academy where he went until his junior year. Deciding at an early age that he did not want farming to be his life's work he found his way off the farm and eventually fulfilled a lifelong dream to see the world. His first view of "the world" was Korea and was courtesy of the US Army.

After returning from the Korean conflict, he proposed to his sweetheart, Dolores Helen Pupp on Valentine's Day. They married that same year in Milwaukee on April 25, 1953. Their family had five children by June 10, 1969, when they moved from Elm Grove, one of Milwaukee's suburbs, to Mountain Home, Arkansas.

Mr. Willems was a real estate agent, broker, architectural designer, builder, and with his wife, Dolores owned and operated Fish and Fiddle Resort on Lake Norfork near Mountain Home, Arkansas. In addition to being a U.S. Army Korean War veteran, he was a faithful member of St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church where he served as lector, and Eucharistic minister at church, as well as ministered to the sick at nursing homes and private homes for almost 3 decades. Mr. Willems did much carpentry work at St. Peter's including designing and constructing the Knights of Columbus building. He served on St. Peter's Parish Council; was a third- and fourth-degree Knight of Columbus and member of Holy Name Society; was a Catholic youth organization moderator and was a member of Moose Lodge. He helped found Tracy Area Volunteer Fire Department, served on its board of directors and was its first president.

His favorite pastimes were traveling the world and fishing.

Mr. Willems is survived by his wife, Dolores H. Willems of the home; three sons, Stephen (Lynn) Willems of Shillington, Pa., Daniel (Lynn) Willems of Dallas and Paul (Jane) Willems of Waco, Texas; two daughters, Susan (Joseph) Butler of Jonesboro and Kathy (Daniel) Hodnett of Mountain Home; one brother, Aloys Willems; one sister, Anna Marie Kloke; seven grandchildren; and a host of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; six brothers and three sisters.

Above all else except his love of God, John Willems loved his family and is dearly missed by them.