October 10, 2019
Our dear father, grandfather and great grandfather Henry Brandsema passed away peacefully to be with his Lord and Saviour on Oct.10, 2019, at the age of 96.
He is survived by his daughter-in-law Wilma Brandsema, daughter Trudy Bouwman, son Ben Brandsema (Julie), daughter Freda Reitsema (Clarence), and daughter Maria Brouwer (Mike), 16 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his loving wife Wilma, oldest son Henry, son-in-law Bill Bouwman, and three grandchildren.
Henry was born in Borger, Holland. He married his sweetheart Wilma on Sept. 2, 1947. They immigrated to Canada in March 1953 and settled in Edmonton, Alberta where they began to raise their family and started farming. Their deep faith and desire to provide Christian education for their children, led them to move to Abbotsford, British Columbia in 1960 so that the children could attend Christian school. Henry worked hard to provide for his family whether it was in farming or cattle hauling.
After his retirement he enjoyed gardening, building projects, auctions and garage sales. He enjoyed contributing his time to his family and his church community. Henry was an inspiration to many with his dedication, faithfulness and commitment to God. He modeled his faith for his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will be greatly missed. A memorial service will be held at the Chilliwack Free Reformed Church, 45471 Yale Road, Chilliwack, BC on Friday, October 18, 2019 at 11 am.