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Willem (Bill) Visserman

September 9, 2005

Our energetic, artistic, people-loving patriarch passed away peacefully in Penticton, B.C. on

August 13, 2005.

Bill was born in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands on November 3, 1910, youngest son of Harmen and Hendrikje. He married Christina Johanna (nee

Groenewegen) in September 1938. Soon after, WWII broke out and since he was an officer in the Royal Dutch Army he was sent off for three years to POW camps in Germany.

In1951, he, his wife and four children emigrated to Canada and they settled in Hazelton where they started a small dairy farm which he operated until 1985. At the same time he also was the bookkeeper for Marshal Brothers’ Trucking in Hazelton. He had always been a weekend water colourist but after his retirement from farming he took up this hobby with great enthusiasm. His paintings of the vanishing old building in this part of the province as well as his landscapes were well received by many in the Terrace-Smithers area. He was a long time participant in the annual Terrace Art Association Arts and Crafts shows.

In 1990, his wife of 52 years passed away. He married Coosje (Jackie) van der Horst in 1992 and moved to Kamloops. He continued to paint as well as study his numerous books on the old Dutch and English water colour masters. He loved to read and was particularly fond of books on Leo Tolstoy. He kept a daily diary recording the events of each day, the people he met and the weather. He loved company and could tell many stories and funny anecdotes amusing his guests.

Bill is survived by his wife Coosje of Port Moody, his daughters, Christine (Kolbjorn) of Terrace, Hennie (Gerald) of Prince George, Eva of Pentiction, his son Taede (Ted) of Hazelton, stepsons Hans (Colleen) of Kamloops and Don (Sue) of Port Moody as well as a number of grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Bill also leaves to mourn his passing many nieces, nephews and their families in both Canada and The Netherlands

Interment in the New Hazelton cemetery followed by a memorial service to be held on Sunday, October 9th at the Roche View Lodge in New Hazelton.



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