Obituary of Cornelius Peter Nelemans

NELEMANS, Cornelius Peter - On February 27, 1944, Cornelius Peter Nelemans was born as the third child of Jacob and Joan Nelemans.  Born in the village of Breda, North Brabant Netherlands.

By the 50s, their family of five settled in the Milverton Listowel area as farmers.  In 1962, Neil began his carpentry career assisting in the building of Midwestern Childrens Centre by Palmerston.  On June 20, 1964, he married Ingrid Teske, his bride for 59 years.  He became father to four children and grandpa to five grandchildren. 

Neil lived a very busy life as he operated his own construction company in the area of Palmerston.  He was a spiritual man, busy in the door-to-door ministry, served as an elder caring for the needs of others in the local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and became known and appreciated by thousands as he volunteered his time assisting in building 40 Kingdom Halls in Southern Ontario. 

In 2010, Neil and Ingrid retired in the Wawa area where he continued his spiritual routine while enjoying Wawa’s scenery and blueberry picking. 

At 80 years of age, on March 13, 2024, Neil passed away suddenly from a brief illness at The Lady Dunn Health Centre. 

He will always be loved by his wife, Ingrid, children Ken (Elaine), Lorraine (Late Ghislain Rousseau), Alita (Jonathan Schmitchen), Corey; grandchildren Justin (Natalie), Arianna, Orbyn, Lola, Skyler.  He is survived by siblings and many nieces and nephews Tena (Late Sylvester Moser), Jim (Virginia), Ron (Carol), predeceased by his older brother John (Ann) and younger brother Jacob (Lorraine).

Thank you to the Wawa medical emergency staff for their efforts.

We would like to share one of Neil’s favourite scriptures as he looked forward to God’s promise for the earth, when “God will wipe out every tear from their eyes, when death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.  The former things have passed away.”  Revelation 21:3, 4.

Memorial service to be held Sunday, March 17, 2024, at 7 pm at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses located at 54 Winston Road, Wawa. (Funeral arrangements entrusted to Kerry Funeral Home Ltd., Wawa, ON 1-800-439-4937). www.kerryfuneralhome.ca