John David Loewen

August 6, 2021

John David Loewen was born January 31, 1947 to John and Sally Allen Loewen in Merced,
California. He peacefully departed this life early in the morning of August 4, 2021 at his residence
in Oakwood Manor, Brooksville, Mississippi, having reached the age of 74 years.
His first childhood home was in Merced, but owing to circumstances beyond his control, his
young world became fractured when his parents separated. When he was around age 10, he was
permanently taken in and raised by his paternal grandparents, Dave and Catherine Loewen, who
had moved some years earlier to Walnut Hill, Florida. His uncle Jim was like an older brother,
mentor, and even surrogate father at times, helping to mold his young life and teaching many
valuable skills and lessons for life. He resided in Walnut Hill nearly all his life until difficulties with
his health necessitated moving to Oakwood Manor in August of 2020.
He answered God’s call at age 16 and was baptized into the Church of God in Christ,
Mennonite by minister Wilbert Peters. He grew up in the same community as Barbara, the girl who
later became his wife, and they were married on a Friday evening, November 24, 1967. They shared
53 years of married life, and their home was blessed with four children—two sons and two
daughters—Pam, Michael, Faye, and Winston. In the earlier years of his married life, he searched
for a deeper understanding of God’s will for his life, and his search was rewarded with a greater
appreciation for spiritual things. His belief in the Church being his spiritual family increased as the
years passed.
He was a diligent worker and provided for his family with autobody repair and painting,
row-crop farming, and aquaculture. For much of his life, beginning even in his childhood, he
suffered from significant health issues, enduring numerous hospitalizations and multiple surgeries.
Despite these setbacks, he was not a complainer but rather forged ahead as his strength permitted
and worked to the best of his ability.
His personable nature coupled with his quick wit and sense of humor earned many dear
friends, and his attitude was an encouragement to many. Singing was special to him, and he enjoyed
quite a number of years singing tenor in a quartet with his friends. His life is an example of God’s
ability to create a valuable object from broken pieces, and this perhaps will be his most inspiring
legacy.
He will be missed and never forgotten by his wife Barbara, four children: Pam, Michael &
Lynette, Faye & James, and Winston & Renee together with their families; one brother Michael
and one sister Thalia, thirteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild; two brothers-in-law:
Richard & Wilma and Lynn; two sisters-in-law: Alice & Norman and Virginia Koehn together with
their families.
Funeral service will be Sunday, August 8, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at Walnut Hill Mennonite
Church in Walnut Hill, FL with Minister Galen Harms, Minister Mike Koehn and Minister
Wilbert Peters officiating. Interment will follow at Walnut Hill Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be Saturday, August 7, 2021 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Walnut Hill
Mennonite Church in Walnut Hill, FL.

Comments

Comments are closed.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Obituaries