Obituary of Johanna Harmsen
Johanna-known lovingly as Annie to family and friends, and as Oma (or Peanut) to her grandchildren, passed away peacefully on December 22, 2019, at the age of 93. Johanna was born on June 23, 1926, in 's-Heerenberg, the Netherlands. Her family was very close and loving. She was only 13 when WW2 broke out and had to quit school in order to work in German factories to help support her family. Her family's small house, in addition to being occupied by German soldiers, was bombed during the war. After the war Johanna, worked for a period of time in Belgium as a governess before returning to the Netherlands and meeting and falling in love with her husband, Henk. Together they immigrated to Canada in 1958 with their young son, Henny, to find a better life. They settled in Kingston where they learned English and struggled to find work. In 1962 their second son, Fred, was born. Johanna worked as a house cleaner and then spent many years working in the housekeeping department at Ongwanada Hospital. She was a hard-working woman who was content with a simple life. Despite their lack of formal education, she and Henk were very successful. Johanna enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and loved reading books. She was very proud of her Dutch heritage. After Henk passed away in 1992, she remained independent and lived in her own home until June of this year. Johanna was skilled at crocheting and knitting and made many socks, mittens and blankets for her grandchildren. She also regaled her sons and grandchildren with funny and sad stories from her past; some were outrageous and intriguing. She will be dearly missed by her two sons, Henny (Merril) and Fred (Nicola), her grandchildren, Donald, Erik, Emily, Natalie, Sophie and her brother, Henk. She is predeceased by her sister and another brother. Friends and family are invited to the James Reid Funeral Home (1900 John Counter Blvd.) on December 30th for visitation from 12 p.m. until 1:50 p.m. A Memorial Service in the Chapel will begin at 2 p.m. with a reception to follow. Memorial donations can be made to Heart and Stroke Foundation or Canada Cancer Society.
