Harold J. Willis

Harold Jonathan "H.J." Willis was born June 21, 1916 in Hartville, MO, to John Hoke Willis and Hattie Mae Gilstrap Willis. He was 3rd of 5 children. At age 16 he joined the CCCs and worked mostly in Minnesota as part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. He returned home and married his lifelong sweetheart, Carrie Mae Edwards Willis, on March 14, 1936.

They welcomed a daughter into the world, Judith Jeanenne, in May of 1937. In 1938 his world was turned upside down when he gave his heart to the Lord and accepted a call to preach. He faithfully carried out that call for over 40 years, attending Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa, Idaho and being ordained by the Church of the Nazarene in 1945. He and Carrie Mae served pastorates in California, Texas, Idaho, Canada, Ohio, Utah, Missouri and Minnesota, and as an itinerate evangelists for well over 20 years, preaching all across the continental U.S., Canada and Cuba.He retired from the ministry in 1981, and lived in Kuna and Nampa, Idaho until 2004 when he and Carrie Mae moved to Hermitage, TN to be near their son-in-law and daughter, Dr. William and Judy Greathouse. He lived at McKendree Village Health Care Center for the last 2 years of his life, and passed away there on September 26, 2012 after an extended illness.

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Philippians, 1:27