Willetta Brand Heising

WILLIAMSBURG - Age 93, died January 28, 2016, in Williamsburg VA, from complications of Alzheimer's disease. Beloved wife for more than 60 years of Kenneth William Heising (USN, Ret.) who predeceased her. Loving mother of Willetta L. Heising of Dearborn MI, Kenneth (Theresa) Heising of Fairfax Station, Evelyn (J.Thomas) Ford of Appomattox, Ellen (David) Barlow of Charlottesville and John (Jessica) Heising of Richmond. Cherished grandmother of Troy Heising, James (Jennifer) Ford, Anna Ford (Chuck Kruschke) and Jonathan Ford, Kelly Barlow (Trevor Hollyn Taub) and Casey Barlow, and Wil, Madeline and Sam Heising and great-grandmother of Emerson Kruschke and Eleanor Abigail Ford. Born July 1, 1922 in Estacada, OR, Willetta received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Washington in 1946. She was ordained at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Williamsburg on her 59th birthday in 1981, after earning the M. Div. from Yale Divinity School in 1977. Her Masters of Theology from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond VA was awarded in 1991. She served four years as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Franklin VA, and taught a women's Bible study in Williamsburg for 25 years. Reverend Heising was one of the founders of Avalon: A Center for Women and Children, and Williamsburg Hospice, and an active member of Church Women United. The Heising family wishes to express deep gratitude for the loving care shown by the dedicated Springhouse staff at Patriots Colony for the past seven years. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial gifts to the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org), Avalon (avaloncenter.org), Williamsburg Hospice (williamsburghospice.org), or St. Stephen Lutheran Church (saintstephenlutheran.net) in Williamsburg VA. Funeral services will be celebrated by Bishop James F. Mauney at 1 p.m. Saturday, February 6, at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 612 Jamestown Rd., Williamsburg VA 23185. A reception will follow.