Kentville, NS
February 4, 1947 - July 21, 2024
Today, we say goodbye to beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather (Bubby), Brother, Uncle and Friend, John Eisses. And today, John has said goodbye to all who loved him and to his beloved apple orchard. Today, he says hello face to face to Jesus his Lord and Saviour.
John is survived by his wife of 54 years, Trudy née Hogeterp; children, Peter Eisses (Lisa), Karen Sanford (Tommy), David Eisses (Shanna), Mary-Ellen Swanson (Ryan), Ruth Roberts (Matthew); and grandchildren, Joshua, Noah (Christy), Savana-Raine, Isaiah, Alexander, Leah, Emily, Jane, Lillian, Hadley, Raylee, Naiya, Esmé, Thea, Evangeline, Ilse and Gwendolen; as well as his brothers, Martin, Henry and James; and sisters Herma, Grayce and Catherine as well as many nieces and nephews.
He is predeceased by his parents, Jan and Annie Eisses; sister, Diane Alkema; brother, Bert Eisses and his wife Dorothy, along with their daughter Laura; and sister, Renske Sitser.
John was born on February 4, 1947, in Borger, Drenthe, Netherlands. He immigrated to Canada with his family in May 1953. They started out in Jarvis, Ontario but two years later, they settled in Glenholme, Nova Scotia where John grew up on the family dairy farm.
In 1964, he attended the Nova Scotia Agricultural College where he received his two-year diploma. After his graduation in 1966, he went to work for the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture in the soils lab, travelling all over Nova Scotia testing soils. He saved every penny to purchase his own farm which he did in 1970.
He met his wife Trudy at a church youth event in Truro. Trudy was living and working as a nurse in Halifax at the time. They married on March 14, 1970, and moved to the farm they purchased in Northville, Nova Scotia.
John had a passion for farming. Although he started out as a dairy farmer, he soon discovered a love of apple growing while working the orchard that came with the farm he had purchased.
He loved to travel and see what other apple growers were doing all around the world, bringing home new ideas and improvements to his own orchard. He was an early adopter of the Honeycrisp apple, learning about it on one of his many trips. At one point, he was one of the biggest growers of Honeycrisp apples in Canada. He was a two-time recipient of the Golden Apple Award. He also received the Distinguished Farm Award from the Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists as well as Grower of the Year Award from the International Fruit Tree Association.
John could be summed up in three words – Faith, Family and Farm. He was a Sower of seeds in all these things. His faith defined him in how he saw and interacted with the world around him. He loved his family deeply and especially loved being a grandfather. His life reflected the joy he had in all these things. A hearty laugh, a tight hug, a firm handshake or a clap on the shoulder – that was John. He will be deeply missed by those who loved him.
Visitation will be held from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. on Friday, July 26, 2024 in the White Family Funeral Home, Kentville. The funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 28, 2024 in the Centreville Baptist Church, Pastor Bruce Patstone officiating.
Donations in John’s memory can be made to the Valley Care Pregnancy Center or the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association for a special fund to further the advancement and development of young apple growers in Nova Scotia.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville.
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