Obituary of John "Wesley" Colwell

John Wesley Colwell, 89, of Zion, IL, passed away peacefully on August 18, 2020, surrounded by his family. Wesley was born November 4, 1930 in Zion, IL and graduated from Zion-Benton High School. He married Shirley Bennett on September 2, 1950 in Zion. Wesley and Shirley were faithful members of Christ Community Church serving in various roles around the church from funeral dinners to his passionate work in the memorial garden. Wesley will always be remembered for his strong faith in God and his love for his family and friends. Wesley worked for Edwards Plastering and then went on to co-own American Acoustics. He changed directions in 1972 and owned the Zion Dairy Queen until 1985. He finished his career owning C Plastering. In his retirement years Wes and Shirley enjoyed RVing and visiting family. He found joy in keeping busy, whether it was maintaining the grounds of the church, or the condo building, he would always have the attitude of Colossians 3:23, " And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." He loved his wife and cherished her love. Wes would often say, "I am blessed, I am blessed." Wes is survived by his wife of 70 years, Shirley; children, Dale (Elizabeth) Colwell, Pam (Jerry) Walters, Tom (Janet) Colwell, and Kathy (Terry) Thomas; grandchildren, Rick (Paula) Colwell, Jennifer (Scott) Gerbig, John (Kelly) Colwell, Sara (Derek) Podejko, Jason Colwell, Michael (Julie) Colwell, Ross Walters, Marty (MariKate) Thomas, Mandy (Gavin) Hutchison, and Landon (Emily) Thomas; and a brother, William Colwell. He was preceded in death by his mother, Eunice Richards Colwell; father, William Evans Colwell; sister, Florence Colwell Rusch; brothers, Gerald Evans Colwell, Arnold Gale Colwell, and Arthur Dale Colwell; and great-grandson, Simon Podejko. A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2020 from 1:00 until 2:00 p.m. at Christ Community Church, 2500 Dowie Memorial Drive, Zion. A memorial service will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the church. A private interment will take place at Oakdale Cemetery. Attendees are asked to follow current social distancing guidelines. Those who cannot attend in person may view the live stream found on the tribute page. Please check back later for the memorial video.