Willi Ochsenhirt

Willi Ochsenhirt, age 92, passed away Sunday afternoon, November 1, 2020.  He was born July 25, 1928 to Friedrich and Emilie Ochsenhirt in Essen, Germany.

He was the youngest of twelve children and adored by all of his brothers and sisters. Willi experienced many difficult things in World War II, but never lost his faith or became bitter.  He served a mission in his beloved Germany.  After his mission he immigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada.  Inge joined him and they were married June 3, 1952 and were later sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.

Together they had two children, Angelika and William.  Their family moved to Granger, Utah in the late 1950s. Willi was a craftsman doing sheetrock, brick work, and tiling and took great pride in his work. Serving in the bishopric of the Jordan North Sixth Ward brought him great joy.  Willi was short in stature but was a giant in his devotion to the Lord.

Inge passed away in 1990.  He married Lois Mae Miller in 1993. They moved into a home in Riverton that Willi helped build.

Willi served as an ordinance worker for twenty-two years in the Jordan River Temple.  He and his wife attended the temple often, sometimes doing more than 900 sessions a year. Genealogy and researching family names were a passion of his.  He was a devoted BYU fan and he and his wife had season football tickets for many years.

Some of his favorite things were babies and little children, chocolate, German food, ice cream, popcorn, reading, and watching sports on TV.

His favorite saying, in his thick German accent, was “Oh, for Pete’s sake!” which he is probably now saying in heaven.

Heartfelt gratitude to Beehive Home of Draper for their loving care of Willi the past year.

Survived by his wife, Lois Ochsenhirt; daughter, Angie Knecht; stepchildren, Cheryl Boyle, Diane (Chet) Bassetti, Mary Jo (Ralph) Dabling, Gail (Kevin) Thacker, Ronald (Amy) Clark; 19 grandchildren; and 30 great-grandchildren.  Willi’s posterity was his greatest joy.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, November 6, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at McDougal Funeral Home located at 4330 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville Utah.  Visitation will be held from 10:00 - 10:45 a.m. prior to the funeral.  Interment at Memorial Redwood Cemetery located at 6500 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville, Utah.

Services may be viewed at: https://vimeo.com/event/433371

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the General Missionary Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

God Be with You Till We Meet Again

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