Sidney Kornelis

In the fall of 1934 homesteaders Abram and Jesse Kornelis had their 10th and final child. He was baptized Sidney Kornelis. Sidney grew up in a rustic home on the plains of Montana near the little town of Rapelje. Sid always spoke fondly of his childhood saying, "we were poor, but we didn't know it." Sid and his family moved to Sumas, Washington and upon graduating from high school Sid began at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he studied for two years until circumstances precluded his return to school in the fall. And so, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Sid was proud to serve his country for two years. Eager for education, while in the service he studied electronics. It was during this time that he met Ruth Vander Ark in Bellflower, California and in 1957 they married and began building a family of four children. Sid was hired by IBM and put to work as a computer programmer. He worked 37 years at IBM. His work produced programs and patents; most notably he was a part of the small team that developed IBM's Information Management System or IMS, a program that largely contributed to IBM's success and to this day facilitates our modern banking, finance, healthcare, government, retail and manufacturing. But all these important achievements were of little importance to Sid and he hardly spoke of them. His pride and legacy were always in his family. He retired with his wife to Visalia, California, in order to be near his children and grandchildren. He spent his retirement doing odd work for tech companies, volunteering at the Visalia Rescue Mission, and serving his own family. After the passing of his wife Ruth, Sid married Hazel Dragt. Sid spent his last years happily with Hazel who loved him gracefully and cared for him faithfully. In a lifetime just shy of 90 years Sid had learned something of the way of Christ Jesus. For though he had ascended from the dust of the homestead to the grandeur of Silicon Valley, like that Apostle, 'he counted it all as loss in comparison to knowing Christ Jesus his Lord.' And so finally, in the early hours of July 9, 2024, Abram and Jesse's boy, baptized Sidney Kornelis, entered into Glory the only way possible, humble and lowly. Sid is survived by his four children (Timothy and wife Trish Kornelis, Tracy and husband Bern Vander Helm, Kathy and husband Melvin Jonkman, Mark and wife Amy Kornelis), his 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, his beloved wife Hazel and her three daughters (Elizabeth and husband Kevin Ziegenmeyer, Suzanne Weirenga, Jennifer and husband Jon Nelson), and Hazel's 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Memorial service will be held Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 10:30 AM at Visalia Christian Reformed Church, 1030 S. Linwood St, Visalia, CA. Services have been entrusted to Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel. Memorial Tributes and condolences may be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com.

Sidney Kornelis

September 27, 1934 - July 9, 2024