William Uyen was born as a Roman Catholic on the 22nd April 1920 in London, Ontario, Canada. Son of John Uyen born on December 22 1877 in Nijmegen Holland (Decorator of profession) and Wilhelmina Steenaart, born august 10th 1881 in Utrecht Holland. Together with his two sisters Jo and Mientje and his older brother John (Monseigneur John Uyen) who were also born in Holland, they lived in a nice house on 138 Elmwood ave, London, Ontario. For William, the first five years of his life he was spoiled by his older sisters.
At the age of five William went to the elementary school St Martin, London, Ontario and after 7 years, in 1932, he went to the De La Salle High school where he did his Matriculation in 1937. In these early days of his life, his sister Jo, also known as Joan (after Johanna) married James R. Lavoie and in 1932 they had there fist born, a girl. Unfortunately it died 3 days after here birth. the second baby, a boy, died on birth in 1936. There third baby luckily stayed alive and was named after here mother, Joan Lavoie.
After De La Salle William did art course on the Assumption College and later in 1939 on the University of western Ontario. At the same time he studied stenographic work from 1939 -1940. 1939, the year that Canada declared war to Germany made a great disturbance in the daily life of the family Uyen and the rest of Canada Finishing his study in 1940, William moved to 43 Newton st. Hamilton, Ontario from were he began his civil life at the Social service from Hendon Ontario, as a Secretary and Social worker.
In 1941 he changed to Schell transports, London, Ontario to become a Office worker and Driver, and in the same year to C.N.R Traffic Dept. Hamilton, Ontario as Clerk stenotype.
William liked to play several sports in these years and played tennis extensively in his free time and occasionally baseball, basketball and golf. All this and still made time for his best soulmate, miss Agnes Nozen, daughter of Joseph Nozen and Josephine Rokitska, both born in Poland.
And beside all that, he loved to make model aeroplanes, this influenced his choice of what to do with his life in the next years.
William's sister Mientje later became “sister Canisius” and his brother John served as a priest in Chatham and Wallaceburg, and later as Monseigneur.
Monseigneur John Uyen also known as the "tobacco priest" was appointed to Blessed Sacrament Parish in June 1958. He came to Blessed Sacrament from Delhi "the tobacco belt", where he had just finished building a new church, rectory and hall.
John Uyen served in Wallaceburg as an assistant priest and was not a real stranger to this area. Upon his arrival John Uyen very quickly endeared himself to all who had the pleasure to know him. He was very interested in counselling and soon had a steady stream of people who came seeking his help and understanding. John Uyen was very strong in urging people to more prayer especially before the Blessed Sacrament and for several years formed a group for perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.Later on, Monsignor Uyen always claimed that he had no head for figures, administration or building and yet he was called upon in God’s own divine providence to rebuild Blessed Sacrament Church after it was devastated by fire in January 1966.
Monsignor John Uyen regularly visited his family in the Netherlands, Gerard and Mien Bakker in the town of Nijmegen.
And when John visited the Netherlands alone, he always took some typical Dutch things with him back for his mother.
Also at this same time, Monsignor Uyen was given the task of steering the parish through the changes and transitions of Vatican ll. In June1967, Monsignor Uyen was moved back to the "tobacco belt" in the London area where he later died on November 22, 1968.
)
)
)
)
