Fall 2003 - Northwestern College

N o r t h w e s t e r n C l a s s i cA l u m n ie w sA l u m n c io rn e rK a ren Woudstra’79, Director ofAlumni and Pare n tR e l a t i o n sI love to hear a good story, especially if itmakes me laugh or touches me emotionally.When I was a kinderg a rten teacher, storytellingwas one of my favorite activities. Now,in my new role, the stories are diff e re n t — b u tI enjoy them just as much.At the Council for Christian Colleges andUniversities alumni conference I attended inJuly at Wheaton College, I was challenged toreally listen to alumni stories. Hearing aboutwhat you are doing with your careers, in yourc h u rches and communities, and with yourfamilies is an important part of my job formany reasons. First, it broadens my view of God and Hisworld as I hear about the many places and positions God hasput you in since leaving Nort h w e s t e rn. Second, your storieschallenge others and me in our faith as you share what Godhas done in and through you. Third, your stories, which tellhow God is using your gifts and talents to serve in hisKingdom, validate Nort h w e s t e rn ’s mission to all who work atNWC or support the college. Stories from alumni need to bes h a red as witness to God’s presence in our lives.When you send updates of new jobs, moves, marr i a g e s ,b i rths, etc., to the college, you probably simply want to keepNWC and your classmates updated. That’s wonderful, becausewe do need your new information so we can keep you knowledgeableabout what’s happening at Nort h w e s t e rn or to sendout Homecoming and reunion information. But I want toinvite you also, if you have the time, to write a brief story ornote when you send your information updates. You need toknow that by sharing your story, you just might be an encouragementto others.A re you doing Kingdom work that would challenge orencourage others? Do you know someone else you coulds h a re about? Has God worked in a miraculous way in yourlife or is He challenging you in some way? Sometimes weinclude these stories in the C l a s s i cor other publications;always we celebrate, thank God and praise Him for what He’sdoing.S t o rytelling is a great gift that passes down somethingi m p o rtant for us to remember from one generation to another.D o n ’t stop telling your story, whether it’s a note or e-mail tome or to someone who needs to hear how God is working.Real stories from real people are truly inspirational and a wayto witness and bring glory to Christ.To update your information and/or to share a story, visitw w w. n w c i o w a . e d u / a l u m n i / e m a i l / a d d rf o rm . a s p .D e a t h sFrances (Brink ’40, ’41) Bloemendaal,age 80, died June 14 at a nursinghome in Remsen, Iowa, of complicationsfrom Alzheimer’s disease.She assisted her husband,L a w rence, in the operation of theBloemendaal Hatchery in Alton andwas a homemaker. Surv i v o r sinclude her husband and three children, including daughters N o r aReekers ’71 and Nita Savage ’78.Reynold Van Gelder ’41, age 80, diedJuly 13 at the Orange CityMunicipal Hospital Long-Te rm CareF a c i l i t y. After his time atN o rt h w e s t e rn, he graduated fro mthe University of Alaska and attendedSioux City’s National BusinessTraining School. He served in theA rmy from 1943-46. He farmed for15 years near Alton, was part ownerof a Ford agency for eight years, andthen became a realtor and auctionee r. Reynold was a member of theAlton Reformed Church, where hes e rved on the consistory, taughtSunday school, and sang in choirsand small groups. He served on theb o a rds of the Newkirk ConsolidatedSchool, Sioux County Board ofEducation, Northwest IowaCommunity College and AltonCommunity Bank. He is survived byhis wife, Eleanor; three sons; twosisters, Elizabeth Brown ’48 and A n nVande We e rd ’52; and a bro t h e r,Gerben ’64.Anna Marie (Geurink ’42, ’44)K o l b e rg, age 77, died Aug. 5 at ac a re center in Yankton, S.D. Sheworked as a secre t a ry atN o rt h w e s t e rn and later as a bookkeeperat Great American InsuranceCo. in Chicago. She married RobertK o l b e rg in 1956 and moved to af a rm near Gayville, S.D. She was amember of the Gayville LutheranC h u rch, American Legion Auxiliaryand Gayville Garden Club.S u rvivors include her husband; twodaughters; a son; and a sister,Henrietta Slobe ’50.R o b e rt Mouw ’54, Albany, Ohio,died May 23 at the age of 68. AnAir Force pilot, he re t i red as a majorafter 21 years of service that includedterms in the Vietnam War and inLibya, Spain, Turkey and Gre e c e .He earned degrees in aero n a u t i c a land mechanical engineering fro mthe Air Force Institute ofTechnology and in education fro mthe University of Houston, Vi c t o r i a .He taught advanced math andphysics at the high school level for15 years in Port Lavaca, Texas, andspent the last 10 years farming inOhio. Bob was a member of AlbanyBaptist Church. Among his survivorsare his wife, Evonne; a son;and a daughter.J e remy Davenport ’05, age 20,Granville, Iowa, died July 29 ofinjuries he received in an automobileaccident near Hospers. He wasa business administration/managementmajor. Among his surv i v o r sa re his parents, Paul and Caro l y n ;and a bro t h e r.Megan Queitzsch ’06, age 19,M e l rose, Wis., died as the result of af a rming accident in Irving, Wi s . ,June 20. An agri-business major, sheis survived by her parents, Yv o n n eWe i h rouch and Leonard Queitzsch;two sisters; and a bro t h e r.F reeman DeGro o t, Bozeman, Mont.,who worked in the maintenanced e p a rtment from 1975-89, died onJune 4 at the age of 75 after alengthy battle with Parkinson’s Plus.He served in the Marines duringWorld War II, attended FinleyEngineering College in Kansas City,Mo., and worked as an electricianand HVAC technician in OrangeC i t y. Survivors include his wife,Nancy; two sons, including Tad ’84;a daughter, Thea ’89; and twob rothers, including S t e w a rt ’40.2 3 ▲ F a l l 2 0 0 3