Clifford Bekins

Cliff Bekins could truthfully be described as the nicest guy youd ever meet. He loved giving gifts, was always ready to lend a helping hand and, if you needed someone trustworthy to take care of things for you, Cliff was your man. His kids remember that Cliff never understood why people didnt smile more as he said, sometimes you have to remember the good things in life to get you through the rough times. Although Cliffs passing is a time of sadness for friends and family, Cliff would want loved ones to do as he did: remember the good times, the memories we each have of this remarkable man, and smile. Clifford and his twin brother, Clint, were born on January 5, 1937, to proud parents Joseph and Jenny (Kuyers) Bekins. Cliff and Clint followed four older siblings (Catherine, Dort, Hank, and Harv), with a younger brother still to come (Howie). The Bekins family lived on an 80-acre farm in West Olive, Michigan. Joseph earned a living as a farmer, dairyman, cottage caretaker, and night watchman, while Jenny was a farmwife and homemaker. Growing up without electricity and running water, young Cliff and his siblings did daily tasks the hard way: kerosene lamps, chopping wood for the stove, and going out to the two-holer on cold winter nights were all part and parcel of farm life. Everyone was expected to help with chores, and Cliffs jobs included picking pickles, lifting 100-pound feedbags, and milking cows. When the time came to attend school, Cliff either walked to a one-room schoolhouse in Robinson Township, or if the snow was too deep rode on his brother Hanks back. Often, the Bekins boys did the janitor work at the school as well, and had to arrive early to start the fire. Both from the example of his parents, and from his own experiences on the farm, Cliff learned the value of hard work and determination from a young age. As he was fond of saying in later years, any job worth doing, is worth doing well. Hard work didnt mean drudgery, however, and Cliff still found plenty of time for fun and adventure. His closest friend and inseparable companion was his twin brother, Clint, with younger brother Howie completing their trio of Pino, Red, and Tubby. Cliff was Pino, a nickname earned by his unique method of pickle picking. The boys enjoyed riding around on their homemade bicycles, which were cobbled together from found parts. On one memorable day, they came upon an overturned Coke truck, with pop bottles strewn everywhere. The driver said they could take all they wanted, and the boys thought they had struck it rich. They filled up their bike baskets, and headed straight home to store their booty in the milk-shed cooler. This was all well and good until the evening milking, when Dad Bekins discovered there was no room in the cooler to store the fresh milk! The years sped by, and Cliff soon grew into a handsome and likeable young man. He met Nel DeVos on a blind date arranged by his friend Don Prince, and was immediately smitten. Cliff and Nel soon fell in love, and were married on June 14, 1957. After a honeymoon on Mackinac Island, the newlyweds settled down in the house that would be their home for the next 45 years. In the years to come, Cliff and Nel were blessed with three children: Randy, Terry, and Vicki. Cliff loved being a father, and did everything he could to support his kids. This included working extra jobs to provide for the family, getting his kids involved in whatever he was doing, and helping out with school activities such as athletics and the Band Parents Association. Cliffs first factory job was at Oldbergs. Later, he moved on to the sheet metal union at Bastion Blessing, where he learned to assemble restaurant equipment and apply Formica. Bastion closed its doors in the late 1980s, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it spurred Cliff to open his own successful equipment installation business. Throughout his entire working life, Cliff also took care of cottages along Lake Michigan, a business started by his father. Cliffs sons and grandsons would eventually become involved in the business as well. There was plenty of work to do around the cottages, but also plenty of time for horsing around and of course, the lake was always handy for a quick dip! Cliff was a dedicated member of the Grand Haven Township Volunteer Fire Department, and served the community for 21 years. He was also a member of the Michigan National Guard, serving for a number of years in the 1950s and 1960s. On Sundays, Cliff and his family regularly attended church services at Hope Reformed Church of Grand Haven. Cliff made sure his children learned the Bible, and often donated his time to help maintain the church buildings and grounds. In his free time, Cliff loved hunting and fishing with his brother, Clint, and his sons, once they were old enough. He enjoyed catching Action movies at the theater, especially when his daughter Vicki joined him. Cliff and Nel were also popular in the neighborhood, and spent many happy evenings playing cards and chatting with the neighbors. Close friends over the years included Kenny and Shirley Reenders, Denny Marzuki and Irene, and Frank Niemczak. In 1999, Cliff retired from the restaurant equipment business. He still kept busy, however, and began to put in more hours as a cottage caretaker. He also spent a fair amount of time on the garage sale circuit, and earned the nickname of Garage Sale King. He remained close to neighbors Ken and Shirley Reenders, and in recent years regularly joined them for Saturday morning breakfast. Cliff loved spending time with his grandchildren, and always attended their sporting events and activities. They loved riding in the golf cart with their grandpa, driving around to see the Reenders cows and buffalo. Kind, generous, and trustworthy, Cliff was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, a hard worker, and a loyal friend. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his many friends and family members. Mr. Clifford Bekins died on December 14, 2012, at the age of 75. Cliffs family includes his daughter, Vicki (David Armstrong) Bekins of Holland; his sons, Randy (Diana) Bekins of Greenville and Terry Bekins of Grand Haven; 8 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; his brothers, Harvey (Barb) Bekins and Howie (Pat) Bekins of Grand Haven; and his sister, Dorothy VanDornick. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Nelvina, in 2003; his brothers, Hank and Clint; and his sisters, Catherine and Grace. Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, December 17, at Hope Reformed Church of Grand Haven, with Rev. Tim Taylor officiating. Interment will be at Lakeshore Cemetery. Visitation will be 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. on Sunday at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Grand Haven. Please visit Cliffs personal memory page at www.clockfuneralhome.com, where you can learn more about his life, share a favorite memory or photo, and sign the online guestbook.