William C. "Wild Bill" Sikkenga

Bill Sikkenga's wild laugh was as recognizable to his friends as his face was, and he used it often, preferring to look on the brighter side of life. Kind and caring, he was a man who brought light and warmth into the lives of his many friends and beloved family members. William Sikkenga was born on August, 16, 1946. His parents, Harry and Louise (Palmer) Sikkenga, already had an eleven-year old son, Bob, and Bill was quite a surprise. In fact, Louise went to the hospital, thinking that she had the flu, and came home with Bill! Bill was born prematurely, weighing only three pounds thirteen ounces at birth - his mother always said it was a real blessing that he survived. Mr. Sikkenga worked at the oil company and as pastor, while Mrs. Sikkenga was a part-time secretary at American Grease Stick. The family lived in Muskegon, two blocks away from Hackley Hospital on Clinton Street. Bill loved the area - he was always outside, playing "cowboys and Indians" and other childhood games. Sadly, Bill's father was diagnosed with cancer and died on Christmas at the age of fifty-one, when Bill was only eleven. Due to this early tragedy, for the rest of his life Bill found the holidays to be a difficult time. Louise, Bill's mother, started working full time at American Grease Stick to support the family. She was a real career woman, enjoying her job and dressing meticulously for work each day. Although still almost a boy himself, Bill's brother Bob stepped up to take over the father role in the family. He owned Sikkenga Design Arts, a company which created parade floats and other design projects. Bill looked up to his older brother, and helped him out in the business when he had free time after school. After Bill graduated from high school, he decided to serve his country by joining the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Germany, and enjoyed both being in the services and the chance to see another culture. After he was discharged, Bill moved back to his hometown of Muskegon. He held a series of odd jobs while looking for something more permanent, and lived in an apartment across from the Nighthawk Bar where he sometimes worked as a bouncer. Around this time, Bill met and started dating Gloria, a single mother with three daughters: Paula, Brenda, and Cyndi (ages eight, seven, and five at the time). Far from being leery of walking into a ready-made family, Bill loved the girls and treated them "like gold." Brenda remembers visiting Bill with her mother and sisters at his bachelor apartment, sparsely furnished, when Bill and Gloria started dating. Before long, Bill had proposed to Gloria and she accepted. Bill was the only father the girls ever knew, and he loved them very much. Patient and kind, he loved to joke around - his wild laugh earned him his nickname, "Wild Bill." He entertained the girls with made-up karate moves, jokes, and sayings like, when they asked, "Where we going Dad?" and his reply, "Crazy." Bill and Gloria were soon blessed with the birth of another daughter, Karla. With Karla, Bill was able to use his special babysitting method - whenever she got fussy he'd put her on his motorcycle and while he sat there, she'd fall asleep in his arms. Bill never played favorites, as far as he was concerned, there was never any difference between his biological daughter and his step-daughters. Always good-natured, Bill never minded being the only guy in a house of girls. Since the house only had one bathroom, however, Bill would joke that "when he got his turn in there, he wasn't coming out"! He let them do whatever they wanted, including a memorable day when they decided to perm Bill's hair. He helped support the family by working at Campbell's (a foundry). Unfortunately, when jobs became scarce in the seventies, he lost his position and spent the next two decades getting by on odd jobs. Gloria wanted to earn a degree in nursing, so when she went to night classes, Bill stayed at home and took care of the girls. Although he was not a traditional cook, everyone enjoyed his unorthodox creations, such as his macaroni and cheese, spam, and canned green bean casserole. Even though there wasn't often a lot of money, Bill gave whatever he had to take care of his girls. Every summer there were family camping trips with tubing and canoeing and many summers were spent in Grand Haven at the Sikkenga family cottage. For Karla, more than where they were, how they got there was the real treat. Bill loved to take long drives on back roads with his daughter and later on, with anyone who'd get in the car with him, taking in the scenery and the good conversation. Bill's older brother died at the age of fifty-one. This really hit Bill hard - he became afraid that he too, like his father and older brother, would die at the age of fifty-one. He felt very alone with all of his childhood family gone. He also became divorced from Gloria in 1987. Bill became very depressed about these events and turned to drinking to help himself forget. Despite his personal troubles, Gloria and Bill tried to keep things as normal as possible for the girls. Karla was the only one still at home at this point, and she and Bill continued their tradition of Tuesday movie nights. After a few years, the family was also able to go back to celebrating the holidays together. Happily, around the time Bill turned fifty-one, he was able to pull his life back together. He got his old job back at Campbell's, and started participating in a Christian AA program. Bill found a place as a leader in the program, hosting meetings in his own home and sponsoring newcomers. He still loved children, and took all the chances he got to be with his grandchildren. He also took a lot of pride in his music collection. He enjoyed all kinds of music, from older classics to contemporary (including rap), and he loved to record music and make tapes for his family. No matter what he was asked for, he would invariably answer, "No problem, I have it." Bill Sikkenga was a kind, loving man with a great sense of humor who always put others before himself. He will be fondly remembered and deeply missed by all those lucky enough to have known him. A service for William "Wild Bill" Sikkenga will be held on Tuesday, January 30, 2007, 1:00 p.m., at the Clock Life Story Funeral Home. Pastor Eric Stratton will officiate. Interment will be at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation will be on Monday, 6-8 p.m., and Tuesday, one hour prior to the service, at Clock Life Story Funeral Home. Please visit Bill's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.