Lorenzo Bahena

Lorenzo Bahena was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. He was a man of many special interests but it was evident in every way that his family meant the world to him. There was no doubt that his heart was most content any time he was surrounded by his loved ones. Lorenzo’s genuine and good-natured ways of showing affection will forever be remembered by all who knew and loved him.

The 1940s were characterized by WWII. By 1947, some of the most significant inventions that would impact lives for many years to come were created including the Transistor and the Mobile Phone. That same year, Lorenzo Andres was born to hard working farmers, Virginio and Inocente (Trujillo) Bahena, on September 3rd, in Zacapoxtepec, a city in the southwest region of Mexico known as Gerrerro. Born into a large family of thirteen siblings; Victoria, Eulalia, Pedro, Elena, Elia, Martha, Augustina, Luisa, Salomon, Brigigda, Ninfa, Isidro, and Leonel, his birth brought his parents great joy.

Growing up, Lorenzo learned the importance of family at an early age. Nearly every moment was spent with another sibling contributing to their close-knit relationships over the years. Born with a sense of mischief, Lorenzo’s childhood was never a dull moment! He and his siblings learned to cook together as well as keep one another entertained. Proud of his heritage, he enjoyed playing music as well as visiting the local dance halls as an adolescent. His love of Spanish music and dance stayed with him well into his adult years. Not to be forgotten was the meeting of a young woman, Augustina, on the ranch in Zacapoxtepec who would change the course of his life forever. She was the tender age of fourteen when they married in a small church in town. Short on resources, the happy couple moved into his mother’s home and began their family. Together they raised ten children; Antonia, David, Faustino, Alberto, Virginio, Jessica, Andres, David, Lorenzo Jr. and Johnny.

As a father, Lorenzo was strict yet loving. A fierce protector, he was the disciplinarian during their growing years. He taught his children the value of hard work and modeled for them an earnest living. He took many jobs to provide for his family over the years including painting, working on a turkey farm and area field jobs. Lorenzo also taught them how to hunt and fish as well as garden. Reflecting back, his children grew to understand the tough love he gave as a father was for their own good. Over the years, they shared a mutual trust and respect for one another. As a family, they shared many memorable trips to Pentwater to enjoy the fresh water of Lake Michigan. Any amount of time his family was together his heart was joyful and content.

Never one to remain idle, Lorenzo was a man of many simple pleasures. He had a fondness for his red truck as well as his hunting gun, yet cooking and grilling out were his favorite pastimes. Lorenzo loved to cook large family meals of traditional Mexican dishes including tamales, mole, tacos, and steak. He loved all types of food yet a personal favorite was turkey mole. Whenever there was a celebration of any kind, Lorenzo was sure to prepare the food with enough to go around! To him, the bigger the crowd, the bigger the spread! Each and every year he looked forward to his birthday celebration as it normally fell over the Labor Day weekend. Preparing meal after meal, he shared the joy of providing for his growing family and spending time with them. Lorenzo always put his family first. With a vibrant personality and a heart made of gold, there is no doubt that his fun loving personality will be greatly missed at each gathering in the years to come. Although Lorenzo will be deeply missed he leaves behind a wonderful collection of many fond memories for his loved ones to treasure forever.

Mr. Lorenzo Andres Bahena, age 73, of Grand Rapids, passed away unexpectedly on December 25, 2020. He was preceded by his parents, Virginio Bahena and Inocente (Trujillo) Ocampo; sons, David and Virginio. Lorenzo is survived by his wife, Augustina Bahena; children, Antonia, Faustino, Alberto, Jessica, Andres, David, Lorenzo Jr. and Johnny; as well as 23 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Contributions in his memory may be made to his family via GoFundMe. Please visit www.heritagelifestory.com to submit a favorite memory, photo, or to sign the guestbook.