Barbara Kay Bierens

With tremendous love and a servant's heart, Barbara Kay Bierens lived a life rich in faith, family, and friends. Barb practiced the principles of her faith and in so doing, she provided a powerful role model for others. Barb was always welcoming, hospitable, and kind and never hesitated to give of herself by serving others. Her bright smile, genuine curiosity, and compassionate listening were gifts to all who were blessed to know her. Whether creating a delicious meal, traveling, attending church, or reading a book, Barb embraced each moment as a gift. A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Barb will long be remembered and dearly missed.

1945 was a year marked by much celebration and hope. With the victorious end of World War II, families tuned into the celebratory tunes of Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and the Andrews Sisters. At the same time, children delighted in the debut of the slinky. Nowhere was there greater promise for the future than in the hearts and home of Harry and Bernice (DeVries) Roedema as they welcomed their daughter Barbara to their family on April 9 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The youngest of three, Barb enjoyed the good company of her siblings, John, 13 years older, and Elaine, nine years older. Barb was always adored by her siblings, who included her in all of their activities and friendships. The family settled on the northeast side of Grand Rapids. Barb's father worked as a furniture maker, while her mother dedicated herself to managing the home and tending to the family.

Barb attended Creston Christian School through 9th grade before completing her education at Central Christian High. She enjoyed high school and the fresh start and new friendships it afforded her. Involved in sales and projects with Junior Achievement, Barb earned many awards for her work. After high school, Barb took classes at Junior College, worked as a legal secretary at a local law firm and later worked as a secretary at Lear Jet.

In 1966, Barb met Paul Bierens, who was home on leave for Holidays from the Army; his sister set them up. The pair enjoyed a fun time roller skating, and he promised to call her when he completed his service later that July. Paul kept his promise, and they continued dating. With dreams of sharing their futures, the happy couple married on June 16, 1967, at her church, Beckwith Hills CRC. Following a honeymoon in the Upper Peninsula, the newlyweds made their first home in a rented apartment on the northwest side of Grand Rapids, where her aunt and uncle were next-door neighbors. Barb worked for Lear Jet, and Paul worked for Advance Packaging.

In 1970, Barb and Paul were blessed to become parents when their daughter Julie was born. Their daughter Laura joined the family in 1972, and the family was complete when their daughter Kara arrived in 1974. Barb stayed home full-time with the girls and devoted herself to building a loving and supportive family. Marked by hospitality, Barb always went above and beyond, adding special extra touches to everything she took on. A great cook, Barb always had meals ready for someone in need; her beef roast and Dutch salad were unrivaled. Sundays included a big dinner after church, then baking with her daughters and enjoying sweet treats together before night church. Barb was an affectionate mom. She hugged, kissed, and expressed her love in countless ways. She was a natural teacher, gifted speaker, writer, and mentor to her children and others, including many international students from Calvin University's Friendship program. Barb provided a welcoming home for young people from Nigeria, Japan, Sri Lanka, and The Netherlands and she maintained connections with many of them over the years. Barb’s home was also a place of connection, comfort and joy for other children including neighborhood children and her daughters’ friends including her dear girls from Rainbow Lake.

After working for Angelica Uniform Group, Paul started his business, Distinctive Image Apparel. Later, when he began Sport Towels, Barb took over purchasing, packaging, and shipping, managing the many required tasks from the basement with the kids' help. The family enjoyed road trips to Colorado, Spring Breaks in Gulf Shores, Alabama and renting a cottage on Long Lake near Traverse City together with Barb’s beloved parents. In time, they purchased a cottage on Rainbow Lake near Trufant, where Barb and the kids spent their entire summers. Barb loved the years up at the cottage.

Barb loved Jesus and served others with a generous heart. A lifelong member of Beckwith Hills CRC, she was active in many capacities throughout the years. She supported refugee families through her church with countless practical acts of kindness and a huge heart. She shared much love for every individual, from parents to the youngest baby. When her daughter Laura and her family moved to Morocco for 11 years, Barb was the first to visit and help. When Laura had back issues, Barb learned to drive a manual so that she could drive Laura around while Laura laid in the backseat hollering, “shift, Mom!”. She loved and was loved by the community in Morocco, where she regularly visited and blessed others.

In their 57 years of marriage, Barb and Paul created many beautiful memories traveling the world, including epic trips to China, Australia, South and Central America and Europe. Together with their treasured friends, Don and Sue Mackett, Paul and Barb completed 52 weeks of travel to their timeshare in Cancun, Mexico starting in 1994 and documenting their last trip together in 2022. The last trip was essential in Barb’s mind as week 52 marked the completion of a solid year of treasured companionship and travel memories. Many other trips were also shared with close friends. Starting in 2000, Barb adored spending winters with Paul at their condo in Vero Beach, Florida, where she enjoyed the sunshine and connecting with dear friends. A sunshine person, Barb loved time at the pool, happy hours at the beach, and learning the details of the lives of her friends and family. She keenly remembered everything she learned, including details about their friends and families, and always asked about big and small concerns.

Closer to home, Barb enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. Barb and Paul sang together in the church choir at Beckwith Hills Church and enjoyed fellowship with friends from their church homes both in Grand Rapids and in Vero Beach. Barb was an avid reader who much preferred time with books over television and participated in many book clubs. She especially enjoyed sharing books with her daughters and with her seven grandchildren. Barb also loved daily morning coffee with Paul, shopping, lunch with friends, tending her flower gardens, and maintaining a beautiful environment at home.

Without a doubt, Barb's family was her greatest joy. Sadly, just a couple of weeks ago, Barb was diagnosed with a terminal illness. When Barb learned that her illness was terminal on December 19, 2024, she responded with gratitude saying, “I have had a wonderful life.” The following two weeks Barb’s family was constantly at her side building new memories and ministering to Barb while enjoying her constantly repeating, “I love you! Did I tell you how much I love you?”

In two short weeks of dying, Barb summarized a lifetime of teaching and instruction to her girls through her final words and actions. She did not complain, choosing instead to constantly repeat a few simple truths such as, “We are so blessed” and “We’ve had a wonderful life” and “We have such an amazing family.” Another favorite and frequent comment in her last days was, “This time together has just been such an unexpected gift.” In one treasured conversation, one of her daughter’s said, “Mom, you have the best perspective of anyone I know.” Barb’s response summarizes her success story. “The thing of it is, honey, is that I have a Pilot who is guiding me.” Among her last words were, “Today was a good day.” And of course, Paul and her daughters agreed echoing, “It was a good day, Mom.”

As we celebrate Barb's beautiful life, we find much comfort in our many treasured memories. We also find comfort in the honor of carrying forward her legacy of unwavering faith, hope, and love. In each moment that we cherish time with loved ones, enjoy a day in the sun, travel with our beloved, support and encourage others, read a good book, and choose kindness and service to others, we keep Barb's memory alive and inspire others as she so inspired us.

Barbara Kay (Roedema) Bierens (age 79) was welcomed into the loving arms of Jesus on the first day of 2025, surrounded by her family. Barb was greeted by her beloved parents, Harry and Bernice Roedema, her brother, John Roedema, and her dear sister, Elaine Melpolder. Barb was born on April 9, 1945, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She married the love of her life, Paul Bierens, in 1967. Together they raised three daughters, Julie (Kraig) Mackett, Laura (Mark) Bierens Bale, and Kara (Andy) Herder. Barb's daughters were her pride and joy. Barb also loved being a grandma to Stephanie, Kaylie, Caleb, Gabriella, Luke, Collin, and Charlotte. Barb's immediate family held a private service to commend her to the Lord. Friends may meet with the family on Sunday, January 19, from 6 - 8 p.m. at Beckwith Hills Christian Reformed Church, 2100 Chelsea Rd NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505, where a celebration of life will also take place on January 20 at 11:00 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Beckwith Hills Memorial Fund. Celebrate Barb's life online by sharing your favorite photos or stories on her dedicated webpage at heritagelifestory.com