Beth Bouws

Beth was born on October 12, 1948 to Ken and Elaine (Huyser) Beelen. She was the 2nd of 10 children, 6 girls first and then 4 boys. Beth was close to her sister Martha (Mart), who was only 13 months older. They played together all the time and had many of the same friends even through high school. Much of Beth's growing up years were spent in downtown Holland living in a house on 19th street. The neighborhood kids often went rollerskating together. Coming down Columbia street from 20th to 19th street is a small hill. Legend has it that Beth was the only kid in the neighborhood who could start at the top of the hill and still make the corner onto 19th street on her roller skates. In the summers, from about ages 10-15, Beth and Mart went to pick blueberries and were paid 7 cents a pound. After first tithing 10%, their parents allowed Beth and Mart to spend their earnings on an ice cream sundae once a week at Fabiano's and the rest of the money was saved to buy school clothes. Beth started playing the clarinet in 5th grade and also took piano lessons. She participated in the marching band all through high school and helped with music at her church, Central Ave CRC in Holland.

For college, Beth had planned to go into nursing and heard from someone at Holland Hospital that if she went to University of Michigan, she would get her bachelor's of science while working towards her nursing license. Much to her surprise, her parents thought this was a wonderful opportunity for her and encouraged her to go. She roomed with a friend from high school, Marsha Koning VanderVeen and this friendship helped ease her nerves moving to such a different place. The 2 remained good friends until Beth's passing. Moving to Ann Arbor had a big impact on Beth's life. She met people from many different places and cultures and this expanded her thinking. At the start of her junior year while at a mixer held by the Campus Chapel, she met a guy from Grand Rapids who was in his 2nd year of dental school, John Bouws. John had just spent the summer traveling Europe for 13 weeks and this just “wowed” her. They dated for a few years and then married on June 5, 1971. Their first year of marriage was spent in Boston, where Beth worked with the Roxbury, MA city health department. The second year of marriage was spent in Alameda, CA, because John worked for the US Coast Guard base. John and Beth's first child, Douglas John, was born at the Oakland Navy Hospital and when Doug was 5 months old, John and Beth moved back to Michigan. After spending some time in a rental home and then in a home on Restmor, Beth's father, Ken, built a home on Piute Dr. in Grandville, MI. John and Beth lived in this home for 26 years and raised their 4 children, Doug, Rob, Brent and Kara. In 2003, they bought a home on Lake Macatawa and moved to Waukazoo Woods. The Waukazoo house became a favorite hangout for their family and friends and Beth was always happy to be busy prepping food and ready to host.

Beth's first job after graduating with her nursing degree was a public health nurse in the housing projects of Detroit with Albanian immigrants. This led her to write a research paper about her experiences which was published in the American Journal of Nursing. Beth was a part of the Nurses' Harvard Health Study for her entire adult life. She faithfully participated in reporting her health in order to help advance science. When first faced with the brain tumor, she was very interested in participating in clinical trials to hopefully be a part of eventually finding a cure for brain cancer. She went down to Northwestern one time and signed on to a clinical trial, but sadly, the disease took a hold of her before she could participate. Beth was the 1st woman on school board for Grandville Calvin Christian School, she was the 1st woman deacon at Fellowship CRC in Grandville, she served on the Healing the Children Board and the Crossroads Bible Institute Board. She was the trip leader and organizer for Healing the Children and Luke Society Medical/Dental groups to Honduras and Bolivia. In all, Beth and John participated in 9 short term mission brigades. She put much of her time, energy and organizational skills preparing for these trips and recruiting others to go along.

After Beth's mother died in 1995, she inherited some pieces of Noritake China. She brought them to the local antique store in Grandville and found out these pieces of Azalea china had some value. This was the start of her antiquing. She convinced her sister, Joan, to start looking with her and then the 2 eventually had an annual antiquing trip through the midwest searching antique stores for their china. Joan and Beth joined the Noritake society (and eventually John did too) and attended the annual Noritake conventions.

Being a Mom and Grandma brought Beth great joy and meaning and she did it so incredibly well. Her children could always count on her to be there whenever they needed her and to listen carefully. She rarely missed her kid's sporting events despite hating to sit in the cold weather. When Kara switched from basketball to tennis, back outside to the cold Beth went. She put so much time and energy into being a meaningful part of her grandchildren's lives. When her oldest granddaughter was quite young she named her Grandma her “Tma” and that stuck. “Tma” made sure the candy drawer was stocked and the “magic filler” had the treasure chest brimming with surprises before the grandchildren came over. Just like her father, Tma LOVED ice cream. She made sure to share that love with her grandchildren. Each spring, she started looking for ice cream treats and popsicles to go on sale and she'd begin to fill her freezer. Then, any visit from her kids or grandkids throughout the summer was a good occasion to have an ice cream treat. Cousin camp is the highlight of her grandchildrens' summers and Tma did a lot of work to make that a special and memorable experience. She always greeted her children and grandchildren with excitement and a hug. Her kids and grandkids were often her sole priority over anything else. On the night Beth was diagnosed, one of the first things she said to her family was “I'm just so glad it is me with the brain tumor and not one of you kids.”

When John retired in 2008, John and Beth began traveling A LOT. Beth recalled how a trip to Egypt in 2010 was especially memorable as she saw how the historical culture of Egypt influenced many places in the Old Testament writings of the Bible. Her favorite trip was to Machu Picchu in Peru. She was so impressed with the Incan people's ability to build such complex and useful structures in the Andes mountains. In all, John and Beth traveled to 83 countries together. Travel broadened and enlarged her thinking. The more she traveled, the more her curiosity grew and the more she believed that there is room for interfaith cooperation and diversity. She credited her parents for allowing her to think openly all her life and was grateful to John for growing alongside her as her thinking changed.

After months of worsening vision, Beth was diagnosed on May 16, 2021 with stage 4 brain cancer. What a shock to find a 3 by 5 cm tumor wrapped around her thalamus. Cancer is a thief. It took away her ability to travel with her husband. It took away her ability to host and care for her children and grandchildren. It took away her ability to enjoy and engage for long periods in meaningful conversations with siblings and friends. The brain cancer took her from us before any of us were ready or wanted her to go.

We give thanks to God for the life that Beth lived. It was rich with love, joy, learning, sacrifice, compassion, and blessings.

Bouws, Beth E. Bouws born October 12, 1948, finished her fight with cancer and went to her Eternal Home on Friday, December 31, 2021. Beth was preceded in death by her parents Ken and Elaine (Huyser) Beelen and brother-in-law Timothy Helmus and Charles Walker. Beth will be dearly missed by: her travel companion and loving husband of 50 years, John Bouws. Her children Douglas and Sheri Bouws, Robert and Amy Bouws, Brent and Kristyn Bouws and Kara and Jeffrey Plantinga. The grandchildren that brought her so much joy: Ellie, Sophia, and Katherine Bouws; Holly, Benjamin and Joy Bouws; Autumn, Savannah, Lily, and Olive Bouws; Julia and Annika Plantinga. Also surviving are stepmother Agnes Beelen. sisters and brothers: Martha and Bruce Frens, Karen Walker, Steve and Sandy Hirdes, Kathy Beelen, Joan Beelen, Ken and Nancy Beelen, Tim and Tonia Beelen, Gary and Teresa Beelen, and Michael Beelen; sister-in-law, Barb Helmus and many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles and dear friends. Funeral services will be held Thursday, January 6 at 1PM at Harderwyk Ministries, 1627 W. Lakewood Blvd., Holland. Friends may greet the family on Wednesday from 2-4 and 6-8PM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr NW in Grand Rapids and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday. At Beth’s family’s request, masks are required and vaccinations are recommended. Memorial contributions may be made to Crossroads Prison Ministries, 2480 44th St SE, Kentwood, 49512; The Colossian Forum, 6021 Fifth St NW, GR 49504; Biologos, 3940 Peninsular dr SE Suite 220, Suite 220, GR 49546 or Neighbors Plus ℅ Harderwyk Ministries, 1627 W. Lakewood Blvd, Holland, 49424. To sign the guestbook, leave a memory or read Beth’s lifestory please visit www.heritagelifestory.com