Notities persoon: |
THE VERMEER FAMILY; written by Robert Vermeer in about 1980:
In the year 1927, on the California shores of the Pacific Ocean, a boy was born in Oakland whom his parents named Robert Bruce Vermeer. He was born and raised in the Reformed tradition. Since there were no Christian Schools in the Bay Area, he received his early training in Missouri Synod Lutheran grade and high schools. At the close of the second world war he entered Calvin as a pre-seminary student, graduating in 1950 from the College and in 1953 from the Seminary.
A few years after his birth in California, a daughter was born to Dr. and Mrs. L. Flokstra, late professor of education at Calvin College. She was named Anna Mae. Trained in the Christian schools of Grand Rapids, Michigan, "Ann" (as she prefers to be called) also entered Calvin College, graduating in 1951 with a degree in education. During the next two years she taught in the Oakdale Christian School under her principal, Mark VanderArk.
During their college years Bob and Ann met as members of the Fuller Avenue Christian Reformed Church (CRC) of Grand Rapids. Courtship became earnest in the early 50s which finally lead to marriage on June 17, l953. Declared a candidate for the ministry that same year, the newlyweds soon accepted a call to serve the Christian Reformed Church of Delavan, Wisconsin where ordination took place on October 9, 1953. While in Delavan two daughters joined the family: Laurel Anne in 1954 and Marcia Lynn in 1955.
Then came the call to move westward. The four Vermeers arrived in Denver in January 1958 to serve the First CRC for the next eight years. While living in the Mile-high City, their marriage was again blessed with the birth of two sons. John Robert joined the family tree in 1959 and Bruce Henry arrived in 1962. In 1966, however, a call was heeded to serve the Maple Avenue CRC of Holland, Michigan where the family lived until now. While in Holland, Laurel and Marcia graduated from Holland Christian High School.
And then came April of 1973! Again the Lord spoke and the Vermeers felt a new challenge to serve the Lord’s church in the great northwest country of America, Lynden is now their home and they count it a great privilege to be a part of the Bethel family. You will find them to be very human, very normal, in every way. The two girls now are enrolled in Calvin College. Laurel hope to become a teacher; Marcia a nurse. The two boys will join the Christian schools in Lynden. Your Pastor and his wife will attempt to keep the home fires burning at 205- Eleventh Street.
After Lynden, Robert and Ann Vermeer moved to Bakersfield, California on January 18, 1981 where they served the Christian Reformed Church of that city. At that time all of their children except for Bruce, their youngest, had moved away. Bruce did not move with his father and mother to Bakersfield, he remained in Lynden to complete his senior year of High School at Lynden Christian High School. Bruce relocated to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan that fall.
In 1985 Bob and Ann moved to the Wright Christian Reformed Church in Kanawha, Iowa. where they pastored until retirement in 1993. Then they moved to Lynden, Whatcom County, Washington and the first home that they actually owned (having been in CRC parsonages the rest of the time). |
