Owen Aukeman, age 89, of Holland, passed away Sunday, August 8, 2021.
Born in Cable, Ohio in the height of the great depression on July 1, 1932, to Dutch immigrants Julian (Jelle) and Agnes (Akke) Aukema. Growing up on the family farm in Zutphen, Michigan. He became a self-taught builder/developer who had a passion for affordable housing most of which he designed on the back of a restaurant paper placemat or napkin.
Only finishing the eighth grade himself, he married a Calvin College girl from California, Mary Louise de Boer on January 27, 1955. Together they raised a family of five children. We are not sure if Mary Lou was ever able to unpack everything before he sold the home they just built and moved again.
He and Mary Lou were involved in many committees, projects, and mission work. They took their young family to Nigeria, West Africa in 1963 to build a mission hospital and a boarding school dormitory for missionary children. In 1979 they returned to Liberia to construct a missionary compound. During their retirement years, they built homes at Rehoboth Christian School in New Mexico.
Owen was preceded in death by his siblings, William, Frank, Nellie (Masselink), Carl, Thelma (Bolhuis), Julian and Melvin, and his son-in-law Graham Haber, who died of rare cancer in June 2021.
He will be deeply missed by his wife of 66 years, Mary Lou; his five children: Jeltje (Ian) Gordon-Lennox, Daniel (Alice) Aukeman, Meribeth (Loren) Pitsch, William (Lisa) Aukeman, and Anastasia (Graham) Aukeman-Haber; Owen was Grandpa/Opa to Sushila and Jefferson Gordon-Lennox, Renee (Kylie) Prymus, Joseph (Stacy) Aukeman, Maryke (Jason) Luke, Brookelynn Pitsch, Marenta (Patrick) Klinger, William Casey (Christina) Aukeman, Piet Aukeman, Zola, Miles, and Lucas Haber and nine great-grandchildren; also surviving him are his brother Calvin (Mary) Aukeman; sisters-in-law: Anne Aukeman and Elaine Aukeman, along with a fathership role to Patricia de Boer and Dr. Zamir Padgorica.
Owen lived a long, adventurous life. He will be missed here on earth but is surely sketching a plan to build something in Heaven! Owen loved a gathering and usually invited anyone who crossed his path.
A family graveside ceremony will be held in Zutphen Cemetery. A celebration of his fully-lived life will be held at 11 am Tuesday, August 17, 2021, in the sanctuary at Ridge Point Community Church, 340 104th Ave., Holland. There will be a time of fellowship and refreshments after the service. Memorial contributions may be given in memory of Owen to Rehoboth Christian School (https://www.rcsnm.org/) or the EHE Foundation (dedicated to fighting rare cancer that took his beloved son-in-law Graham) https://fightehe.org/
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