Allen Van Den Berg

Al Van Den Berg was a hard working family man with a strong faith who always seemed to make time for others. He was an outgoing, energetic, kindhearted fellow who looked for opportunities to bring a smile to someone during his day. Work was no chore for Al and although he started working full-time by the tenth grade, he looked at each new day as another chance to brighten up someone else's day.

Al Van Den Berg brought great joy to Henry and Maggie (Van Tubbergen) Van Den Berg, when they were blessed with his birth in 1935. At the time, Americans were struggling deeply by the effects of the Great Depression; however, Henry and Maggie kept their minds focused on the blessings of their four children: Jay, Joyce, Al and Marge. Sadly, when Al was only seven, his mother passed away leaving his father to raise the children. Henry took on the responsibility and in time, he met and married Ida. Ida had a daughter of her own named Margaret. After the marriage, Henry and Ida had two more children, Stan and Doris, which made a total of seven children. The Van Den Berg family was members of the Ninth Street Christian Reformed Church (now Pillar Church) while Al was growing up.

Al attended Holland Christian Schools until the tenth grade when he got a job in the dairy business working as a milkman. He also worked at Swift Ice Cream where he met Lucille Dreyer. Lucille was working at the ice cream factory while earning her teaching degree at Calvin College . The two fell in love and soon married in Holland on July 1, 1955. Their small wedding ceremony took place at Lucille's parents, Jacob and Martha Dreyer's, home. After the wedding, Al and Lucille enjoyed a short honeymoon in Northern Michigan . The happy couple was blessed with three wonderful children: Doug, Lynn and Scott. Lucille worked as an elementary school teacher for 38 years while Al worked nights at Bareman Dairy. He worked nights so he could be home for the kids during the day. He also enjoyed working for West Ottawa Public School Transportation as a school bus driver for 43 devoted years. He loved driving the school bus and if it were not for the deterioration of his health, he would never have left that job.

Al and Lucille drove their family each Sunday to worship at Grace Reformed Church on the North Side of Holland where they had attended together for 40 years. His faith, the love of God and a Christian home were very important to him. Al loved eating together as a family. Some of his favorite foods were grilled meats, cheese, hamburgers, sandwiches and Pepsi. He and his son, Scott, looked forward to every Saturday morning when they would enjoy going out to breakfast at either Rock Island Restaurant or Country Seasons Restaurant. Although Al did not personally care for sweets, he often carried Hershey Kisses with him to pass out to someone who would appreciate the gesture. He also took with him a bag of dog biscuits on his milk route to share with the dogs on his route. Al also enjoyed spending time on his boat and even learned to water ski. He loved following the Detroit Tiger games on television and with Lucille, he enjoyed the many times they spent golfing together. Al and Lucille also enjoyed traveling together, managing to visit every state in the U.S. They visited Canada, New Zealand , Australia , the Netherlands and South Africa as well as taking ten cruises. His favorite trips were the African safaris and traveling through the Canadian Rockies. The couple went to Hawaii on their 25th and 35th wedding anniversaries and was scheduled to go again this week to celebrate their 50th.

Al's family and community were both very important to him. He was grateful to have known his six grandchildren, Sara, Nikki, Brian, Craig, Chris and Ben. He cherished the time spent with them and they all held a very special place in his heart. Al was a friendly gentleman who loved people, so his volunteer work as an usher at the Holland Civic Theatre was a perfect fit. He and Lucille loved getting out and attending the plays too. Another outreach that brought Al great satisfaction was installing Lifelines into people's homes so that they could call for help if they needed to. Al didn't only love people; he also loved dogs and birds as well. He went out of his way to make sure the birds at his house were always well fed.

In 1991, and again in 1999, Al suffered massive heart attacks. Although when asked about his health, he responded that he was "totally awesome." He did not let his health get him down so he made the best of the time he spent at the Cardiac Rehab unit at Holland Hospital . Al took time to visit with other men and enjoyed the friendly interaction of his fellow companions who were also recovering from heart conditions.

When you try to define the sort of person Al Van Den Berg was, you imagine someone who was an all around good person, who loved God, life and his family and who always made himself available when needed. That is how Al will be remembered, as a man with a big heart. He tried everyday to be the best man he could be and he was rewarded with a life of happiness. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.

Allen "Al" Van Den Berg, age 70, of Holland , died June 27, 2005. His family includes his wife of 50 years, Lucille; his children, Doug Van Den Berg of Reston, VA; Lynn and Ron Rozema of Wheaton, IL; Scott and Sherri Van Den Berg of Holland; six grandchildren; his sisters and brother, Joyce and Wally Brown of Des Plaines, IL, Marge and Mel Kossen of Holland; Margaret Van Dyke of Holland; Stan and Karen Van Den Berg of Galletin, Tennessee, Doris and Chuck Biolette of Holland; his father-in-law, Jacob Dreyer of Zeeland; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Ernie and Vonnie Dreyer of Holland, Chet and Mary Dreyer of Holland, Ron and Barb Dreyer of Holland, Jim and Ruth Dreyer of Holland; several nieces and nephews.

To learn more about Al's life, friends may visit with his family on Thursday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Dykstra Life Story Funeral Home - Northwood Chapel, 295 Douglas Avenue .

Funeral Services for Al will be held on Friday at 1:00 p.m. at Beechwood Reformed Church, 895 Ottawa Beach Road with Rev. Paul Schmidt and Rev. John Vander Roest officiating.

Burial will take place at Lakewood Cemetery in Park Township .

Please visit Al's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a memory, order flowers, or make a memorial contribution. Memorials may be made to Holland - Zeeland Lifeline Service or the American Heart Association.

Arrangements by Dykstra Life Story Funeral Homes, Northwood Chapel.