BELLFLOWER
BEGAN as a DUTCH-AMERICAN SETTLEMENT,
w/
LOTS OF DAIRY FARMS OWNED BY
IMMIGRANTS from
the NETHERLANDS but you won't find any farms or windmills or large tulip patches here today



My Blog List

Friday, September 11, 2015

Fwd: 7/31/96 memorial program re jim zoetewey, catherine nichols, shawn scott



7/31/96 memorial program re jim zoetewey, catherine nichols, shawn scott ; so I knew Jim from bellflower around 1990...I had left Wayne State Law School and decided to "go west" ..returning to my parents house in Bellflower, not sure what I was going to do. i started attending church at Bethany CRC...and Jim was part of the "koinonia" group (young adults church group) along with Jim Tanis, Doug Boerigter, John Kortenhoven, JOhn HOgan, JOel Slenk, et al. Jim had his own house at the time near Rosecrans CRC. He was a few years older than me. And he had decided to go to calvin college for a masters degree. Later I myself returned to Calvin as well for a second degree (English/Education) . ANd we met up in Grand Rapids again. Then he left GR and headed back west and got a job teaching in Coachella. I left GR and went to Jackson Wyoming for a summer to work. He called me from Coachella knowing I had a teaching degree and told me there was a job opening. SO I drove out and the principal interviewed me, and the rest, as they say, is history. I began teaching 9th & 10th grade English at CVHS, and Jim was teaching in another classroom on the far side of campus. The only problem was that "our principal" (the nice guy who hired myself and jim ) had retired and a new principal came on board. He was a former student at this school, Latino, and had his own vision for what he wanted ...and neither myself nor Jim fit that vision. I saw the writing on the wall quite quickly and decided to leave after the 2nd year ..Jim by that time had also left ...and I took off for Africa in June of 1996...for a month safari and exploration in Kenya, Tanzania, & South Africa. Upon return from Africa my mom told me that Jim had just died in a car accident. He was driving to Big Bear with a few other church workers for a conference and there had been a collission with another car, and Jim along with two others (Catherine & Shawn) had died. So sad. I attended both funeral ceremonies. One at the church in Coachella where Jim was highly involved, and another at Bethany CRC where his family were long-time members. So here's to Jim...this many years later, as well as Catherine & Shawn. We miss you and pray for the repose of your soul. God bless you. 





--

If u declare with your mouth,

"Jesus is Lord," & believe in your heart 

that God raised Him from the dead, 

u will be saved." 

Romans 10.9