John Rookus, 92, died at his home in Moline on Saturday, Dec. 9.
He was born in Zeeland Jan. 17, 1931, the son of Elizabeth (Betty) Rookus. He was raised in Zeeland, alongside his grandparents, John and Kate Rookus, and many uncles and aunts. In high school and throughout college, he worked on a local farm for two friends, Bill DeJong and Simon Vander Lyster.
As a young boy, he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior, and taught Sunday school, and as a Gideon, handed out more than 2,000 small New Testaments in Mexico alone.
During his college years at Spring Arbor College, his schooling was interrupted when he started having blackout seizures. As a result, he dropped out of college and moved back home to Zeeland.
He started learning to build homes with his Uncle George Schout, and soon after, he was healed of his seizures and able to resume his education at Hope College.
While finishing his teaching degree and throughout his teaching career, he continued to construct homes. For the next 65 years, he built more than 150 homes during the summer months while on school breaks.
His teaching career started at Moline Elementary as principal/teacher for ten years, and then he moved into the middle school guidance counselor position at Wayland. His final few years of teaching were as an English teacher at Wayland High School.
He completed his teaching career when his youngest child, Kathy, graduated. He was so proud to see all five of his children graduate from Wayland Union Schools.
Outside of his career and construction work, he was deeply involved in Moline Baptist Church, missions, traveling, and spending time with his family.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Joyce (Alverson) Rookus; sons Tim and Pam Rookus, Mark and Sandi Rookus, Steve and Carolyn Rookus, Tom and Rhonda Rookus; and daughter, Mark and Kathryn (Rookus) Chesebro; his sister, Mary and Bruce Athearn; and brother- and sisters-in-law John and Nancy (Alverson) Riley, Jean Alverson, and Joe and Linda Alverson.
John was proud that his family consisted of 103 people, which includes his 25 grandchildren, 44 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. In addition, there were many friends from Mexico who have also called him Grandpa.
He was preceded in death by his parents Elizabeth and Menno Dykstra, and his daughter (at birth), Deborah Jo Rookus.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, at Kubiak-Cook Funeral Home, 312 N. Main St., Wayland. A funeral will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at Moline Baptist Church, 4428 Chappel St., Moline, with visitation from 10 to 10:45 a.m. prior to the service.
In honor of a life well-lived and in lieu of flowers, please send a gift in his memory to: Gideons International, P.O. Box 97251, Washington, DC 20090-7251 or www.gideons.org.