Obituary
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Passed away at the Rock Lake Personal Care Home, Pilot Mound, MB, on
Saturday December 4, 2021 at the age of 89 years, Bernardus Albertus “Ben”
Reuvekamp, formerly of St. Alphonse, MB.
Ben leaves to mourn his passing, four children, sons Anthony Reuvekamp of
Winkler, MB, Nicholas Reuvekamp of Notre Dame, MB, Andrew Reuvekamp of
Winkler, MB, daughter and son-in-law Anita (Casey) Bramhoff of Burnaby B.C.,
sisters Ans (Gerard) Van Baalen and Agnes (Henk) Nijhof of the Netherlands,
brother Jan Reuvekamp also of the Netherlands, sister-in-law and brother-in-law
Rachel (Gaston) Claeys of Holland, MB as well as numerous extended relatives
both here and overseas. Ben was predeceased by his wife Rita in January
2021, parents Anna Maria Zemann (1987) and Bernardus Johannes Reuvekamp
(1984), sister Riet Reuvekamp, twin brother Frans Reuvekamp and sister-in-law
Allie (Jan) Oesterholt in May 2021.
Ben was one of six children born in Beltrum, a small village in eastern Holland in
1932. He grew up very close to his twin brother Frans. They had many
adventures together and got up to a lot of mischief. Ben was 8 years old when
war broke out in Europe in 1940. These were lean years for his family. He
recalls using rags to make a football and being taught in a café where gauze
was used to divide the space into a place for girls and a place for boys. When
he was 13 years old, Ben chose to attend the Beltrum Agricultural School. In
1958, at the age of 26, he immigrated to Canada to fulfill his dream of farming.
Firmin Delichte, sponsored Ben to come to Canada to work on his farm.
Firmin’s daughters Betty and Edna remember Ben as being kind and gentle and
very good in mathematics: he was a big help with their homework. With kind
support and time, Ben made the transition to Canadian life. He was proud to be
a Canadian. His first Christmas in Canada was spent in St. Alphonse, MB.
Shortly after he arrived in Canada, he met Miss Rita De Pauw. Ben and Rita
were married in a double ring wedding ceremony in the St. Alphonse church
alongside Rita’s sister Rachel and her husband Gaston Claeys.
Ben and Rita began their married life together on the farm formerly owned by
Rita’s Uncle Jules. They worked very hard to build up their farm. In those
years, they made do with what they had and only made investments to their
farm when they could afford it. Their first son, Anthony was born on December
5, 1965. Andrew, the second son, followed on February 26, 1967 and close on
his heels was their daughter Anita, born on June 13, 1968. Almost four years
later, on December 27, 1971 their youngest son Nico was born. Family was very
important to Ben. Mealtimes were spent together around the kitchen table and
Sundays were reserved for church and a family outing. During the later family
years, when Ben was semi-retired, he spent more time gardening and ‘travelling
Manitoba’ with Nico and Rita. They had many memorable adventures together.
In 2017, Ben moved into Rock Lake Personal Care Home in Pilot Mound. Rita
remained on the farm with Anthony and Nico. The next three and a half years
were difficult ones for Ben and Rita as they missed spending their days
together. Ben will always be remembered as a reliable neighbor, a gentle
person, a good farmer, a wise man, a rock collector, a man who loved trees, a
loving dad, a loyal husband and a good friend.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be held in the St. Alphonse Catholic Church on
Tuesday December 14, 2021. Due to Covid protocol, attendance is limited to
family members only.
Interment will take place in the St. Alphonse Parish Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Ben’s memory to the
Sarah Gaulin Memorial Scholarship Fund
www.gaulinfoundation.org/en/scholarship.php, or by mailing 2334 De
Mexico, Laval QC, H7M 3C9.
The service for Ben will be webcast and available online on Ben’s profile page at
www.willmorchapel.com later in the day. Friends may sign the memorial
register book by emailing jamiesonsfuneral@gmail.com or by calling 204-526-
2380 and we will insert your name.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Bernardus « Ben » Albertus Reuvekamp, please visit our floral store.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Bernardus Ben Albertus Reuvekamp October 29 1932 December 4 2021 (age 89)..
Décès pour la Ville: Holland, Province: Manitoba