8/8/18

On this day, 105 years ago, Dirk and Dena Ike of Johnson Street in Grand Rapids – less than nine years off the boat from Groningen – welcomed their third boy into the world, little Dickie. He wouldn’t shed that name till he left for school, over shadowed by his big brothers Bowenus (Bob)(1), the star athlete, and Gerritt (Gary) the ladies man. He was tough enough to start at guard for the Ottawa Hills Indians football team and had a lifelong love of sports. The guns were still blazing in the Great War, the Armistice more than 3 months off. The 20s were yet to roar. This little boy would enjoy that ride, ride out the Great Depression, undergo surgery so he could enlist in the Army , see the the Ike years of the 50s coincide with the fat years of his employer Fisher Body (GM), see the 60s as a solid member of the “establishment” while his boy toyed with the other side, and relish his retirement in the 70s as one of GMs first salaried “30-and-outs”. He’d spend one more year drawing a pension check from GM than he’d drawn a paycheck. He lived with cancer for over nine years before finally succumbing to it. This man chose to be my father and did a magnificent job of it, even the 20 years after my mom died suddenly when I was 10, leaving Dad to be “a single parent before it was fashionable”, as he always like to say.

A few weeks back, tidying up our downstairs office/sewing room, I came across a big envelope from Sheldon Durham, the ‘burg’s undertaker, and father of my best friend Eric and also father of the son who handled my dad’s funeral, Jon. In it was a tabloid newspaper from Kalamazoo – not the Gazette – which on the back page had a half page tribute to my dad. This was less than a month after he’d died. I thought I’d scan that and post it around his upcoming birthday. Wouldn’t you know, I haven’t been able to find that paper for the life of me. Maybe it’ll turn up, and I’ll surely post it then. Till then, you’re stuck with my words. There have been ample paeans to my dear old dad, should you care to check (2,3,4,5).

The evening finds a lot of Count Basie and Ray Charles – Dad’s music – a good t-bone steak and a cab. Plum Market couldn’t find a Fisher Coach Insignia – the bottle I enjoyed for his 100th. From Fisher Body, dontcha know, as some of the offspring bought a vineyard and emblazon their bottles with the little coach you used to see inside the door of every GM car, gone now alas. My dad was part of the team that built and ran the biggest stamping plant GM had ever built.

Since there’s no Dick Ike, Junior without Dick Ike, Senior, let’s see them both here.

Two better men you couldn’t meet. I treasure the many years I knew them. Happy Birthday, Dad. Had you lived, you would finally have eclipsed your old man’s longevity, as he only made it a month and a day short of his 105th. Talk about old Hollanders!

References

1.Ike B. Bowenus. WordPress 7/2/23. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2023/07/02/bowenus/

2. Ike B. Dads’ day. WordPress 6/17/23. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2023/06/17/dads-day/.

3. Ike B. Sgt.Ike. WordPress 5/29/23. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2023/05/29/sgt-ike/

4. Ike B. Happy Birthday Dad. WordPress 8/7/22. https://theviewfromharbal.com/2022/08/07/happy-birthday-dad/

5. Ike B. Mom & Dad. WordPress 5/7/22. https://theviewfromharbal.com/?p=3162