JOHN VANDEN BRINK

1929 - 2009

John Vanden Brink passed away in Taber on Sunday, October 18, 2009 at the age of 80 years.
John is survived by his siblings, Henry Vanden Brink of Taber; Meiny (Evert) Veldhuizen of Lethbridge; Hennie (Ted) Bouwman of Lethbridge; Tony (Mary-Ann) Vanden Brink of Houston, British Columbia; Bill (Tami) Vanden Brink of Kelowna, British Columbia and by numerous nieces, nephews and many friends.
He was predeceased by his mother in 1962, his father in 1994 and his brother Henk in 1975.
John was born May 13, 1929 to Willem and Metje Vanden Brink in Stoutenburg, Utrecht, Holland. He was the oldest of seven siblings. He lived in Holland until 1954, when he and his brother Henry immigrated to Canada. They landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia on April 18, 1954. Six days later, following a very long train ride, John and Henry arrived in Edmonton. After a couple of days, they continued the journey to Peace River to their uncle’s home. In June 1955, they travelled to Picture Butte to meet up with their family who had also come to Canada.
Over the years, John tried his hand at many different jobs – dairy farming, the railroad, lumber jacking, beets and irrigation farming. In 1974, he settled in Elkford, British Columbia where he was employed with a company called Fording Coal. For two years, he worked on the grader and another few years were spent drilling for blasting holes. The majority of his time at Fording was spent on the loader. John spent over twenty years working in the mines.
In 1994, he retired from the mines and took time to travel to Alaska, a place he thoroughly enjoyed. In June 1995, John moved to Taber and in November 2006, he took up residence at the Clearview Lodge. He was always appreciative and thankful for the care he received there. He enjoyed visiting with the workers and was grateful for their hard work. John could often be seen in the company of his brother Henry, with who he had a close relationship. McDonald’s restaurant was a favorite place to meet friends for coffee.
John battled with emphysema for several years and then began the battle with cancer a few months ago. This tired him and life was no longer of interest to him. Now the battle is over and he has gone to his Father in Heaven.
Relatives and friends are invited to meet with the family at the Southland Funeral Chapel, 5006 - 48 Avenue, Taber on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 between 7:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M.
A private family Burial Service will be held at the Taber Memorial Garden prior to the funeral service.
The Funeral Service will be held at the First Christian Reformed Church, 3902 Heritage Drive, Taber on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 1:00 P.M. with Pastor Jim Zondervan officiating.