20. Henry John4 Geurink (Jesse Ulysses3, Henry John2, Arent Jan1) was born in Ringle, WI July 5, 1920.
He married Bernice J. Kluever in Dubuque, IA, November 16, 1940.
To an only son’s bride on their wedding day.
Into your care and keeping
Today we give our son.
To have and hold forever
Our boy, our only one.
While I, who am his Mother,
Whose body gave him birth
Relinquish to another
What I hold dear on earth.
That which was mine before you came
First place within his heart to claim.
It’s you he needs, I stand aside
I’m but his mother, you, his bride.
Oh may your love for him be kind and tender.
His is a soft and vulnerable heart.
All selfish claims to him I will surrender,
He will be yours and yours alone, right from the start.
Then may the love you bear for one another
Grow stronger, deeper with each passing year.
Yours he will be and I will be your Mother.
My heart will hold you both forever dear.
His loyalty to you need ne’er divided be.
I waive all claim, today I set him free!
I love him and I want his happiness, you know.
Oh, make him always glad I let him go!
Bernice was born Marathon County, WI February 1, 1918.
*Text taken from Wausau newspaper obituary dated August 23, 1996: Bernice J. Geurink, 78, of 717 Bertha St. Wausau died Wednesday, Aug. 21, 1996, at her home.
She was born Feb. 1, 1918, in Marathon County to the late Walter and Bertha (Bliesie) Kluever. She married Henry Geurink on Nov. 16, 1940, in Dubuque, Iowa. He preceded her in death on Oct. 13, 1990.
She had worked at the Sunset Dairy (owned by her father) and the former Marathon Battery prior to her marriage. After having children, she became a stay-at-home mother, raising her daughter and son and became active in their activities. Bernice loved crocheting, sewing and flower gardening. She also loved music and even played guitar and sang duet on a local radio show. Bernice also was an avid sports fan. Most of all she loved people and was a caregiver to many. She was a member of the Women of the Moose Wausau Chapter 75 and St. Paul’s United Church of Christ.
Survivors include, one daughter, Shirley Schoeder, Wausau; one son, Wayne (Judy) Geurink, town of Stettin; three brothers, Milton (Verona) Kluever, Wausau Delmar (Jean) Kluever, town of Rib Mountain, and Roger (Arlene) Kluever, Wausau; grandchildren, Debra Edwards, Lisa Douglas, Mike Schoeder, Scott Schoeder, Joshua Geurink, and Kristin Geurink; great-grandchildren, Meghan and Jordan Edwards, and Kelsey and Tyler Douglas. She was preceded in death by a brother, Eugene Kluever.
Funeral services will be at 6 p.m. today. Friday, Aug. 23, 1996, at Brainard Funeral Home, Wausau, The Rev. Christine N. Stack of St.Paul’s United Church of Christ will officiate. Burial will be in the Forestville Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today at the funeral home. The Women of the Moose Wausau Chapter 75 will conduct a Chapter Ritual Ceremony at 530 p.m. today at the funeral home.
The family requests memorials in Bernice’s memory be sent to the Hospice Program, c/o Wausau Hospital, 333 Pine Ridge Blve., Wausau, WI54401 or Mooseheart, c/o Wausau Moose Lodge 6007 Prairie St., Schofield Wl 54476.
At 23 years of age Henry became the father of Wayne Geurink Wausau, WI, December 13, 1943. Henry died October 13, 1990 Wausau WI, at 70 years of age.
*Text taken from Wausau newspaper obituary dated October 15,199O: Henry Geurink, 70, 717 Bertha St., Wausau, died Saturday, Oct. 13, 1990, at the Wausau Hospital Center, Wausau.
He was an operating engineer for local construction companies and was a member of Local 139 of the Operating Engineers. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II at the battle at Iwo Jima.
Survivors include his wife, Bernice Geurink; a daughter, Shirley Schoeder, Wausau; a son, Wayne Geurink, Mequon; a sister, Pauline Meyer, Schofield; and six grandchildren.
Services will be l0:30 a.m., Tuesday at St. Paul United Church of Christ, Wausau. Burial will be in Forestville Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Brainard Funeral Home, Wausau and from 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, until time of services at the church.
“Henry (Bud) Geurink, son of Jesse and Willy went to the Pacific Islands and was on Iwo Jima at the time of the Flag raising there which has been set in stone at Arlington Cemetery.” *Taken from Annie Geurink’s writing The Geurinks in Marathon County.
We stood there at the depot
Our son, his father and I.
I gripped his green sleeve tightly,
He must not see me cry!
So short had been his furlough
The days sped by, on wings!
And now, at the hour of parting
Our hearts were full of things...
Things we had left unspoken
Which we had meant to say.
The train, approaching swiftly
Would carry him away,
Away to his marine-base
And overseas, from there.
We might not see each other
For many an anxious year.
The war would have to be fought and won
And he had his part to play,
And the things I had meant to tell him
I found I could not say.
I could not say them and hide my tears
He must not see me cry
So I just held him in my arms
And kissed our son “good-bye”.
Held him and kissed him, and prayed in my heart
That God would make him see,
How much we loved him and hated to part
And wished that it need not be.
That wherever he went, our love would be
To keep him safe and warm.
And our hopes and prayers would follow him
To shield him from all harm.
And our lives would be empty and lonely
And we would live for the day,
When he would return to his loved ones
And be back home, to stay.
This I wanted to tell him.
But he must not see me cry!
So I held him tightly in my arms
And kissed our son “Good Bye!”
*Submitted by Leonard Meyer
He showed us pictures which were made
On Iwo Jima island, when
They need no longer be afraid
To walk about, in sight again,
The barricaded foxhole, where four of them had slept,
The plowed up little a-toll which navy guns had swept
The bogged-down derrick, four or five
of his marine pals from “The Foxhole Grand”.
We saw, with him, the island’s view
From Suribachi’s height,
And there, against it’s somber hue
Showed strips of gleaming white.
What are those patches, son?
They look so bright.
Could they be ships at anchor?”
"No,” he said
“They’re cemeteries with their crosses white
Where, in their graves, our fallen pals we laid!”
He turned the page, “See, here they are again.”
And showed us crosses, row on endless row.
Some pillars, made of stone, so that the slain
Might have their resting place where all would know.
I sat and thought: “But for God’s grace
He too, would lie there ‘mongst the dead’
And in his saddened, thoughtful face
The painful memories I read
Of what this island really cost
In misery and death and pain.
The wounded and the thousands lost
That we the victory might gain.
This is the price and multiplied
A thousand times, from shore to shore.
Where brave men fought and bled and died.
And still the world keeps waging war!
Oh Mothers of the precious slain
And Mothers of the sons returned,
Let us resolve that not in vain
The cost of glory we have learned!
They sleep in peace, their lips are stilled
may we, who mourn them work and pray
That not again our sons’ sons will
Be called upon such price to pay!
*Submitted by Leonard Meyer
-Note: Henry went to the Pacific Islands and was on Iwo Jima at the time of the flag raising there, which has been set in stone at Arlington Cemetery. The Lord answered Willy’s prayer to bring him home safely.
Historical events during the life of Henry John Geurink:
Henry John Geurink and Bernice J. Kluever had the following child:
