Alvin Harry De Young

Family

Alvin Harry De Young was born to John and Jennie on November 26, 1929, in Eldred, Minnesota, where he grew up surrounded by a large extended family. He and his parents lived on a family farm in Crookston with his grandparents. Two years later his younger brother Harry was born and 12 years later, the twins, Evelyn and Ruth, joined the family. Living in rural Minnesota during the Depression was hard, so John and Jennie packed up the family and headed west to California. He and his family were charter members of Second Christian Reformed Church – now Bethany CRC – when they settled in Bellflower.

In 1946 his high school choir sang at Redlands CRC where Geraldine Braaksma was impressed with his singing of the song “Trees”. They started dating and survived the “long distance” relationship as Al had to travel to Redlands to see her. Although he was (in his words) “traded in for a Chevy” for a short time, this break up didn’t last long. Al and Gerry were engaged in 1951 and married on June 25, 1952. Their nearly 65 years of marriage are proof of their vows and commitments made on that day as they have lived and loved “in sickness, health, good times, hard times until death parted them.”

In 1955 Susan was born in Fort Carson, Colorado, where Al was stationed in the army. Al always liked to reminisce about how Susan cost them only “a dollar a day” for the first seven days. Their second daughter Nancy was born in 1956 when they were back in Bellflower. Bruce came in 1960 and their family was complete. After moving nine times in 6 years, they made their home on Eberle Street in Lakewood for 58 years.

Throughout the years Al and Gerry’s family grew with the addition of 8 grandchildren and 2 great–grandchildren.

Education and Work

When Al started 1st grade in Crookston he only spoke Dutch. Fortunately a cousin was his teacher and helped him with his English. Al was a 7th grader when he first attended Bellflower Christian School. He was the “new” kid but Doug Van Gessel befriended him and that friendship has lasted ever since. Al enjoyed school; he was a diligent student, enjoyed the sciences, singing in quartets, and dabbling in photography. He was the editor-in-chief of the yearbook and on the first football team at Bellflower (now Valley) Christian High School. He and Doug were the students who came up with the idea of having “Crusaders for Christ” as the new mascot and yearbook name. Al was the embodiment of “Once a Crusader, always a Crusader”. He graduated from Bellflower Christian in 1948.

Next stop: Long Beach City College until Rev. Frank De Jong encouraged Al to attend Calvin College. His goal was to go to medical school so he studied the sciences. When Al and Gerry married, they lived in Grand Rapids for 6 months so he could finish school. He graduated from Calvin College in 1953 but his dream of attending medical school in Chicago was shattered when he was drafted into the Army.

Al served in the Army for 2 years mainly in the hospital lab in Fort Carson, Colorado. After his discharge, Al and Gerry returned to Southern California where he took graduate courses at UCLA and later, Cal-State Long Beach. With his chemistry degree, Al began his career as a chemical engineer specializing in corrosion control. He worked in Signal Hill for Hancock Oil Company and “retired” in 1986 as the head of the lab for Conoco-Phillips in Huntington Beach. He continued working for another 12 years as a consultant for Far-West Corrosion traveling up and down the coast of California.

“Happy Wanderer”

In 1965 Al and Gerry, along with 3 other families – Sid and Ruth Kornelis, Peter and Milly Feddema and Harry and Vivian De Young -- started a summer tradition that lasted for 12 years. The first backpacking trip was very wet! The families would enjoy a week of camping in the Mammoth Lakes area and then during the second week, the men would take a backpacking trip in the Sierras. Al endured the oatmeal, the dusty trails, and, ultimately, altitude sickness because he loved sleeping under the stars and fishing for and eating trout for dinner so he could be with “all the boys.” (No girls invited!)

Al and Gerry enjoyed traveling together. Their list of “oh the places we’ve been” is extensive. Al especially loved Hawaii, which was a bit ironic since he hated going to the beach here in California. They also loved to cruise -- to Tahiti, through the Panama Canal, down the Danube, around South America and the icebergs of Alaska. They enjoyed traveling to Africa, Asia, and Europe. Their trips to Michigan and Colorado were probably their most favorite, however, because that’s where the kids and grandkids were.

Finally...

Al was always a “realist”. He never minced words. He said what he meant.

He constantly teased Gerry about “going to the hair doctor” and spending money every week to do so.

He loved singing and sang in quartets, men’s chorale, and Bethany’s choir.

He was a servant – as an Elder and School Board Member.

He was a rock hound and bug, butterfly and stamp collector.

He enjoyed running and exercising for as long as he was able.

And he loved wine. “A good cabernet” was his favorite.

He became a full-time resident at Artesia Christian Home when he was 81 years old. He was lovingly cared for by his favorites – Mrs. Bruining, Nurses Ann and Colleen, and CNAs Davina, Maria and Camilla.

Al “ran to Jesus” on Tuesday afternoon with Gerry, Susan and Nancy by his side.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Jennie De Young, and his brother Harry and sister Evelyn. He is survived by his wife of nearly 65 years, Gerry; his children and grandchildren – Diek and Susan, Jesse, and wife Abigail, and Leah Meyer; Stan and Nancy, Elizabeth and Alison Winters; and Bruce and Michele, Abigail, Bradley, Benjamin and Natasha De Young; sister Ruth (Corwin) Schenk and extended family.

Al was “Go- Go” to Sebastian Meyer and Mila De Young, his great-grandchildren.