Rose and Jake Bekkering

Jake and Henry Bekkering

Many thanks to Nancy Bekkering Palmer and Roslynd Fuller for contributing the above photos.

The following article excerpt appeared in the June 3, 1942 edition of The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, MI):

Two Coloma boys who have just completed their eleventh grade have enlisted in the Navy and left for Detroit Monday night. They are Jacob Bekkering, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bekkering, and Glen Winkler, son of Policeman Herbert Winkler. Glen has a brother, Paul, who enlisted in the Navy nearly three years ago and was at Pearl Harbor during the attack. Alfred Pantaleo also left Monday night for Detroit to enter army service.

The following article appeared in the July 18, 1942 edition of The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, MI):

Home On Leave

COLOMA, July 18 – Glen Winkler and Jacob Bekkering have completed their training at Great Lakes station and are home on a nine day furlough before their next assignment aboard ship. Glen has been doing considerable bugling since he entered Navy service, a result of his training as cornetist with the high school band.

The following article appeared in the December 11, 1944 edition of The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, MI):

Coloma Boy Who Saw Five Major Battles, Home

COLOMA, Dec. 11 – BM2/c Jacob “Jake” Bekkering U.S.N. came home to Coloma last week bringing with him a bride. Bekkering, who has been in England the past few months, has five battle stars, having taken part in all the major invasions in the Atlantic. He has been gone from the United States two years.

On Saturday, Dec. 2, Jacob Bekkering BM2/c was married in Chicago to Rose Endelicato, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Endelicato of Chicago, who have passed summer vacations in Coloma for a number of years. The young people have been friends for the past four years. A reception at the home of the bride’s parents followed the ceremony. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bekkering, parents of the bridegroom attended the wedding. The young people are spending their honeymoon here and visiting relatives and friends in Kalamazoo. He has 30 days leave.

Jake Bekkering’s obituary appeared in the March 19, 1998 edition of the Oak Lawn (IL) Independent:

Jake Bekkering

Mass was said Tuesday at Our Lady of the Ridge Church, Chicago Ridge, with interment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, for Jake Bekkering, 74, U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He was a retired supervisor and 39-year employee of People’s Gas Company.

He is survived by his wife, Rose; his children, William (Sue), Nancy (James) Stephens and Angela (Mark) Mugnaini; 10 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren and his sister, Hilda Wendzel.

Many thanks to Louise Pfeiffer of the Oak Lawn (IL) Public Library for providing the obituary.

Jake and Rose Bekkering Grave Markers

Many thanks to William Kazupski for submitting the above photo to Find A Grave.

USS LCI(L)-11 Crew