Herman Kuiken

Herman Kuiken, 93, the oldest son of Richard “Dick” and Lena (Steen) Kuiken, formerly of Wayne and Montville, New Jersey, was suddenly taken to glory to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Monday, August 9, 2021 while residing comfortably at his home at the Evergreen Court on the grounds of the Christian Health Care Center located at 303 Sicomac Avenue in Wyckoff, New Jersey.

Herm was born on October 1, 1927 in Fair Lawn on Saddle River Road in a $4500.00 house built by Kuiken Brothers. On March 14, 1952, Herm married his sweetheart, Ada Marjorie Houseward, in the home of his Aunt Jessie Steen located at #370 North 10th Street in Prospect Park, NJ.  Their Wedding Ceremony was officiated by Rev. Hessel Bouma of the Summer Street Christian Reformed Church of Passaic, New Jersey. The bride’s sister, Jeannie Vogel, served as Matron of Honor and the groom’s brother, Stan, served as Best Man. The newlyweds initially resided in a room in the home of the bride’s parents, Herbert and Jennie (Kievit) Houseward located at #610 Gregory Ave. in Clifton, New Jersey, situated at the top of the hill. After one year of marriage Herm and Ada moved to Hopper Street in Prospect Park, New Jersey, and in 1955 the couple moved to 29 Woodridge Terrace in Wayne, New Jersey, purchasing a Cape Cod home for $14,000.00 from an elderly couple who “found it too quiet living next to a swamp”!

Herm was a man who worked extremely hard all of his life beginning in his early teen years as he worked on his family’s truck (vegetable) farm on Weinmanns Boulevard in Wayne, New Jersey.  As he got older his work weeks grew to 60 hours per week, 6 days per week, for .10 cents per hour. At the end of the week he turned $5.00 back in to his parents to help supply the needs of the family while he was able to keep just $1.00 for himself. Herm reminisced about driving the old Model A around the family farm with its pedals on the floor when he was just 12 or 13 years old! Herm attended the North 4th Street Christian School in Paterson, New Jersey, but with his father needing him on the farm Herm was never even able to graduate from the 8th Grade or attend Eastern Academy. But with his 8th Grade class graduating in a ceremony held at the 11th Street Christian Reformed Church in Prospect Park, NJ, the school administration kindly awarded him a “PAC Certificate” in lieu of a Diploma: “Preakness Agricultural College”!

With his father “Dick” Kuiken getting Herm a “farm deferment” during World War II, Herm was subsequently drafted to serve in the Korean War and after Basic Training was stationed at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.  Assigned to be shipped to Germany before heading to Korea, a fellow soldier went AWOL and, in God’s providence, Herm was assigned to work in the mailroom where he spent the rest of his service time. Herm said, “I felt like I paid for the New Jersey Turnpike myself with all the tolls going to see Ada as often as he could!” He proudly served in the United States Army from February of 1951 – February of 1953 being promoted to the rank of Corporal two weeks before his discharge.  His superior officers wanted him to stay in the Army, but Herm told them that “he wanted to get back to the farm!”  He served another four years with the Army Reserves and was Honorably Discharged on January 4, 1957. When Herm returned home to Wayne, Henry Van Dyke, who then served as the Chief of Police for Wayne Township, asked him at a funeral for the Chief’s brother-in-law, “Do you want a job?” Chief Van Dyke wanted him to join the 12 member Wayne Police Force … but as he told his Sergeant back at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, “No thanks, I’m heading back to the farm!”

Subsequent to his farm years and after his military service, Herm worked for 9 years at Eelman’s Poultry Farm on Oldham Road in Wayne, New Jersey.  After his 9 years at Eelman’s, Herm began working at Van Steyn’s Nursery on Preakness Ave. in Wayne for $1.75 per hour and worked hard there for 10 years.  When the tree nursery property was being sold, Herm began working at the Fairlawn Memorial Cemetery located on Maple Ave. in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and continued working there for nearly 40 years until he was 70 years old, serving as Foreman for the last two years.

With his parents being Charter Members of the Preakness Christian Reformed Church on Valley Road in Wayne, New Jersey, for most of their married life Herm and Ada were also both active members of the Preakness CRC, now known as the Preakness Valley United Reformed Church.  Along with their faithful worship attendance and Ada’s active participation in numerous ministries as well, Herm served a 3 year term as a Deacon at Preakness and also served as the Secretary of the Evangelism Committee … although Herm would say with his characteristic humor, “I never took any minutes because I am not very good at spelling!” Herm also served for five years as a fireman with Preakness Volunteer Fire Company #4 located on Ratzer Road in Wayne, New Jersey.

After Herm and Ada’s nearly 50 years of living on Woodridge Terrace in Wayne Township, they sold their home to a dearly loved granddaughter and her husband in order to “keep the home in the family” while they moved to a large ground floor apartment in the home of another “Kuiken relative” in Montville, New Jersey.  With Ada’s health failing and her needing to reside at the Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff, NJ, and after countless faithful, difficult daily trips from Montville to visit and spend time with his wife there, Herm eventually joined her on those same grounds early in 2017, the year in which his dear Ada passed away in November of that same year.

Herman is survived by his daughter, Susan Gaechter, and her husband, Bill, of Bloomingdale, New Jersey; his son Rev. Richard Kuiken, and his wife, Margaret, of East Stroudsburg, PA; and his son Rev. Russell Kuiken, and his wife, Diane, of Beaverton, OR, along with 12 Grandchildren and 34 Great-Grandchildren.  He was predeceased by his parents, Richard and Lena Kuiken, as well as by his sister Eleanor Spalink of Prospect Park, NJ, and brothers Stanley Kuiken of Coraopolis, PA, and Peter Kuiken of Glen Spey, NY.  He is also survived by his sisters Margaret Pennings of Michigan and Joan Kuiken of West Virginia, along with numerous nephews and nieces scattered around the country.

Herm was an incredibly humble, hard working, loving, kind, generous, humorous, faith-filled and godly man who loved and adored his Lord, his family, and his countless number of friends.  He also loved the New York Yankees and Gaither gospel music, especially the song, “Because He Lives”. Needless to say, Herm will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him, and yet by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, we look forward to a joyous reunion with him in the Holy City where “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

Donations in Herm’s memory may be made out to the name of his home church “Pompton Plains Reformed Bible Church” and on the memo line please write “PA Church Plant.”  Please mail to: Pocono Reformed Bible Church, c/o Rev. Richard Kuiken, 11 Schoolhouse Road, East Stroudsburg, PA 18302.