July 22, 1933 - November 28, 2020
Jane Heuver passed away peacefully into the presence of her Lord and Saviour, November 28, 2020 at the age of 87.
Jane was born on July 22, 1933 in Nijverdal, Holland. She was the fourth of eight girls born to Christina and Gerrit Heuver.
To say that Jane's life was an adventure would be an understatement. After living through WW2 experiences in Holland as a young girl, she entered the field of nursing at the age of 17. She worked in several hospitals and homes in Holland and then in 1960 she immigrated to Canada. Shortly after, she met and married Jim Beukens and they had seven children together.
Jane experienced many peaks and valleys in her lifetime which refined her faith and helped her to grow in wisdom, compassion and love. She knew the joy and comfort of forgiveness. Through difficult times in her life she repeatedly heard these words of comfort, "I have bought you at a price, you are Mine".
As the children grew, Jane went back to school and got her GED, she completed the Care Aide course at Douglas College and then worked in that field for several years. She was quite involved in Bradner Presbyterian Church in the 80's and through the years got involved in working at a Safe House in the greater Vancouver area which supported woman trying to get out of lifestyle of addiction and prostitution.
She worked alongside her son-in-law starting many new ministries at Surrey Christian Life Assembly. In the 90's, she journeyed to Tanzania, Africa to work with the women and children there - starting up small businesses with the women and leading Bible Studies.
For many years Mom was an active member of New Life Church and involved in community outreach. More recently, she put in many hours during the Christmas season into organizing and creating "Christmas Bags" to support and encourage people experiencing challenges/trials in the Abbotsford community.
When she was no longer able to do this, she tried to ensure that she passed the Christmas Bag "baton" onto various family members and friends. Mom was also involved more recently with The River Community Church and the Stream.
She loved her church family there. She had such a love for people and gave of her time, heart, and resources, like soup making skills in recent years, to support and encourage others.
Throughout all these endeavors, Jane's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren felt loved and supported as well! She loved the Lord with all her heart. Jesus shone through in all that she did and said and she will be greatly missed by all who knew her, especially her family.
She always had a heart for the lost. She would say, "Come to Jesus, it's never too late, there is no wrong that can separate you from the love that He has for you."
Jane is survived by her 7 children, 28 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren:
Rob (Gwen) Beukens - Rachel (Brett) Vandenhull, Nathan, Aaron and Zackary
Christine (Dave) Dejong - Josh (Jenn), Jainee (Brighton) MacDonald, Kacey (Rick) Temple, Levi (Kelsey), Kourtney (Brenton) Tromp
Gert (Graham) Hanson - Isaiah, Meagan and Jesse
Janita (Phil) Minderhoud - Taylor (Maddy), Aiden (Taylor), Janessa, Abigail and Holly
Geoff Beukens - Brittany (Curtis), and Bradley
Helinda (Bill) Vanderkooi - Annabelle, Liam, Violet, Lucy and Joe
Jason (Rose) Beukens - Oscar, Piper, Kiera and Chloe.
She is also survived by her siblings in the Netherlands: Trix (Gert), Riet (Gerrit) and Geerdie, as well as many nieces, nephews and dear friends.
The family will be having a small private ceremony and hope to have a Celebration of Life next summer on her birthday.
Memorial donations can be made to The River Church to support the Stream Ministry, a community close to Mom's heart.