The Rev. Paul Bakker, 86, of Orange City and former pastor of Sully Christian Reformed Church, passed away Feb. 5, 2016, at Hospice of the Valley in Mesa, AZ. A funeral service was held Saturday, Feb. 13, at Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Orange City. The Revs. John Klompien and Alvin Kuiper officiated. Interment was in West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City.
Paul Edward was born Mar. 6, 1929, in Dike, the son of Menne G. and Grace (Beninga) Bakker. He was raised in Dike and Wellsburg and attended the Beaver #7 grade school, the Dike and Wellsburg High Schools, Calvin College, and Calvin Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI.
June 21, 1951, he married Margery Ann Ross, in Wellsburg. They lived in Iowa, Michigan, South Dakota, and Minnesota, where he was a farmhand and served eight churches as a pastor, including Sully Christian Reformed Church 1968-1973.
He was currently a member of the Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Orange City. Over the years he was a member of numerous church-related committees, was delegated to the Christian Reformed Denomi-national Synod eight times, and was on the Board of Trustees for Dordt College. In his free time he enjoyed golfing.
He is survived by his wife of more than 64 years; five children and their spouses, Arloa (Kurt) Harthoorn of Sully, Kathleen (Dirk) Kroeze and Janet (Harlan) Dirksen, all of Sioux Falls, SD, Beth (Leon) Wassenaar of Crofton, NE, and Douglas (Lynne) Bakker of Grand Rapids; 14 grandchildren and their spouses, Joel (Liz) Harthoorn, Nick (Amy) Harthoorn, Heidi (Matt) Borchers, Luke (Lauren) De Vries, Grant (Des) De Vries, Jesse (MaryEllen) Dirksen, Erin (Chad) Groen, April (Galen) Van Otterloo, Becky (Kris) Isakson, Sam (Jillian) De Jong, Shari (Dusty) Elgersma, Kim (Bill) Kool, Matt (Jill) Bakker, and Jordan Bakker; 29 great-grandchildren; six step-grandchildren; and 10 step-great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a grandson, Shane De Jong; and his five siblings, Gerald Bakker, Herman Bakker, Elsie Graves, John Bakker, and Louis Bakker.
