William "Bill" Beimers

Bill's service will be broadcast live on the American Reformed Church website. You may copy and paste the following link in your web browser to access the broadcast: https://www.arcluverne.org/watch-live/

WILLIAM "BILL" JUNIOR BEIMERS passed from this life peacefully on August 14, 2021, surrounded by family and friends at the Minnesota Veteran’s Home in Luverne, Minnesota. Bill was born on August 2, 1937 to William and Louisa (Feenstra) Beimers on a farm east of Hospers, Iowa. He was baptized at Hospers Christian Reformed Church. When he was three, the family moved into the town of Sibley, Iowa. At age 14, the family moved to a farm near Sanborn, Iowa where they resided for three years. Bill often reminisced about adding corncobs to the stove in the middle of the night to keep the farmhouse warm. The family later moved to Sioux Center, Iowa where Bill was confirmed at the First Christian Reformed Church. After graduating from Western Christian High School in Hull, Iowa in 1955, Bill was employed as a mechanic at South Side Service in Sioux Center. Bill met his future spouse, Esther Van Gorp, when her family’s car fortuitously broke down in Sioux Center while on their way to drop Esther off at Dordt College. Bill lent the Van Gorps his car to finish the journey while they waited for a part to arrive from Sioux City, and then called on Esther a couple days later to invite her out on a double date to the Clay County Fair. In March 1960, Bill was drafted into the United States Army where he served in South Carolina during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Bill frequently drove back to Iowa to see Esther, and on September 2, 1962 they were united in marriage at Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Pella, Iowa.

After completing his military service, Bill became the service manager at Merit Motors in Sioux Center. In 1969, Bill and Esther moved to Blue Earth, Minnesota where he taught auto mechanics at South Central Vocational Center and also worked part time at Yeager Implement. Always a hard worker, Bill attended college at Mankato State in the evenings, eventually earning a Master’s degree in Vocational Education and Administration. In 1975, the family moved to Tyler, Minnesota where Bill became director for a newly established vocational center. In 1976, they moved to Luverne, and Bill became administrator at Blue Mound Vocational Center, where he also taught auto mechanics and auto body classes and provided donuts to a generation of students. In 1981, Bill and Esther purchased the Luverne Laundromat & Dry Cleaners, where they enjoyed 18 years of serving customers from Luverne and the surrounding community. An early riser from his farm days, Bill also handled local newspaper delivery for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader and Minneapolis StarTribune. Bill and Esther sold the laundromat in 1999, and Bill continued working part-time as a bus driver for the Luverne Public Schools until his final retirement in 2014.

Bill believed in giving back to the community, and was active with the Luverne Hospital Board, the Luverne City Council, and Rotary Club. He was also a member of the American Reformed Church in Luverne. Bill’s hobbies involved riding and working on motorcycles, restoring antique cars, and woodworking.

Bill is lovingly remembered by his wife Esther of Luverne; two children, Tom (Jo-Anne) of Orono, Minnesota and David (Sarah) of Northfield, Minnesota; seven grandchildren, Cory (24) and Cole (21) Hummel; Oliver (5) and Charlotte (2) Beimers; and Henry (24), William (24), and Ann (20) Beimers; and sister, Dorothy Andersen of Sioux City, Iowa. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William and Louisa Beimers; sisters, Theresa Riemersma and Katherine Kuiper; brothers-in-law, Wilbur Riemersma, Louis Kuiper, and Howard Andersen; and sisters-in-law, Donna (Howard) King and Bette (Darrell) Kelderman.

The family will be establishing a memorial through Luverne Dollars for Scholars to support post-secondary vocational and technical education.