Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 2022)
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Obituaries Allen J Ver Bouwens Passed January 31, 2022 Allen J Ver Bouwens, Big Al, Al VB, Husband, Dad, Pop-pop, Grandpa Al, Son, Uncle, and Friend left his human body on Monday, January 31 at home sur- rounded in a cuddle puddle of love. What a lot of people didn9t know about Big Al, with his pale skin, bright blue eyes, and flaming red hair, is that he was a direct descendent of the Cheyanne Sioux Tribe of Eagle Butte, South Dakota. His amaz- ing forever-young long red locks told of his native heritage and had us all con- vinced that he knew magic. Allen was a creative, always working on hobbies and the next big idea. To the dismay of his children, Al VB does not leave behind generational wealth or hid- den Swiss bank accounts, but instead many great times were had in Allen9s company. Countless dinner tabs paid on his way to the bathroom, drinks for every- one, not a friend or stranger excluded. Al9s generosity was shared with whoever needed it and he happily took in all the stray teenag- ers, dogs, friends, and fam- ily members that needed nurturing. Allen enjoyed travel, road trips, boating, fishing, and camping adventures with his family and friends. Seafood boils and BBQs 4 the more the merrier! Allen J Ver Bouwens was loved by those who knew him well and by those that just passed through his life. He had a roll-with- the-punches attitude. Life wasn9t always easy, but he kept his glass half full. <Life Is Good= was Al9s signature quote. He was brave and punch- ing until his last breath. He was adored by babies, senior citizens, and all mem- bers of the animal kingdom. Pop-pop could party with the best of them, and in the years before he gave up the hangover, he never met a tequila bottle that didn9t assist him in getting the party started. Allen worked until the end with one of his best friends, John Anderson, never complaining, always wanting to produce his best works. Allen is preceded in death by his oldest son, the most bad-ass biker that there ever was, Micheal Yankish; and his older sister, Mary, the South Dakota beauty queen. Allen is survived by the Bonnie to his Clyde, wife Jan Ver Bouwens of Sisters (along with all the sister wives he drove home from book club); twin sis- ter, Judy Palmer and her husband, Greg <F-You= Palmer, of South Dakota; siblings, Mike and Patty; and a handful of distant dysfunctional family mem- bers; his trash-talking son, John Yankish of Santa Cruz, California; his superstar hairdresser daughter and her husband, Shonna and Steve Pease of Sisters (Shonna always kept Al9s long locks shiny and trimmed. Al, always the salesman, approved his death for a free plug: Shonna works at Metamorphosis in Sisters. Book now!); his fiery red- headed twin spirit daugh- ter, Tana Ver Bouwens of Portland 4 she never mar- ried but is passionate about writing an obituary that captures her dad9s endless wit and love; his two pup- pies, Aggie the terrorizing Jack Russell, and Ruby the posh poodle; many deeply loved grandkids, nieces, nephews; best friends; as well as all the dogs, birds, 13 Outlaws to host regional wrestling tourney raccoons, African elephants, and chickens he adopted along the way. Special shout-out from our hearts to the Johnson, Needham, Wortinger, and Garvey fam- ilies: You were his family too! To quote the great folk singer Steve Poltz, <I just want all my friends to be happy,= and so did Allen. His family and friends were his greatest accomplish- ment. The last full sentence Grandpa spoke, after being read all his text messages, was <What a way to go. I was loved!= Reach out to your loved ones today and raise a glass for Allen and for the love we are all capa- ble of. You are loved! Sisters High School will host the 4A Special District #4 Regional Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, February 12. The top four wrestlers from each weight class will advance to the State Championships on February 26, at Cascade High School in Turner, Oregon. The action starts at 10 a.m., featuring teams from Baker, Corbett, Gladstone, La Grande, Madras, McLoughlin, Ontario, and Sisters. Spectators can attend for $8 for adults; $6 seniors; $5 students; youth under three are free. Sisters High School is located at 1700 W. McKinney Butte Rd. NuggetNews.com is your online source for BREAKING NEWS ROAD REPORTS