Berend "Dutch" Wieringa was born March 4, 1935 in Groningen, The Netherlands, and as a young boy loved to draw, sing, and play in a band with his father. As the years went by he became more involved with singing and that became an outlet for his talents.

In the 80’s, Dutch and his wife, Ann, designed and built custom metal sculptures for homes and businesses, including a line of metal art for a home interiors company. They also showed their wholesale line in the World Trade Center in Dallas.

Oak Tree Sculpture

After a stroke in 1999, and with the closing of a business that year, on doctor’s orders, Dutch revived his metal sculpturing talents with some new, and some old designs and techniques, executed in his studio in Dallas, Texas.

Cross

Dutch died peacefully and passed into the arms of Jesus on November 11, 2009. This page is but a small tribute to my loving father for all he has done for me. Thanks dad, I will always love you.

As a boy my dad had homing pigeons. When he settled down in Texas he picked back up his hobby. As a kid I remember we had 2 pigeon coops in my back yard. He would put on his hat (to keep off the poop) and take an old coffee can with a little birdseed in it and whistle to call them in for the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

\

From Lauren with love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks Opa! We love you!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lauren's school journal entry summer 2009
… my Grandma opened the door and said “Hello” (with a big smile).  We said “hello” back and gave (Opa) a great big warm hug.  My Grandma and I mad parmesan chicken for dinner and spinach salad for appetizer.  It smelled delicious and we couldn’t wait to eat.  Finally the time came to eat and we said the blessing and ate.  After dinner we cleaned the dishes and my parents had to go.  Then my grandparents, brother and I went to see “Treasure Island”. 
“I have absolutely loved today” I told my grandma.  “Today was the best day ever and always will be!”  “I’m glad you liked it” said my Grandma.  Yep, and I will never forget it.  I thought to myself.  I learned that even when I’m (scared), if I’m with family, I’m ok.  I feel that even though my grandpa (Opa) is disabled, he is still my “Superman” flying through the air!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Father's Day dad, I miss you so much! (Father's day 2010)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More to come soon