The stage in the renovated Douwstra Auditorium at Central College will be named in honor of James ’66 and Beatrice Minium Hoekstra ’64. The announcement was made by President Mark Putnam during the Christmas Candlelight Concert Dec. 8 at Douwstra.
Central will soon begin a $2.2 million renovation of historic Douwstra Auditorium, transforming the local landmark into a regional concert hall. Private donors have provided $2.2 million in lead gifts toward constructing the first-class space, including a $1.2 million lead gift from the Jim and Bea Hoekstra Estate. The Hoekstra Family Stage honors this generous gift.
James ’66 and Beatrice Minium Hoekstra ‘64, both musicians, met at Central while playing in the band’s trombone section. Jim’s parents, Rev. John ’41 and Adelaide Hoekstra, also attended Central. After completing degrees in physics and music, the couple moved to Ames, where Jim completed his Ph.D. and served 41 years at Iowa State University, retiring as senior systems analyst for the university’s high performance computing group. Bea became a vocal music teacher, director of children’s choirs and volunteer chaplain for Mary Greeley Medical Center.
Both continued to perform music with local choirs and church ensembles as singers and instrumentalists throughout their lives. Bea died in October 2006, and Jim followed in May 2016. Their legacy is continued by sons Steve ’92 and Tim ’95, also lifelong musicians and friends of Central. Tim is media services specialist at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames. Steve is professor of psychology at Kansas Wesleyan University and lives in Salina, Kansas, with his wife, Anne, and daughter, Thea.
This first phase of the Douwstra renovation is expected to be complete by the end of spring semester.
