Rodney and Tenda Tjoelker

Bert and Ruth Tjoelker were humble but generous farmers in the Pacific Northwest. Both came from families of nine children. Bert was an immigrant from the Netherlands and his formal education ended with the 8th grade. As the oldest child, Ruth worked after high school rather than pursue further education in order to help support her family. They both loved learning and were strong supporters of Christian education. All five of their children attended Calvin, with the oldest four enrolled together one year. All of their children’s spouses graduated from Calvin, and half of their grandchildren attended Calvin as well. The family has established this scholarship to honor Bert and Ruth’s commitment to Christian education and the impact Calvin has had on their family through supporting students with one or more siblings at Calvin.