Jessica Bennink, formerly of Clarkston, died suddenly and unexpectedly Oct. 7. Her family is still deeply grieving, but wanted to share their memories of her and thank their friends here, several of whom came out to Missouri for the funeral, for their condolences.
‘She was a real free spirit,? said Sjef Bennink, Jessica’s father. ‘She was a very giving person. If she had $20 and you needed $19.50, she would give it to you and not think twice.?
‘She loved life,? said Carole Bennink, her mother.
Carole remembers how her and her husband Sjef’s three children were always tightly bonded.
‘People would always tell me how well they would get along,? she said. ‘The kids were all each others? best friends ? they loved each other.?
Jessica, 14, was the youngest. Her sister, Natalie Bennink, is 19 years old and her brother, Lucas Bennink, is 16.
‘We were very close,? Natalie said. ‘Me and my brother would watch over her and she did the same for us.?
Like most sisters, Jessica and Natalie would occasionally get into arguments when they were growing up in Clarkston. The fights never lasted long though.
‘I would always hate it when she would borrow my clothes,? she said. ‘But I really liked it ? it was a compliment. It meant she liked them.?
She would also freely share her opinions about the clothes when Natalie was wearing them.
‘She was my favorite critic,? Natalie said. ‘She’d see how an outfit looked at me and she’d tell me whether she liked it or not ? I really miss her.?
For Lucas, Jessica liked to be a cook.
‘The joke was that I would starve when I went to college because she wouldn’t be there to cook,? he said. ‘I’m a horrible cook ? she’d always make me some food. She’d take care of me.?
She was also his partner while playing on the Playstation 2 video-game system ? ‘Ratchet and Clank? was their favorite ? and would be outside with her brother and their friends during winters in Clarkston building snow forts.
‘We built a snow fort that would seat four people comfortably ? it was huge,? he said.
They would also play hide-and-seek in the snow, Natalie said.
During warmer months, they would play in the woods and swim in the family’s pool.
‘She was always in the pool ? she swam all the time, Natalie said.
They also enjoyed exploring Clarkston’s wetlands, said Danielle Bouchard.
‘We’d play in the wetlands for hours,? said Bouchard, 13, who was friends with Jessica since they were in the second grade at Independence Elementary School.
‘She was my role model ? I looked up to her a lot,? Bouchard said. ‘She was so cool.?
When in the hospital, Jessica missed her school’s homecoming dance. Natalie couldn’t do anything about her sister’s illness, but she could do something about that.
‘We brought homecoming to her in the hospital,? she said.
Natalie brought her date, Jessica’s date, and their friends to the hospital. They were all dressed up, and brought some food. Natalie did her sister’s hair, and they hung out with her all night.
‘I was glad I was able to do that one last thing for her,? Natalie said.
Jessica died on Oct. 7 due to complications caused by leukemia. She never complained, Sjef said.
‘She must have been at peace with God ? she never once complained,? Sjef said.
Two years ago, Sjef moved to Missouri because of work. Most of the family remained in Clarkston until the house could sell ? Jessica was the first family member to join him.
‘It was her and I for a while,? he said.
His birthday was during that time. That day, when he came home from work, Jessica surprised him with a birthday cake.
‘It was actually a birthday pie,? he said. ‘She had made a banner that said, ‘Happy Birthday Dad.??
She also cooked dinner, macaroni and cheese ? she was 12.
‘That was great ? we played games and laughed for a couple hours,? he said.
Jessica’s parents took her to Children’s Mercy hospital in Missouri to check on a puffy spot on her cheek. After a series of tests, it was diagnosed as leukemia, and chemotherapy was prescribed. She had just begun a 2 1/2 year chemo process when complications developed.
‘We figured we had lots of time,? Sjef said. ‘It was really quick.?
She was home and cooked dinner for her family on Wednesday, but on Thursday she was in pain and was admitted to the hospital. On Saturday at 6 p.m., she passed away.
Several friends flew down from Clarkston, including the Bouchards and Jessica’s pastor, the Rev. Tim Combs, who performed the funeral service.
‘That meant so much to us,? Carole said.
Nancy and Lloyd Riddle, the Benninks? close neighbors in Clarkston, also flew down.
‘Jessica was a really neat girl,? Nancy said. ‘She had blossomed into a beautiful young woman ? she was intelligent and athletic. Her poems had deep thinking in them.?
Her friends, old and new, filled journals and poster boards with their memories of Jessica, said Cathy Bouchard, Danielle’s mother.
‘It was beautiful ? it was very sad,? Cathy said. ‘The world lost a very wonderful person.?
The Jessica Ann Bennink Memoria Fund has been set up with Bank of America. Condolences may be sent to the Bennink family at 4147 SE Paddock Dr., Lee’s Summit, MO, 64082, or e-mail CBennink@aol.com.