Hendrik "Henk" Adolfs

Our Dad, better known as Henk, began his journey on earth December 11th 1925. The seventh child and second son of a family of eight, he was born in the northwest port city of Harlingen, Netherlands, bordering the coast of the North Sea. Its people are hardy and hardworking; a moniker that would be applied to his life many times. His journey through the world took many turns, until its conclusion on the 30th of August. He leaves a rich legacy of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, as well as a shared love for his family and friends.

As a child, his family enjoyed the prosperity of the 1920’s and the desperation of the great depression. As the decade of the 1940s began, Henk was only 14. He and his countrymen became victims of Nazi tyranny. He watched as his friends and their families quietly disappeared at the hands of Hitler’s henchmen. He was conscripted into a Nazi work camp in order to shore up defenses against the Allies. He eventually escaped and became a fugitive from his occupiers. As a result, he became part of the Dutch underground that helped undermine his occupiers.

At the conclusion of the war, the resistance movement members were absorbed into the Dutch military. My dad and the military were a natural fit. He loved leading and teaching, and excelled in both. His units were soon deployed to the Dutch East Indies for anti-insurgent operations. He was deployed for 39 months before being allowed to return home at the conclusion of the conflict.

A short time after returning to the Netherlands, he met the love of his life and our mom to be, Henny Van Vessem. They married, had a son and immigrated to the US. They landed in Wichita and made their home there for the next 60 years. They began their American dream, having two more sons. His love of horticulture motivated him to start his own landscaping business. Watching dad work the business taught us the meaning of a work ethic. It also provided us opportunities to learn that ethic at an early age. He worked at the Wichita Eagle and Beacon 40 years as a photo engraver, retiring in 1996. Our mom and dad enjoyed traveling the world together until her untimely death in 2000.

There are few things that dad liked more than taking the boat to the lake. We spent half of our summer weekends there. Lounging, skiing, grilling and just being in the outdoors always invigorated him. And then there were his sports teams. Dad loved the Royals and the Chiefs. If his teams were on the tube, he was watching.

Henk is survived by his two Sons, John and his wife Judy, Tom and his wife Leslie, grandchildren Ashley Billings, husband Ryan, Johanna Adolfs, Mathew Adolfs, Rachel Rackley, husband Kody, Joshua Adolfs and his fiancé Keely Follis, and 5 great-grandchildren: Carter, Callum, Ayla, Dean, and Charlie, and a longtime friend and companion, Neola McNeal.

Visitation will be 6 to 8 pm on Friday, September 6, 2024 at Culbertson-Smith Mortuary, 115 S. Seneca, Wichita. A Celebration of Life will be held 12:30 pm on Saturday, September 7, 2024 at Culbertson-Smith Mortuary.