Bernard DeJong was born December 16, 1918 at Boyden, Iowa the son of John and Tryntje (Beukens) DeJong. He lived his youth in the Boyden area and graduated from the Boyden High School

He served his country during World War II in the U.S. Army. After his discharge from the Army he moved to Dallas, Texas to attend Southern Methodist University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1949. During his schooling he married Winifred Vanden Bosch on April 19, 1946.

Bernard was a lifetime member of the Methodist Hospital Auxiliary, member of the UMC Auxiliary, the First Presbyterian Church of Lubbock, and a volunteer at the South Plains Food Bank. He was a 32nd Degree Mason of the ZA-GA-ZIG Shrine in Des Moines, Iowa.

He passed away Friday, January 25, 2008 at Lubbock, Texas at the age of 89. He leaves to cherish his memories: one daughter Mary Kay and husband Bruce Gantz of Iowa City, Iowa; two sons Marc and wife Jan DeJong of Des Moines, Iowa; John DeJong of Lubbock, Texas; five grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and one sister, Eunice DeJong of Boyden, Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his parents; loving wife of 56 years; two brothers Fredrick and Dr. Henry DeJong; and two sisters Jeanette DeJong and Joanne DeJong.