Madilyn Theyson

Pete Mensonides

Ponderosa Valley Funeral Services

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Services will be held for Pete Mensonides on Tuesday, June 17, at 10:00 a.m. at Lakewood Memorial Park in Hughson, California. Pete, 86, went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Friday, May 30, 2025, passing away peacefully at his home in Colorado from natural causes after dealing for several years with congestive heart failure. Pete was born in Exmorra, Friesland, The Netherlands on January 26, 1939. His birthplace was a sleepy little village, but his childhood was nonetheless filled with much adventure and peril. Despite being quite young, Pete had very clear memories of World War II, during which his family participated in the Dutch Resistance. He could regale audiences with amazing stories of tagging along as a six-year-old with his father or grandfather, hiding contraband from the Nazis in his bicycle basket. He would say, with his inimitable twinkle, no one had to tell him to act casual and remain cool when they were stopped—he somehow instinctively knew. When his father’s name was leaked by a traitor, the entire family had to flee, narrowly escaping with their lives. Pete and his older brother rode alone on their bikes many miles to take refuge in the home of a distant family member in another town, where they had to remain for six months.

After the war, the family was able to return home, but the pleasant pre-war life they had built as dairy and general store owners with a nice house was over. Everything had been ransacked and much was destroyed. Thus began the family’s quest to immigrate to America. The process took several years, but shortly before Pete’s fifteenth birthday they arrived in the U.S. via the Holland America Maasdam. Pete loved the fact that he was one of the few in his family who did not get seasick and could enjoy the ship’s bountiful meals.

Once in America, all nine members of the family flew via airplane from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles, where they settled in Bellflower, California. Pete enjoyed living in Southern California as a teenager. He attended Bellflower Christian School and then began working full-time on dairies. He and his father worked together to support the family. By 1956, they had managed to save enough to start their own dairy in Modesto, California.

In December 1958, Pete met the love of his life, Eleanor Manke, in what can only be described as a scene from an adorable movie. Eleanor especially loved to recount how they were both out “dragging [cruising] Tenth Street” in their cars on a Sunday night, and how she knew he was a “good Christian boy” because he was dressed in a suit and tie, indicating he had been to church that evening just as she had. Years later they would playfully argue about which one of them motioned first to roll down the car window at the stoplight where they first laid eyes on one another. They were married in Modesto on June 11, 1960. Both of them always spoke of how they knew God had providentially brought them together, as Eleanor was a farm girl through and through and—for whatever reason!—always dreamed of marrying a dairyman.

In 1961, they started their own dairy together. In 1962, just as this business was getting off the ground, Pete received his draft notice and reported for duty to serve his country in the Army. After completing basic training, he was selected to become a military policeman. He served for almost his full two years before being honorably discharged early due to family hardship. He was grateful to be able to save his struggling dairy business but never felt he had the right to claim his service, even though he had sacrificed a lot to serve and was later officially categorized as a veteran. He felt a lot of guilt over how so many members of his particular platoon—some who were good friends--died in the beginning stages of what became the Vietnam War, just weeks after his own early release.

Pete and Eleanor were able to move their dairy to Hughson, California in 1964. In the ensuing years, they had two daughters, Joan and Susan. Pete had an amazing work ethic, running his dairy with just part-time help for several years. By the 1970s, he was able to hire men who took some of the load off his shoulders. Pete never forgot being an employee himself and always strove to treat “his guys” well, with respect and appreciation. Consequently, most of them remained with Pete for the rest of their careers.

Although more of a low-key personality, Pete had natural leadership skills. He was also a huge believer in Christian education. In 1975, he was elected to serve on the board of Turlock Christian Schools where Joan and Susan attended. Eventually he became chairman of the Christian school board, a position he held until 1983. Pete and Eleanor were longtime members of the Turlock Evangelical Free Church (which became Crossroads Church).

Pete also served on the boards of Modesto Milling, Cal Dairy, and California Gold. In 1998 he was elected a director for the corporate board of Dairy Farmers of America, He really enjoyed building connections nationally with others in the dairy business and remained plugged in and interested in the industry for the rest of his life.

In 2012, Pete’s priorities had to shift a bit. Though still running the dairy, he spent a lot of time overseeing Eleanor’s care when she became wheelchair-bound from the effects of Lewy Body Dementia. The whole family participated so that Eleanor was able to be cared for in her own home until her passing in 2015. Pete did an amazing job coordinating caregivers and making sure Eleanor had every comfort she needed.

After his wife’s passing, Pete realized he no longer had the same zeal for his dairy and it might be time to scale back. Both his daughters and their families lived in Colorado, so Pete sold his farm properties and retired at age 77. He moved in part-time to an apartment his daughter and son-in-law had built in their home for him. He became part of Parker Bible Church and grew to love the church and his many friends there. He still maintained a home in California where most of his siblings and extended family were. Almost up to the end, he was able to fly back and forth independently to spend time in both places, enjoying the interactions with the people he loved.

Pete was truly an amazing person. Although he had little formal education, completing only a bit of college, those who knew him often remarked at his intelligence and wisdom. A voracious reader with tremendous intellectual curiosity, he never stopped learning. He loved keeping up with current events, subscribing to multiple newspapers, studying and discussing theology, and analyzing politics.

Pete would be the first to say his wisdom came from his love of the Bible. He modeled and taught obeying the plain truths of scripture. He was steadfast and did not blow with the winds of societal change. He and his wife passed on their fear of the Lord and their dedication to His church and the Bible to their children and grandchildren, truly the most important legacy of all.

Pete was an excellent provider for his family. He enthusiastically supported his grandchildren during their time at Valor Christian High School and later at Liberty University. He was great fun as a “Pake” (the Frisian word for grandfather) and loved to eat breakfast with the grandkids at Snooze. He was always interested in hearing about their lives, their studies, and their friends. He also enjoyed taking cruises with his family, his last several on Holland America Line, where he was delighted to learn his original information from his 1953 immigration was still in their system.

Pete will be greatly missed. The loss of his quick wit, his steadfast dedication to those he loved, his perceptive comments, and even his quirky devotion to saving all leftovers (a lifelong effect of having lived through extreme hunger during the war) leaves a huge hole in the family.

Pete is survived by his daughters, Joan (Jeff) Hathcote and Susan (Matt) Greer, six grandchildren—Natalie (David) Kerr, Cassidy Hathcote, Jacob Greer, Jillian Greer, Tyler (Leah) Hathcote, and Kayla Hathcote, along with three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister Corrie Jacobi and brother Raymond (Carla) Mensonides, sisters-in-law Letty and Clara Mensonides, brother-in-law Fred Manke, and sister-in-law Phyllis Manke along with numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jan and Maaike Mensonides, his beloved wife Eleanor, brothers Louis, Ted, and Jim Mensonides, sister Gerrie Van der Hoek, sister-in-law Terry Mensonides, brothers-in-laws John Jacobi and Jelle Van der Hoek, sister-in-law Dorothea Manke, and brothers-in-law Arnold and Arthur Manke.

A lunch and celebration of Pete’s life was held at Parker Bible Churchon Sunday, June 8. In lieu of flowers, donations in Pete’s memory can be made to Parker Bible Church. Memorial and interment to follow at Lakewood Memorial Park, Hughson, California, on Tuesday, June 17.

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