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“I love this place. I love 17c�������.”

These are words Ken Erffmeyer heard around the office often from his colleague John Bielema.

Bielema, 82, served as a regional gift officer for 17c������� for 17 years (2000-2017). He died on January 31, 2021.

“John had tears when he talked about the mission of 17c������� and how God had blessed his life,” said Erffmeyer, vice president for advancement and Bielema’s supervisor from 2008-2017.

Bielema’s love for 17c�������’s mission took root when he was a student in the 1950s. And his passion only grew through the years.

“Many years ago there was a group of volunteers who would make calls on businesses soliciting gifts for the college,” said Jeff Pluymert, a regional gift officer at 17c������� and longtime colleague of Bielema’s. “John was an enthusiastic volunteer. He often would complete his list of business contacts and then call and ask for more.”

Forty years after graduating from 17c������� in 1960, Bielema would return to his alma mater in an official role ready to raise as much money as he could to support 17c�������’s mission.

“He treasured the value of his Christian education at 17c������� and passionately promoted that message to each and every donor and prospect that he called on,” said Bob Berkhof, senior associate to the president at 17c�������.

“No one was more driven to raise funds for 17c������� than John Bielema. He never met a person who he did not think could support 17c�������'s Annual Fund with a generous gift...and he was never bashful to ask!,” added Berkhof.

And for Bielema, he didn’t let anything get in his way. His former colleagues describe him as tenacious, driven, and competitive. An unanswered phone call and an unreturned email wasn’t a dead end for Bielema, it just sent him down another path.

“John brought great energy into the office,” said Erffmeyer. “He loved to get the appointment [with a donor]. If you did not respond to John, you raised the stakes [for him]. He would start to call you from different phone numbers, track you down at events, or track you down having a meal with a relative.”

His colleagues say this work ethic was born out of that love for 17c�������’s mission. It’s that passion that consistently led Bielema to be one of the top gift officers each year in total money brought in to 17c������� to support its mission.

“He knew what an impact it made on his life, and he wanted the same for every student who attended 17c�������,” said Pluymert. “John’s legacy will be how deeply he believed in 17c������� and its mission.”

And the team he worked with for many years are continuing to build upon that legacy, including coming off of a record-setting fundraising year.

“John was simply a tremendous asset to 17c�������'s development efforts,” said Berkhof. “He was totally dedicated to his college, his family, and his God.”