Tineke Schouten

Tineke (Trijntje) Cornelia Schouten
January 26, 1931 - November 28, 2025
Tineke Cornelia Schouten was born on January 26, 1931 in Bersingerhorn, N.H., the Netherlands
to Dirk Schouten and Trijntje Walst.
She immigrated to the United States on April 13, 1956 sponsored by the Houck family of Oak
Park, IL who truly became her surrogate family as Mom Houck referred to her as her special
daughter. The entire Houck family through the generations consider Tineke as a special part of
their family. She worked hard as an executive Administrative Assistant at Marsh and McLennan,
Inc. while Mr. Houck patiently worked with her learning the English language, culture, customs,
and study of business, finance and required information to become a U.S. Citizen - which she
did become in 1977 under President Gerald Ford. She also worked at The Chicago Osteopathic
Hospital which became MidWestern University and The Chicago College of Osteopathic
Medicine. She also became a Realtor and Real Estate Broker for Century 21.
She was a member of the Dutch Immigrant Society, Knickerbocker Society, active member of
First Congregational Church, Art Institute of Chicago, Smithsonian Institute, Wilderness Society,
a Notary Public, Single Adult Group of First Presbyterian Church and First Methodist Church of
Oak Park, IL, International Relations Group of Oak Park, IL, member of The Chicago Temple,
United Methodist Church, downtown Chicago, a member of the Chicago Association of Realtors,
member of her Block Club in her Southside neighborhood and a long time member and high
contributor and as a Founding Member with Dr. Mildred C. Harris of God First Ministries,
awarded Signatures of Prolific Women in 2025. She also held her Realtor License in the State of
Florida, was a faithful a member of Meadowbrook Church, member of the Prayer Shawl
Ministry at First Presbyterian Church of Ocala, Florida and member of the HOA in the
subdivision where she had retired.
Tineke was a survivor of WWII. Having lived through the atrocities, she endured much suffering
and hardships in war-torn Holland, including the loss of her father at an early age. She was
always thankful for the Lord's help and for the Americans' help in stopping the war and sending
food after the hunger winter of 1945, because they were completely cut off from any food,
water, and any source of energy. She moved to America because she won the lottery, was
chosen after three attempts. Little did she know that the Houck family and a few other
members on the board were praying and instrumental in helping to settle immigrants from the
Netherlands in Oak Park. She made it to the land of freedom and opportunity. She worked
hard at achieving the American Dream. She was very active in church and community even
after she moved away from Chicago to Ocala, Florida to be with her elder sister.
Tineke would say that most important to her of anything in her life was her relationship and
love for her Lord Jesus Christ. Her faith was her hope and her anchor.
Tineke will be missed by many. Her light and joy were contagious.
She was preceded in death by her father, Dirk Schouten and mother Trijntje Schouten of the
Netherlands, her sister Grietje Lewis of Ocala, Florida, her other sister Herma Lengkeek of the
Netherlands, and neice Margriet Milders of the Netherlands. She is survived by niece Julie
Kennedy (and her husband, Mike); nephews Dirk Lewis (and his wife, Teresa), and Tom Lewis
(and his wife, Leslie Carmona) and Olaf Milders; great neices Brenda Alarco (and her husband,
Henry), Eve Kraft (and her husband, Cody), Lydia Louwter (and husband, Dirk), Isabella; great
nephews, Joshua, Micheal (and his wife, Heather), Luke; Maarten (and wife, Thailita); great
great niece, Sophia and great great nephews Lucas, Luuk, and Cooper.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to God First Ministries at https://godfirstministries.org/contact-us-1