When someone passes away, for those closest to them, they are never really gone. Their spirit lives on in the people, places and things the person was connected to and passionate about. After a three-plus-year battle with a rare form of kidney cancer, Mears resident Jacob “Jake” Nienhuis passed away Nov. 1, 2025 at the age of 21. While his death left a huge hole in his family’s and friends' hearts, they carry his spirit with them every day.
In 2010, at 6 years old, Jake’s family moved from the Cedar Campus of Intervarsity’s Christian Fellowship Training Center in Cedarville, Michigan, to Grace Adventures in Mears. His father Eric took a job in the maintenance department and worked at the camp until 2020. “Jake spent half of his life there,” said Eric. “Like any camp kid, he had the run of the place. His first job was in the kitchen. His boss Pam used to say, ‘When Jake gets the mop, get out of the way! He’s a force to be reckoned with!”
Since Jake’s death, his mom Ann, dad Eric, brother Cody and sister Taylor have mourned, but they have also celebrated and gained strength remembering the many good memories they made together. Now they are looking to the future and how they can share who Jake was with others and remember him in a more tangible way.
When thinking about what and where might be the most fitting memorial to honor his memory, their minds went to Grace Adventures and the idea of a firepit down by the lake. “Jake loved Grace, loved fishing, loved his family and loved his friends. A fire ring is so ‘Jake,’” Eric reflected. “He loved sitting around and hanging out.”
Not only did the Nienhuises like the idea of a memorial at the camp where they have spent so much time as a family, but they also feel it is there Jake was able to connect with so many.
The thoughtfully designed firepit area is scheduled to be installed near the waterfront on Upper Silver Lake later this month. From overhead it looks like a fishhook, which represents Jake’s love of fishing and one of the ways he brought people together. The top part of the fishhook will be the location of the actual firepit surrounded by wooden chairs. The “hook” part of the design will include additional bench seating. The entire patio will be constructed of brick and surrounded by native plantings.
As an added personal touch, the chairs, to be situated around the firepit, will be a family building project, the Nienhuises said.
“Though short, Jake’s life impacted everyone who knew him,” said Ben Vander Kodde, president of Grace Adventures Ministries and longtime friend of the Nienhuis family. “Eric and Ann, Jake's parents, approached us about building a permanent memorial firepit on the shore of Upper Silver Lake, where Jake grew up and made so many memories. Jake loved to have real, deep conversations like the ones that often happen while sitting at a campfire.”
Vander Kodde expects the site to carry that legacy forward. “Our tagline for the Grace Adventures campus is 'Experiences that Live On,' and this firepit will do exactly that. In the years ahead, I expect thousands of students, adults and families will gather here to connect, growing closer to one another and drawing nearer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Funding for this project has come primarily through a friends and family fundraiser on Facebook. Installation of the memorial fire pit is set to begin at the end of September. Anyone wishing to give a tax-deductible gift toward the completion of this project and in memory of Jake can visit https://gaministries.org/donat..., noting “Firepit” in the Gift Notes section.
