Written by:Fred Bunnell
As Ripon celebrates America’s 250th birthday, one local family found a unique way to honor both their grandfather and a forgotten piece of Ripon’s past.
The story actually began back in 2011 when our grandfather, Arie “Bud” den Dulk, passed away. As families often do, we gathered around tables covered with old photographs, sharing memories and stories. Much to all of his grandsons’ surprise, there was a photo of Grandpa Bud sporting a massive beard.
This raised an immediate question. Grandpa Bud had always been clean-shaven. Not one of us could remember him ever having a beard, a mustache, or even much stubble. So why the beard?
The story we were told was that Ripon had held a beard-growing contest for America’s Bicentennial celebration in 1976 and that Grandpa Bud had won. In his honor, several grandsons, sons-in-law, and a few family friends decided to grow beards from his funeral until Christmas. Much to the chagrin of many wives and girlfriends, the challenge was on. Most made it through the summer, but only a couple made it all the way to Christmas.
Fast forward to Christmas 2025.
As often happens during family gatherings, stories about Grandpa Bud resurfaced. We laughed about the many quirks, traditions, and memories that made him so special to our family. Somewhere between the Christmas cookies and family storytelling, cousins Eddie Machado and Fred Bunnell decided it was time to grow the beards again. This time it would be for Grandpa Bud, his longtime friend Arn Pasma, and America’s 250th birthday celebration.
Like many family legends, however, the details had changed over time.
Just as the beards were getting underway, one of Bud’s daughters pointed out a problem with our story. Grandpa most certainly did not have a beard in 1976 because three of his daughters got married that year, and there was no way Grandma Betty Grace was allowing him to show up to those weddings with a giant beard hanging from his face.
Fortunately, that revelation did not stop the beard-growing effort, but it did send us searching for the truth.
After some digging, we discovered that Grandpa’s beard was actually grown for the Ripon Chamber of Commerce’s 50th Anniversary celebration and Frontier Days festival. One of the featured events was the “Whiskerinos” beard-growing contest, where Grandpa Bud won Best Full Beard. Other winners included familiar Ripon names such as Ray Vander Weide, Clarence Smit, Herb den Dulk, Larry Fondse, John Swier, and of course, Grandpa’s friend Arn Pasma.
That discovery made the challenge even more meaningful. What started as a family tribute became a connection to a unique chapter of Ripon’s history.
The den Dulk family’s roots in America stretch back more than a century. Family members immigrated from Holland in 1921 and eventually settled in Ripon, where later generations would build businesses, raise families, and become part of the community we know today.
Elisabeth also established another tradition that proved far more lasting. She prayed with each of her children every morning before they left the house and encouraged them never to give up gathering together after church on Sundays. More than a century later, family members still point to those values of faith, family, and togetherness as the reason so many generations remain connected today.
Perhaps that’s why a simple photograph of a bearded grandfather could inspire dozens of family members to spend six months growing beards in his honor.
Today, more than a dozen family members and friends have spent months growing their beards in tribute to the generations that came before them. Along the way, there have been plenty of laughs, a few complaints from spouses, and enough beard grooming products to stock a small store.
So here we are in America’s 250th year, standing beneath Old Glory with six months of facial hair hanging from our faces, honoring Grandpa Bud, Uncle Arn, our country, and a little piece of Ripon history that might otherwise have been forgotten.
Sometimes the best family stories aren’t the ones that are perfectly remembered. They’re the ones that bring people together, spark a few laughs, and remind us where we came from.
