Rest In Peace Bro Ben!
It was one sad day indeed for Francis Benjamin Andang, a 39 year old lass from Kg. Bundu Tuhan, Ranau upon learning the passing of Bro Benedict Martin Snoeren or fondly known as Bro. Ben by many.
Francis described Bro Ben as a man with many talents who was always generous and ready to share his skills and knowledge to the people who he came to know or associated with.
Francis shared that he knew Bro Ben when he was just a little boy and used to observe him doing all kinds of skill work like repairing a car, building a house, making tables and chairs, gardening, welding and so on.
“Probably I was too curious to know why this man (European) seemed to know a lot of things and never stopped ‘working’ and talking to people.
Since I live nearby the Home (Don Bosco), I always spent my time following his activities. I guessed he didn’t mind me watching over him, and at times he let me try holding some of the tools probably to answer my curiosity,” said Francis.
Today, Francis is one of the staff working under Don Bosco overseeing the well-being of the children who are housed in the Home. He was initially taken by Bro Ben to work in his workshop as his assistant after he completed his vocational school in Kudat.
“After I completed my secondary school in SMK Bundu Tuhan, I went to continue my studies at Vocational school in Kudat. After that, Bro Ben took me as his assistant mechanic. Since then, I had been actively involved in whatever he did especially skilled work.
I am still doing some work in his workshop although I spend most of my time at the Home as it is just nearby.
But I am sad knowing Bro Ben will never come to see his workshop again. In fact his motorcycle is still under repair, waiting for him.
He built his workshop for himself and for the people in the village. He was a man of multi-talented and very generous indeed in sharing his knowledge. I miss him now,” shared Francis.
He said two weeks ago, he and his colleague, Marysia Lensin, made calls to Netherland to find out Bro Ben’s progress.
“Marysia managed to talk to Bro Ben and said he was coughing due to cold (winter) and had been missing home (Bundu Tuhan) for too long that he wanted to come back, but …sadly, he has gone home to the Lord,” said Francis.
Marysia was one of the children housed at Don Bosco in 1999. Today, Marysia works with the sister-in-charge at the Home and had been keeping in touch with Bro Ben through telephone calls.
Sister Anne Marie, who is in-charge at the Home confided that Bro Ben started his activity in Bundu Tuhan (in the early 60s) by doing some construction work, repairing, car mechanic, a welder, a carpenter and a farmer.
“It was the late Bro. John, a Dutch who started the planting of vegetables in Bundu Tuhan, and trained the villagers then how to organise their framing activities and so on.
Bro Ben was focusing more on the construction work at that time. Over the years, Bro Ben picked up the farming work and had since been doing all the works after the passing of Bro John.
One thing for sure, Bro Ben introduced the winter vegetables like potato, broccoli, celery and other types of vegetables in this area,” revealed Sis Anne.
She also said that if she could remember correctly, Bro Ben and Bro John even went to Kundasang to introduce the vegetables and trained the villagers how to plant. They also emphasised the danger of using chemical in their farming activities.
“If I am not mistaken, both of them went extra miles to tell villagers to discourage them from using chemical that was harmful to people. Bro Ben was indeed a man with a heart full of love for the people.
His contribution to the people especially in this area was immeasurable. He had spread the seeds of love to our people. Let’s remember him in our prayer,” she said.
Bro Ben had lived among the people in Bundu Tuhan since in the early sixties. He could converse fluently in Dusun dialect.
Francis recalled the best memories he had with Bro Ben was when he was brought to his goat farm nearby the village and learned about getting goat’s milk.
‘Whenever I miss him, I will always recall the moment I spent time with him taking goat’s milk. He even taught me how to do it step by step. I was then a teenager and was always curious of what else he would do next,” he smiled.
“Two weeks ago, he told Marysia (over the phone) he missed all of us here especially the children. And that he wanted to come back and live here. He was just like a father to me,” he said sadly.
Sis Anne Marie said today probably Bro Ben would be in his 90s. He suffered from a few types of chronic diseases such as diabetic.
He was said to be cheerful whenever he received calls from the staff.
Bro Ben died on 13th February 2017 in Netherland.
