Jennie Aardsma, age 87 of Grant, went to the loving arms of her Savior on Friday, December 28, 2012 at Fountain View Assisted Living in Grant, MI. Jennie lived a long, full life: willingly giving her time and energy to family, friends, and strangers alike. Those who knew Jennie will remember her smile and her kindness as well as her gift of making friends and putting people at ease.
Jennie was the youngest of six children of John and Grace (VanderWoude) Staat, who immigrated from the Netherlands to the Chicago neighborhood of Roseland. She married Allen Harry Aardsma, another child of Dutch immigrants, upon his return from serving with the US Army in WWII. The young couple moved to Holland, MI shortly thereafter where they settled down and started a family.
Jennie made good use of her knowledge of office management in her long career. She served as secretary to the Holland City Treasurer as well as to the director of Holland Hospital in order to support her husband's college and seminary education on his journey to serving in the ministry for the Reformed Church of America. She served as pastor's wife alongside Rev. Aardsma for several congregations including Primghar, Iowa, Vriesland, MI and Casnovia, MI. Jennie also worked as an executive secretary at Herman Miller in Holland and at Grant State Bank in Grant, MI. She ended her career by helping students take advantage of extended learning opportunities at the Tri-County Community Education Center in Howard City, MI.
Upon her retirement, Jennie shared her sunny smile and personality as a volunteer with patients, staff and visitors at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids for 17 years. She also volunteered weekends at Global Gifts (formerly Christian Crafts Ministries) in Grand Rapids, MI, where fairly traded handicrafts made in third world countries were sold.
Jennie is survived by her four children, son, Allen Jr. & Mary Jo Aardsma of Colorado, daughters, Peggy Aardsma Fread & Robert Buhrman of Arizona, Carol (Aardsma) & David Carew of Michigan and Jean (Aardsma) & Geoff Savage of Illinois, 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
The family requests that memorial donations be made in Jennie's memory in lieu of flowers to Butterworth Volunteer Services and to Grant Reformed Church.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM at the Grant Reformed Church on Friday, January 4, 2013 with Pastor Mik Sutton officiating.
Interment in Pilgrim Home Cemetery, Holland, Michigan.
Visitation will be held Thursday 7-9 PM at McKinley Funeral Home, Grant and one hour prior to services at the church.
Jennie was the youngest of six children of John and Grace (VanderWoude) Staat, who immigrated from the Netherlands to the Chicago neighborhood of Roseland. She married Allen Harry Aardsma, another child of Dutch immigrants, upon his return from serving with the US Army in WWII. The young couple moved to Holland, MI shortly thereafter where they settled down and started a family.
Jennie made good use of her knowledge of office management in her long career. She served as secretary to the Holland City Treasurer as well as to the director of Holland Hospital in order to support her husband's college and seminary education on his journey to serving in the ministry for the Reformed Church of America. She served as pastor's wife alongside Rev. Aardsma for several congregations including Primghar, Iowa, Vriesland, MI and Casnovia, MI. Jennie also worked as an executive secretary at Herman Miller in Holland and at Grant State Bank in Grant, MI. She ended her career by helping students take advantage of extended learning opportunities at the Tri-County Community Education Center in Howard City, MI.
Upon her retirement, Jennie shared her sunny smile and personality as a volunteer with patients, staff and visitors at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids for 17 years. She also volunteered weekends at Global Gifts (formerly Christian Crafts Ministries) in Grand Rapids, MI, where fairly traded handicrafts made in third world countries were sold.
Jennie is survived by her four children, son, Allen Jr. & Mary Jo Aardsma of Colorado, daughters, Peggy Aardsma Fread & Robert Buhrman of Arizona, Carol (Aardsma) & David Carew of Michigan and Jean (Aardsma) & Geoff Savage of Illinois, 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
The family requests that memorial donations be made in Jennie's memory in lieu of flowers to Butterworth Volunteer Services and to Grant Reformed Church.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM at the Grant Reformed Church on Friday, January 4, 2013 with Pastor Mik Sutton officiating.
Interment in Pilgrim Home Cemetery, Holland, Michigan.
Visitation will be held Thursday 7-9 PM at McKinley Funeral Home, Grant and one hour prior to services at the church.
Jennie Aardsma, age 87 of Grant, went to the loving arms of her Savior on Friday, December 28, 2012 at Fountain View Assisted Living in Grant, MI. Jennie lived a long, full life: willingly giving her time and energy to family, friends, and strangers alike. Those who knew Jennie will remember her smile and her kindness as well as her gift of making friends and putting people at ease.
Jennie was the youngest of six children of John and Grace (VanderWoude) Staat, who immigrated from the Netherlands to the Chicago neighborhood of Roseland. She married Allen Harry Aardsma, another child of Dutch immigrants, upon his return from serving with the US Army in WWII. The young couple moved to Holland, MI shortly thereafter where they settled down and started a family.
Jennie made good use of her knowledge of office management in her long career. She served as secretary to the Holland City Treasurer as well as to the director of Holland Hospital in order to support her husband's college and seminary education on his journey to serving in the ministry for the Reformed Church of America. She served as pastor's wife alongside Rev. Aardsma for several congregations including Primghar, Iowa, Vriesland, MI and Casnovia, MI. Jennie also worked as an executive secretary at Herman Miller in Holland and at Grant State Bank in Grant, MI. She ended her career by helping students take advantage of extended learning opportunities at the Tri-County Community Education Center in Howard City, MI.
Upon her retirement, Jennie shared her sunny smile and personality as a volunteer with patients, staff and visitors at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids for 17 years. She also volunteered weekends at Global Gifts (formerly Christian Crafts Ministries) in Grand Rapids, MI, where fairly traded handicrafts made in third world countries were sold.
Jennie is survived by her four children, son, Allen Jr. & Mary Jo Aardsma of Colorado, daughters, Peggy Aardsma Fread & Robert Buhrman of Arizona, Carol (Aardsma) & David Carew of Michigan and Jean (Aardsma) & Geoff Savage of Illinois, 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
The family requests that memorial donations be made in Jennie's memory in lieu of flowers to Butterworth Volunteer Services and to Grant Reformed Church.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM at the Grant Reformed Church on Friday, January 4, 2013 with Pastor Mik Sutton officiating.
Interment in Pilgrim Home Cemetery, Holland, Michigan.
Visitation will be held Thursday 7-9 PM at McKinley Funeral Home, Grant and one hour prior to services at the church.
Jennie was the youngest of six children of John and Grace (VanderWoude) Staat, who immigrated from the Netherlands to the Chicago neighborhood of Roseland. She married Allen Harry Aardsma, another child of Dutch immigrants, upon his return from serving with the US Army in WWII. The young couple moved to Holland, MI shortly thereafter where they settled down and started a family.
Jennie made good use of her knowledge of office management in her long career. She served as secretary to the Holland City Treasurer as well as to the director of Holland Hospital in order to support her husband's college and seminary education on his journey to serving in the ministry for the Reformed Church of America. She served as pastor's wife alongside Rev. Aardsma for several congregations including Primghar, Iowa, Vriesland, MI and Casnovia, MI. Jennie also worked as an executive secretary at Herman Miller in Holland and at Grant State Bank in Grant, MI. She ended her career by helping students take advantage of extended learning opportunities at the Tri-County Community Education Center in Howard City, MI.
Upon her retirement, Jennie shared her sunny smile and personality as a volunteer with patients, staff and visitors at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids for 17 years. She also volunteered weekends at Global Gifts (formerly Christian Crafts Ministries) in Grand Rapids, MI, where fairly traded handicrafts made in third world countries were sold.
Jennie is survived by her four children, son, Allen Jr. & Mary Jo Aardsma of Colorado, daughters, Peggy Aardsma Fread & Robert Buhrman of Arizona, Carol (Aardsma) & David Carew of Michigan and Jean (Aardsma) & Geoff Savage of Illinois, 9 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
The family requests that memorial donations be made in Jennie's memory in lieu of flowers to Butterworth Volunteer Services and to Grant Reformed Church.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM at the Grant Reformed Church on Friday, January 4, 2013 with Pastor Mik Sutton officiating.
Interment in Pilgrim Home Cemetery, Holland, Michigan.
Visitation will be held Thursday 7-9 PM at McKinley Funeral Home, Grant and one hour prior to services at the church.
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