Merrie Lou DeBoer

Merrie Lou De Boer, age 91, of Jenison, MI, passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 19, 2025. She grew up in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, IL, and lived most of her adult life in Grand Rapids, MI. Growing up, she developed a deep love for music. Throughout her life she sang in various choirs, including the Metropolitan Choir of Praise and the Calvin College Oratorio Society. Like her mother, Geraldine Boss, Merrie Lou loved to play the piano and taught piano lessons to many young people. She would often play the accompaniment for singing groups and instrumentalists. Over the years, she traveled throughout the United States and Canada. Her best memories occurred in Michigan, spending Labor Days in Mackinaw City for the annual bridge walk and enjoying time at the cottage on Big Star Lake. Merrie Lou was very involved in various women’s groups in her church and helped sew costumes for the Calvin Theater Guild. One of her favorite activities was making fleece blankets and giving them as gifts to friends and family. The baby blankets she made were favorite “blankies” for many children. The most important thing about Merrie Lou was that she was a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother who loved God. Yes, music was very important to her, and she did all those things, but to her that was still secondary to her family and her faith in God.

Merrie Lou is preceded in death by her son-in-law, William Buikema Jr., and by her brothers, Richard Boss, Ronald Boss, and John Boss.

She is survived by Marvin De Boer, her husband of 70 years; her children, Barbara (John) Buteyn, Carol Buikema, and David (Jane) DeBoer; grandchildren, Michael (Steph) Buteyn, Timothy (Jacquie) Buteyn, William (Rebecca) Buikema, Anna (Scott) Evans, Leanne Buikema, Rebecca DeBoer, and Eric (Krista) Buikema; great grandchildren; her sisters-in-law, Dorothy Boss, Myra Boss, and Sharon Boss; and many nieces and nephews.

A service to remember Merrie Lou will be held on Saturday December 27, 2025, at 11 AM, at Heritage Life Story Funeral home, Alt and Shawmut Hills Chapel; 2120 Lake Michigan Drive NW, Grand Rapids MI 49504. Merrie Lou’s family will visit with friends on Friday December 26, 2025 from 5 – 7 PM at the funeral home and one hour prior to the funeral. Memorial contributions in Merrie Lou’s memory can be directed to Calvin University. To leave a memory, sign her guest book, or post a picture please visit www.heritagelifestory.com