Violet "Vicki" Zenz

Vicki Zenz was a wonderful person to know and to love. Generous, compassionate, as well as accepting of others, no one was ever a stranger in her eyes! Vicki lived her life giving so much of her time and resources to the family she loved. She will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by her many special friends and family for generations to come.

Violet Rose Zenz was born on November 9, 1930, in Jamaica, New York on Long Island the only child to Fred and Josephine (Marraro) Simmons. Her father was born in Southampton, England and joined the British Marines at the tender age of fifteen. As a result, he traveled all over the world. By the time he was twenty-four years old, he made an instant connection to a telephone operator named Josephine who was charmed by his English accent. Only three weeks after their first meeting, they were married. Their seventy-three married years were a wonderful example of commitment and love for Vicki throughout her life.

Vicki’s childhood involved several moves. Her father was a furniture finisher and her mother worked at fixing up houses. Much of her childhood was spent on the Atlantic coast in Mystic Seaport, Connecticut. Always looking for work, her parents moved her frequently enough that by the time Vicki was in eleventh grade, she quit high school as she couldn’t face another year of making new friends and learning a new curriculum. Vicki entered the world of work and married young. She and her first husband had one son, Scott. She loved being a mom yet later their marriage ended. While Vicki was working at a job making blueprints, she met the man of her dreams, Fred Zenz. He was a local engineer and whenever he needed prints, he would request her services. Both showing interest, they dated for roughly a year before Fred proposed. Vicki’s parents' home was the perfect setting for their wedding ceremony on August 12, 1955. For their honeymoon they drove to Denver, Colorado, to visit Fred’s identical twin brother and took Fred’s mother Stella along. After the trip, they settled into a brand new house on Celtic Street in Granada Hills, California. Fred adopted Scott and about a year later they welcomed home their newborn daughter, Vicki.

As a newlywed couple, they didn’t know Christ yet both were interested. They stayed in touch with their minister who married them and he began sharing Bible verses with them. Soon they had formed a strong friendship with both the minister and his wife from an old Chapel called North Ridge Christian Church. Fred and Vicki accepted Christ as their Savior and were baptized. They shared a passion for their faith from these early years which strengthened their marriage for many years to come. Vicki always felt blessed to have a husband that walked along her faith journey and treated her like a princess. As parents, they were strict, yet forgiving. Both had big hearts and when a neighbor told them that a pair of identical twins were being put in foster care in separate homes, they went through the process of being licensed to foster care. Soon, Richard and Robert became big brothers to Scott and Vicki. As a family, they created many fond memories with them even taking them to Big Bear and Lake Tahoe for vacation. Fred and Vicki both shared a strong passion for helping others. They remained committed to their family, their faith, and to one another. After learning how to square dance, each and every Friday night, they would have a night out dancing. They modeled a deep love for one another that was special for all to witness.

Vicki was a very loving mother. When her children were sick, she loved to rock them in her lap and sang to them. Her beautiful soothing voice brought them great comfort. She also loved to sing around the house, on long road trips, and while they were camping. They have many fond memories of singing old fashioned campfire songs, playing the vinyl records of Andy Williams, Nat King Cole, and Glen Miller, and recording their music on a reel to reel voice machine that Fred brought home when he was working for Voice of Music. An active mother, when Scott and Vicki were attending a private Christian School in San Fernando, California, she helped with the school lunch program. When the family moved to Michigan, she was involved in their many special events. She washed and ironed Boy Scout and cheerleading uniforms, worked in the church camp kitchen one day each week, and would readily drop off forgotten lunches or instruments at school. Vicki treated her children’s friends as if they were own. They were drawn to her wonderful sense of humor and would often come to the house to spend time with her instead of Scott or Vicki!

Vicki was never one to remain idle over the years. She loved volunteering as a Pink Lady at the community hospital. She would read to patients, write letters for them, and would be a listening ear to those who needed attention. Active in her faith life, she worked on many church committees and was president of the ladies circle. She loved to share her Lord and Savior with others and would often take people who needed a church home with her to church on Sundays. When they moved to Holland, she joined the Aquabelles, a swimming group of ladies at the Holland Aquatic Center. She also participated in the New Comers Club. She learned to quilt and met with other women to sew quilts in each other’s homes. Her passion for quilting led her to start the Tulip Patch Quilt Shop where she introduced others to the craft. A highlight was the evolution of the Tulip Time Quilt Show after going through the proper channels of the committee. Vicki was very proud of her contribution to the success of the show which still goes on each year!

Despite her many interests, her family meant the world to her. She and Fred felt blessed when their grandchildren arrived. They made a special trip to Pennsylvania when Christopher was born. Timothy was born in Michigan allowing for them to hold him within a few minutes of his arrival! They treasured their time with them and always made them feel special. Vicki always felt so loved by a God who cherished her that her heart was always joyful. Her greatest legacy was sharing her love of Christ. May her loved ones find comfort in knowing that she is now at peace and may her memories be eternal.

Violet “Vicki” Zenz, age 90, of Holland, MI passed away after a short illness, October 27, 2021 at Metro Hospital in Grand Rapids. She was preceded in death by her husband, Fred Zenz. Violet lived her life verse, Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is good medicine...” She will be missed by her children, Scott (Peggy Storey) Zenz of Tujunga, CA, and Vicki (Tom) Shearer of Holland; grandsons, Chris (Amber) Shearer and Tim Shearer. A funeral service will be held Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 11 AM at her church, Holland Church of Christ, 405 Beeline Rd. Friends may visit with family beginning at 10 AM. Interment will be in Lakeshore Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Christ's Mission in the Yucatan. Please visit Violet's memory page to leave a memory or condolence at www.heritagelifestory.com