Agnes Westveer

Agnes Westveer was a spirited and loving mother who always gave selflessly to enrich the lives of those around her. Devoted to both family and faith, she spent her life working tirelessly inside and outside the home, faithfully providing for her family and sharing much laughter and love.

The year 1911, Howard Taft was president and the United States was rapidly moving from a rural environment to an industrial powerhouse. Though the Industrial Revolution brought many changes to America at the beginning of the twentieth century, many families in Alpine Township remained devoted to farming. Agnes Westveer was born to one of these families on May 21, 1911. Along with her four brothers and sisters (one brother died before she was even born), young Agnes grew up with an appreciation for hard work. Her parents, Joseph and Theresa (Volpert) Steffens, made sure the kids learned responsibility by pitching in with the daily farm chores. Although Agnes enjoyed a happy childhood, she wasn’t fond of farm life and, instead, liked the hustle and bustle of the big city. She enjoyed going to school but because it was so far away, she often stayed with friends in town throughout the school year. When she was sixteen, her father had a house built on Myrtle Street, which was one of the first homes in the neighborhood and closer to the big city life Agnes dreamed of.

In 1928, Agnes graduated from Catholic Central High School and then entered the workforce as a manicurist at a downtown department store. Sadly, her mother died a year later. Agnes’ family was members of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, which is where she met her future husband, John Westveer. They dated for a while, their love blossoming and were married on June 24, 1930. John was well established in his career as an electrician and would later build his own business. They soon started their family with the birth of their daughter Phyllis in 1931, and over the next several years added four more children: Marlene, Jim, Teresa and Ann. As a hard worker and dedicated mother, Agnes was an excellent example to her children. She taught them good habits and strong values that would guide them through their lives. As disciplinarian, she was generally lenient, but stern when needed, and always trusting of her children. The family had many fond memories of vacations at Crystal Lake. After Agnes’ father moved back to the farm, she and John moved into the home she grew up in on Myrtle Street.

Tragically, Agnes lost her beloved husband John on November 20, 1948. Agnes never shirked her responsibilities, even when times were difficult. She assumed the role of head of the household and provider for her children. Money was always tight, but the children helped out with paper routes, which she helped fold the papers for delivery, and they all pitched in with household duties, with cleaning day being Saturday and everyone had a specific task. Agnes went to work outside the home at a variety of jobs and, although she was a hard worker, she would have rather been home with her family. She worked at places like W.T. Grant, Woolworths, a cookie company, Herpolshimers and eventually retired after 13 years at H.R. Terryberry Company. Agnes often joked that if she knew she was going to live so long, she wouldn’t have retired so soon.

In the whirlwind of life’s busyness, Agnes tried to bring some laughter and fun into their lives. An evening of fun usually consisted of going to the theater, and by bringing items to donate, they got in free. And on their way out, they would receive a plate, which was how the family got new dishes. An amusing story Agnes often told her children was how at the cookie company when batter spilled on the floor, they would scoop it up with shovels, add some spices and that was how Windmill cookies were made. Often times, she mixed a little creativity with fun while cooking. Having to be very sparing with the grocery money, meat was not always available for a weekday meal, so Agnes would make noodles and add breadcrumbs, which topped her kids favorite list every time. Sunday meals, however, were always a feast with round steak, mashed potatoes and cheese.

One of Agnes’ most endearing traits was her knack for conversation. She was easy to talk to and always had a listening ear if needed. Her gift for gab was often time consuming for an hour long phone conversation was not uncommon and, ironically, a good part of the conversation revolved around her wondering why people wouldn’t readily let you go during a phone call. Throughout Agnes’ life, one thing remained evident: she was never afraid to speak her mind and spoke so that she was clearly understood. Well into her 90s, Agnes’ mind was always sharp as a whip. She thrived on reading the newspaper and methodically crossed out the articles she already read so not to read them again. However, the word scramblers were usually the first to be done, since those were her favorite. There were always stacks of papers in the house, especially if she fell behind in reading them for new ones were simply added to the bottom of the pile. When it came to her family, she faithfully remembered everyone’s birthdays - from her 5 children and 26 grandchildren to her 44 great grandchildren and 18 great great grandchildren. Each one received a birthday card until about twelve and then she called them to give them birthday wishes.

Always independent, Agnes lived in her own home until she was 93. After a bad fall, she needed additional care and entered a nursing home. Although she loved being visited by her family, she was easily overwhelmed with too many visitors and preferred visiting with one at a time. She was never one to babysit the young grandchildren, at least not until they were old enough to play cards with her. An avid sports fan, Agnes loved to watch or listen to the Detroit Tiger games as well as Detroit Lion football games. Her passion for baseball came from her husband who was a loyal fan for many years. In fact, Agnes use to wash the uniforms for the women’s baseball team called the Grand Rapids Chicks. Keeping her mind sharp, she usually kept stats while listening to the baseball games. Perhaps because she always read the paper, Agnes could easily converse about many different topics. And if she knew little about the subject, she would look at maps or find references to become more knowledgeable about what was being discussed. Agnes was a lifelong member of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church and had once been President of their Altar Society. She worked hard to instill her Catholic values upon her children, making sure they attended mass and encouraged their participation in church activities.

Although Agnes will be deeply missed, she has left her children with many cherished memories, but more importantly, she leaves them with the unforgettable example of what a good mother and grandmother can be.

Agnes (Steffens) Westveer of Grand Rapids, MI, died on Thursday, November 18, 2004. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Westveer; her daughter and son-in-law, Phyllis and Ken Farrell; grandchildren: Beth Shattuck and Donald Shattuck; great granddaughter, Alissa Alberda; and by her siblings Cleo Steffens, Hilda Steffens, Edward Steffens, Edith Kurtz and Sr. Marie Steffens. Agnes’ family includes her children: Marlene O’Rourke, Jim (Maryellen) Westveer, Teresa (Les) Shattuck and Ann (Dave) Browning; 26 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren and 18 great great grandchildren; brother-in-law and sisters-in-law: Beatrice Cooper and Audrey Doody, Jim (Dorothy) Tibbe; and many nieces and nephews.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, November 22 at 1 p.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. Friends may spend time with Agnes’ family at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes, Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Drive NW, Grand Rapids, MI, on Sunday, November 21, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. and on Monday, November 22, at the church from 12 noon until the time of the service. The Rosary will be prayed at the funeral chapel on Sunday evening at 7 p.m. Please visit Agnes’ personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribution to a charity of your choice.