Bertha Proctor

A true servant of the Lord she loved, Bertha Proctor had a heart that knew no bounds. She was gracious, humble, and gentle with a devotion to her family that was unmatched. Bertha was a loving wife and mother who was filled with unspeakable joy to become a grandmother and even a great-grandmother later in life. A prayer warrior with unwavering faith, she could find the beauty in even the simplest of things and was truly content in whatever life brought. Happiest when surrounded by her loved ones, Bertha treasured her family above all else on this side of heaven. Although she will be deeply missed, her family and friends find comfort in knowing that she has found perfect peace in her eternal home.

Nearly a century has passed since our nation dealt with issues such as unsafe working conditions, a lack of child labor laws, and a growing number of monopolies all throughout our great land. Cars were attainable only for the very wealthy and our nation’s youth were more commonly found in the workforce than they were in school. Amidst this eventful time was the year 1915 that was filled with great excitement for a young couple from Marne, Michigan, as they were pleased to announce the birth of their new baby girl on December 18th. Bertha Margaret was the third of eight children born to her parents, Lawrence and Laura Isabelle (Leach) Yost, and she was raised in the family home alongside her older siblings, Harold and Gertrude, and her younger siblings, Howard, Jack, June, Peggy, and Norma. Her father was a hardworking farmer while her mother was a busy homemaker.

In many ways Bertha experienced an upbringing that was typical for young girls of her generation. As one of the older of the Yost girls she had several responsibilities including helping to care for her younger siblings and being responsible for much of the cooking, cleaning, and other household chores. As a young girl Bertha and her family moved to a home on Butterworth Street in Grand Rapids. She loved going to movies in the city and walked wherever she needed to go. Bertha enjoyed the companionship of a dog while growing up. Her parents divorced while she was still rather young. The Great Depression of the 1930s and WWII during the first half of the 1940s greatly shaped our nation as well as the people, like Bertha, who experienced these things firsthand.

Not to be forgotten during Bertha’s formative years was her introduction to the man who would forever hold the key to her heart. His name was Henry Proctor, and they began dating. With a desire to establish a life together the sweethearts were married on February 15, 1937. The newlyweds initially settled into an apartment on Hovey Street, SW in Grand Rapids. They later moved to 109 National St. on the citys westside when Henry was born. The Proctor family of three moved one more time to a home at 139 National a bit later and their family grew with the birth of Laura and Doug. Bertha and Henry’s children attended Straight Street Elementary School and graduated from Union High School. The Proctors enjoyed taking vacations for two weeks to a rental cottage on Campau Lake, and they also frequented the Berlin Fair and Ramona Park on Reeds Lake.

First and foremost in Bertha’s life was caring for her family, but there were many other things that kept her busy. She was a longtime member of Second Baptist Church where she faithfully attended services. Bertha was deeply spiritual and prayed regularly as she was a firm believer in the power of prayer. She was quick to share with others that her prayers were always answered. At home Bertha could often be found out in her yard where she loved caring for her flowers in addition to several vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and pickling cucumbers. Always resourceful, she canned the harvest each day. Bertha enjoyed catching her soap operas each day as well as different ministry programming. She was thrilled to become a grandmother, and she spent as much time with her grandchildren as she could. Through the years Bertha never forgot any of her grandchildren’s birthdays or special events.

Big changes were in store for Bertha when she said goodbye to her beloved husband on December 9, 1996, following a brief illness. A short time later, she sold their home and moved into a senior living community called Marsh Ridge where she quickly adapted to her new way of life. Bertha was active there in a variety of ways, and she made several new friends. Although she had some health problems to deal with, she lived a full life that her health challenges didn’t affect much. After being hospitalized following a fall, Bertha moved to Spectrum Health Nursing and Rehab Center one-and-a-half years ago.

With unending love for her family, Bertha Proctor lived life to the fullest each day. She was faithful to the Lord she loved, and truly exemplified what it means to be a servant of the King. Bertha will be deeply missed and forever remembered by those she leaves behind.

Bertha M. Proctor, aged 98, of Grand Rapids, passed away on Tuesday, September 2, 2014. She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry Proctor, her son, Henry Proctor, and her grandson, Steven Proctor. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Laura and Martin Visser, Doug (John Schaefer) Proctor; daughters-in-law, Sharon Proctor and Marea Proctor; her sisters, Ellen June DeVries, Peggy Nevins, Norma Taber; her sisters-in-law, Pat Yost and Barbara Yost; 9 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and friends. A service to celebrate her life will be celebrated on Friday, Sept. 5, at 2:00 PM, at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – 851 Leonard St. NW, with her grandson, Rev. Matthew Visser officiating. Relatives and friends may meet her family at the funeral home on Thursday from 6:00 – 8:00 PM, and again on Friday from 1:00 PM until the service begins. Burial in Marne Cemetery. Contributions in her memory may be made to Alzheimer’s Assn. To read more about Bertha’s life, to sign her guest book and to leave your favorite memory of her, visit her web page at www.lifestorynet.com