Caroline DeBoer

Caroline DeBoer was a kind and loving wife, mother and grandmother. With an endless supply of energy, she meticulously maintained her home, nurtured her sons and spoiled her grandchildren with love. Family was always first in her heart. Caroline was one of those very special people you hope you will have the good fortune to meet one day.

By 1930, people in the United States were finding themselves in the wake of the stock market crash, which set off the Great Depression. Companies tried to create jobs for the unemployed masses, but their attempts were futile. Families banded together and returned to simpler lifestyles in order to get through the hard times. For Francis “Carl” Bliss and his wife, Allie L. (Hillman), of Grand Rapids, Michigan, they turned their focus to the many blessings in their lives, which were about to double. On August 22, 1930, the couple delighted in welcoming the birth of their healthy twin daughters, Connie and Caroline. Carl was undoubtedly outnumbered in his household, which would eventually include five beautiful daughters: Jean, Joanne, Kay, Connie and Caroline.

Along with her sisters, Caroline grew up in the city of Grand Rapids, where she attended the area schools. After graduating from South High School in 1948, Caroline went to work at a variety of jobs, including at the candy counter at Woolworth’s in downtown Grand Rapids, developing film at Allied Photo and helping retired nuns at Mt. Mercy Academy.

In the fall of 1945, a wonderful thing happened to Caroline – she met the love of her life, William DeBoer, Jr. Caroline was visiting some friends at the Edison Home on Lake Michigan Drive (which is now Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel) when she was introduced to Bill. The two were smitten with each other from the start, and Bill wasted no time in asking her to the South High and Union football game. He didn’t score many points with Caroline though when they sat on the Union side, since her alma mater was South High. Nonetheless, over the next four years, their love for each other blossomed and they were happily married in Wallin Congregational Church on July 22, 1950, and there became members.

After a romantic honeymoon at Niagara Falls, the newlyweds settled into married life together in an apartment on Stocking Avenue. After 3 years here, they then moved to an apartment on Tamarack Avenue NW for 2 years before buying their first home, in anticipation of their family growing. And it did just that in 1955 when Caroline and Bill welcomed the birth of their son, Michael. He was joined 4 years later by their second son, Gerald, who completed their family. While Caroline had her hands full at home with the boys, Bill worked to support their family as a custom rug designer at Versoski Rug Co. As a mother, Caroline exemplified all the wonderful things one should be. She was patient, caring and generous with her time. Her greatest passion was to support her family. Caroline took an active role in the boys schooling and activities, and also volunteered with the PTA. Her home was often the hub of neighborhood activity since she had an open door policy for all her boys’ friends. She even babysat many of the neighbor kids, and was known to put on plays with them and do crafts.

Her love and tenderness also overflowed to the family pets, which over the years came to include many dogs, like Suzie, Beckie, Brandy, Scottie, Tia and Little Jake. But Caroline always had an innate gift with animals, and she could never turn her back on one in need. On one occasion, she found an injured bird and nursed it back to health before returning it to nature. This was only the start though because neighbors and family began bringing her other birds and even squirrels in need of her help. She’d care for them through the summer and then let them go. Her genuine love was even unforgettable by the animals because they would amazingly return and visit Caroline in her backyard.

Caroline and Bill had a wonderful marriage and were very much a team. They were always working together for the common good of the family, and they loved nothing more than to spend every moment together. The two did everything together, from hunting and fishing to romantic sails on Oxbow and Gun Lakes in their 22-foot racing sloop sailboat. Once Bill retired, he and Caroline enjoyed traveling more extensively all over the country, taking trips to Vermont, Hawaii, Las Vegas, and Florida and taking riverboat cruises down the mighty Mississippi River. With her family close to her heart, Caroline and her sisters got together to do things as often as possible. In fact, Bill was most often their “chauffeur” for these outings. To stay physically fit and help others to do the same, Caroline taught Senior Aerobic Classes at the Wyoming Senior Center.

The DeBoer home was a place of great pride for Caroline, and she kept it meticulously clean. She had great skill in the kitchen as a cook, and her family especially loved her goulash, soups of all kinds, pies, especially apple, cookies, cakes, chicken and french toast. However, Caroline’s favorite food was prime rib, which she enjoyed when they went out to eat at some of her favorite restaurants, like Red Lobster, Sweeden House, McDonald’s, KFC, Wendy’s and Subway. Lucky for Caroline, after Bill retired, he took on all the cooking, cleaning and shopping around the house, giving her an appreciated break. When it came to the annual canning of the fruits, vegetables, jams and jelly though, they always shared the work.

Aside from her family, Caroline’s most prized possession around her home was her extensive collection of dolls of every shape and size, over 5,000 in all. She even made some of those dolls herself. When it came to her listening pleasure, Caroline enjoyed the music of Big Bands, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Lawrence Welk. A doting grandmother, Caroline cherished each one of her grandchildren, whom she loved dearly, and helped nurture them and even potty trained them and they never left her home without a small gift.

Although Caroline’s life was happy, it was also marked by great sorrow. She lost her beloved husband, Bill, on January 31, 2007, after complications due to open heart surgery. This was truly heart wrenching for Caroline after sharing 56 wonderful years with her husband. She missed him terribly, but with the love and support of her family, she was able to go on. After some time, Caroline’s health became to wane as she suffered with multiple myeloma cancer and high blood pressure in July 2007. After being in and out of the hospital and convalescent centers for several months due to kidney failure, she was admitted to Tender Care Home on January 2, 2008, and Trillium Woods Hospice on February 12, 2008. It was here that Caroline passed away on Friday, February 15, 2008, at the age of 77, with her sons and daughter-in-law by her side. She will be deeply missed and frequently remembered by all who knew and loved her.

Over the past year, a special mother - daughter like bond grew between Caroline and her daughter-in-law Beth. Beth cared for her almost everyday hoping she would get better.

Caroline was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, William DeBoer, Jr., and her twin sister, Connie Brunink. She is survived by her sons and daughter-in-law: Michael and Beth DeBoer, Gerald DeBoer; 5 grandchildren: Jason and Melissa DeBoer, Danielle and Mike Smith, Gregory DeBoer, Brandon DeBoer, Justin DeBoer; 1 great granddaughter, Amber Smith; her sisters: Joanne Dykstra, Jean Sullivan, Kay Nyman; brothers-in-law: Jay Brunink, Paul VanOordt; sister-in-law, Tillie DeBoer; many nieces, nephews and friends.

The funeral service will be held on Monday, February 18, at 1:00 p.m. at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Van’t Hof Chapel, 851 Leonard Street NW, Grand Rapids. Relatives and friends may meet with the family at the funeral home on Sunday, February 17, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. and again on Monday from 12:00 noon until the service begins. Interment will be in Greenwood Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Caroline’s memory may be made to the Humane Society of Kent County or Renal Associates Institute. Please visit Caroline’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory with her family or sign her online guest book.