Connie Kloostra

Connie Kloostra was a devoted wife, mother, and grandma who deeply cherished her family. She was an independent woman with a wonderful sense of humor and a compassionate heart. She knew that her life was a blessing, and each day she tried to share her happiness with the many people she loved.

Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the First World War erupted in Europe. In America, politicians vehemently campaigned for a policy of neutrality. But the national attitude changed after the sinking of an American passenger ship, and President Woodrow Wilson led his country into the war amid the battle cry “Remember the Lusitania!” In this climate of war and uncertainty, Harm Mellema and his wife Gertrude Ripmaster maintained their optimistic spirits by focusing on a different future, the future of their family. They were expecting a child, and on November 12, 1914 they were blessed with the healthy birth of their daughter Cornelia.

The middle of four children, Connie grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan with the company of her sisters. The Mellema family lived on Cogswell NW, in a house near the railroad tracks where hobos loitered. Her mother fed them whenever the family had leftovers, and before long she had many regular customers. Hobos would stop by the house, looking for a free meal. Connie also remembered the clothesline in the kitchen, where her mother hung the dollar bills that had been drenched in the wash. None of the hobos tried to steal the dollars. They may have been homeless and hurting, but they were not theives. Mrs. Mellema treated them generously, and they were respectfully thankful. For Connie, this early memory taught an important lesson that she carried throughout life.

Even as a youngster, Connie was known for her adventurous spirit. Her house was near the railroad tracks. A rope swing was attached to one of the taller trees, and Connie would often spend the afternoon swinging. When the steam locomotive hauled down the tracks, she would swing over the train and then glide back to the other side once the tracks were clear.

Connie attended the local elementary school before enrolling at Union High, where she completed the tenth grade before joining the working world. Her father passed away when she was twelve years old, causing emotional and financial problems for the family. Connie struggled through her grief, relying on the support of her family and friends. In her later teens she met a handsome young man named Harry Kloostra. They only dated briefly, because Connie was more interested in his brother Neil.

Connie and Neil fell in love amid the destitution of the Great Depression, at a time when one out of every four workers was unemployed. They decided to marry, and in 1934, on the eve of their wedding, Connie’s mother was killed by a drunk driver. The tragedy loomed over the wedding, but Connie and Neil still managed to celebrate the beginning of their life together. They were married on the streets of Rockford as part of a promotional event. Instead of going on a honeymoon, they attended the funeral and spent time with Connie’s family.

The newlyweds started their new life on Cogswell St., where they rented a house down the street from where she grew up. While Neil worked as a milkman and then eventually a butcher, Connie prepared their house for children. They eventually relocated to the house at 1021 Rogers NW, which quickly filled with the blessing of three children. Gordon was born in 1940, followed by Ruth in 1943, and Carol in 1944. Connie was a loving mother who devoted her life to her children. She was a strict mother, a disciplinarian who led through her own example. Her girls started cleaning and cooking at the age of nine and ten, and Connie would follow them while they completed their chores to make sure that they did a good job.

Connie and Neil filled their home with more than just children—they also welcomed two beautiful horses. Although their home was located outside the city limits, they lived in a middle-class neighborhood where people may not have approved of domesticated horses. But Neil loved them, and Connie lovingly tolerated them. She fed them by standing at the backdoor, rolling apples to the backyard. She once opened to backdoor, only to come face to face with a horse. Someone had left the gate open, and—wow—was she upset! In a similar instance the rooster escaped the pen, and Connie spent the afternoon attempting to hang up laundry while the rooster chased her around the yard.

The Kloostra family never had much money, but Connie and Neil worked hard to provide for their children. They enjoyed many special days together, especially their vacations to visit family in Minnesota and Wisconsin. On Sundays and special events, Connie dressed her girls in beautiful white dresses with matching white shoes. She always watched over them, careful to make certain that they did not soil their clothes. She also washed their shoes regularly, a habit that her daughters emulated in their later lives. In the wintertime Neil froze the backyard so that the kids could go ice-skating and sledding. When they returned from skating, pink in the cheeks from the brisk Michigan weather, Connie always greeted them with freshly baked cookies and hot chocolate milk.

While in her sixties, she went to work outside the home for something to do. She took care of elderly and disabled people in their home and loved every minute of it.

When Neil retired from his job as butcher, he and Connie discovered more free time to spend together. Although they did not have much money, they always found a way to make their evenings special and memorable. Connie especially enjoyed going to Russ’s restaurant, where she always ordered the fried chicken—her favorite treat. She and Neil were active members of the Orchard Hill Reformed Church, where participated in many special functions.

In their later years, Connie and Neil were thrilled to see their family grow with the blessing of eight grandchildren and fourteen great-grandkids. Connie was a doting grandmother. She loved to baby-sit, and she was always the happiest when she was with the youngest members of her family.

In 1996 Connie’s life changed, she moved into the Manor at the Christian Rest Home to be with Neil. The following day he passed away and left her devastated From the Manor moved to assisted living and then the full nursing unit. She loved the staff and they loved her. On occasion, they would take her to Russ’s for her favorite dinner of fried chicken.

Connie deeply cared for her children, and she often worried and prayed that their lives would follow the paths of their dreams. Family was the center of her life. She never forgot to send cards for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and special occasions. Neil often joked, “If I had a nickel for every card she sent, I’d be a very rich man.” Connie regarded her family as her greatest treasure, and she was the happiest in their warm company. Among the many people whose hearts she touched, she will be greatly missed and frequently remembered.

Connie died on Aug 7, 2007. She was preceded in death by her husband, Neil; and son, Gordon Kloostra. Connie is survived by her daughters, Ruth (Jim) Petersen, and Carol (Tom) Dexter; daughter-in-law, Diane Kloostra; 8 grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren. The Celebration of Life service will be held at 1 PM on Friday at Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes, 851 Leonard St. NW. Friends may meet the family at the funeral home on Thursday from 7-9 PM and on Friday for an hour prior to the service. Memorial contributions to the Christian Rest Home would be appreciated. Please visit Connie’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you may archive a memory or photo or sign the guestbook if you are unable to attend.