Elizabeth J. Schaafsma

Elizabeth Schaafsma devoted her life to her family. She was a gentle, kind woman who tried each day to share her happiness with the many people she loved. She worked hard to provide for her children, and she found the reward for all her effort in the warmth of their company.

With the victorious end to the Great War, the 1920's emerged as a decade of celebration. National industry expanded rapidly, and the economy soared. Amid this climate of good fortune, Raymond Becker and his wife Erma Dutcher discovered another reason to celebrate. They were expecting a child, and on June 18, 1922 they were blessed with the healthy birth of their daughter Elizabeth.

The second of six children, Elizabeth grew up during the Depression with the company of her brothers and sisters. The family moved from the city to a home in the country which turned out to be a blessing for the entire family. Elizabeth loved the country. Her father was a salesman of farm equipment, a job which required him to travel frequently, and her mother stayed at home to raise the children. Elizabeth learned many important skills from her mother, especially sewing. With six children, the house was always alight with activity. Elizabeth and her siblings would often hike to the nearby creek in the valley where they would pick flowers and wild raspberries. On hot summer days, their mother would take them to the river to go swimming.

Elizabeth was raised in the Episcopal faith, and she was confirmed at Trinity Episcopal Church in Elmira, New York. She attended Hendy Avenue Grade School and Elmira Free Academy. She graduated with the Class of 1940, then enrolled at Taylor School in Philadelphia where she studied to become a medical secretary. She received her degree in September of 1941.

Elizabeth soon found a job as a medical secretary in Philadelphia. She commuted by train to work each day, and she soon caught the eye of another morning passenger, Earl Alton Keeler. They developed a friendship that led to romance. In 1942 they were married.

After the bombing at Pearl Harbor, Alton was drafted into the U.S. Navy. During his service he and Elizabeth moved to his various duty stations in the United States. They were blessed with their first child in 1943. Following Alton's discharge, he and Elizabeth moved back to Philadelphia where they welcomed three more children into the family. Over the following years, the family lived in Baltimore and Fort Wayne before settling down in Grand Rapids. They lived on Robinson Road S.E.

After one year in Grand Rapids, Elizabeth and Alton agreed to go their separate ways. Elizabeth was now responsible for supporting and raising her four children. She accepted this challenge with gusto, and she began working at Forbes Stamp Works. She later used her degree from Taylor School to get a job at St. Mary's Hospital. She was well-liked by her bosses and coworkers, and even after retirement she would often return to the hospital to pick up the slack if someone was on vacation.

The family relocated to a house on Neland Street. This is where the children grew up. Because Elizabeth was busy working, she was never able to attend many school functions with the children. The children never felt neglected. They understood that Elizabeth was working on their behalf, and they were always aware that she deeply loved them.

Many of Elizabeth's fondest memories involve the vacations that she would take during the summertime. She and the children would travel back to New York to stay with relatives. This was something that the children always looked forward to. Elizabeth's family was very kind, loving and generous - in fact, they shared all of the traits that made Elizabeth so uniquely wonderful.

Elizabeth established many long-standing traditions for her children. When she was a child, her parents would always take her out for a Sunday afternoon drive. At the end of the drive, the family would often stop for ice cream. Elizabeth followed this tradition with her own children. They would stop for ice cream, and Elizabeth would always order Butter Pecan. Family dinners were also very important to Elizabeth, especially on the weekends. She was an excellent cook, and the children always looked forward to the dinners that she prepared.

Elizabeth loved to spend time with her children. They would all play games on the floor together, and she would often think of activities to do at home, including teaching the kids how to write. They often went shopping after Elizabeth was finished with work. They would stop for Chocolate Nut Candy, a real treat. Whenever one of the children had an injury, Elizabeth would not just apply mercurochrome and leave it at that. She would also draw a picture or a face over the injury to restore her children's spirits.

After the children had grown up and moved into their own homes, Elizabeth discovered more leisure time. She began going out with friends to some of the local night spots where they would listen to music and chat into the later hours. On one such evening, Elizabeth was invited to dance by a man named Robert Schaafsma. She accepted, and a romance soon bloomed between them. They were married in 1971. They settled on the West Side of Grand Rapids.

Elizabeth joined the church where Robert was a member, the LaGrave Christian Reformed Church in downtown Grand Rapids. Elizabeth served as a deaconess, and she and Robert were both faithful attendees. In their free time, Elizabeth and Robert explored their love for travel. They visited many sites around the United States. They also liked to bowl, and they joined a league together.

Elizabeth was an organized, meticulous woman. She was a strict budgeter who kept track of every expense in marked envelopes. Her fastidious nature helped her to succeed in all aspects of her life, from her job at St. Mary's to the garden that she kept in her yard. She was a quiet and shy woman, but she always knew what she wanted and she was very independent. Her strong-willed nature enabled her to deal with such a busy schedule. She knew her priorities in life, and she worked hard to make everything work correctly. Her family was her greatest accomplishment, and she was immensely proud of each of her children.

Elizabeth's life changed in the year 2000 when her husband Robert passed away. She continued to live in their home on the West Side of Grand Rapids for a few more years, before relocating to Coventry Village in 2003. This was a good move for her. She made new friends, and she was well-liked by everyone.

Elizabeth was a devoted wife and a loving mother who found her greatest moments of happiness in the company of her family. Among the many people who loved her, she will be greatly missed and frequently remembered.

Elizabeth died on Friday, July 28, 2006. Surviving are her children: Patricia Keeler, Susan Keeler, Bonnie Keeler, Charles E. and Terri Keeler, her grandchildren: Michelle, Ann Marie, Lara, Renee, Natalie, Dustin and Eric, 10 great grandchildren, her brother and sister-in-law John and Beverly Becker, her sisters Margaret Klipstein and Virginia Beckett, and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 2 P.M. at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, Van't Hof, Chapel 851 Leonard N.W., with Rev. John Steiginga of La Grave Christian Reformed Church officiating. Interment will be in Rosedale Memorial Park. Mrs. Schaafsma reposes at the funeral home where relatives and friends may meet her family Tuesday from 12 noon until the time of the funeral service. For those who wish, memorial contributions to the American Cancer Society would be appreciated. Please visit Elizabeth's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a memory or sign the online register book.