Gladys Dupont - Granstrom

Those who had the blessing of knowing Gladys Dupont knew she was a woman of faith with a tenacious commitment to her family and loved ones. She was a loving mother, wife, and friend, and she invariably approached people and ideas with an open mind and a compassionate spirit.

Gladys's story began in the winter of 1922, as snow was falling in Sparta, Michigan. Ernest Granstrom and Alice Sheler Granstrom happily welcomed the birth of their fourth child, a daughter, Dorothy Gladys, on the 11th of December. Ernest was a carpenter, and Alice a homemaker. Gladys was a middle child, with an older brother and two older sisters, as well as a much older half-brother and half-sister. After Gladys was born, three little brothers were added to the family.

Gladys was just a little girl during the Great Depression of the 1930s, and growing up in such a difficult time taught her many life lessons. Her father built a new home, but unfortunately was unable to make the final payment after losing his job, so the family lost the home. The family moved often, and they struggled to make ends meet. Despite their circumstances, the family always kept their spirits high. It is often said that with great struggle comes great knowledge, and Gladys was no exception to this rule. Growing up, she always found a way to be positive and look to the future for hope, which was a lesson she would carry with her for her whole life.

Gladys was very bright, and she was a great favorite of her teachers at school. She attended schools in Godwin Heights, where she was a shy but eager student. Although money was tight, Gladys took their limted resources in stride. With a wardrobe consisting of one skirt and two blouses, every night, Gladys carefully washed and hung the blouse she had worn that day, and then she ironed the other blouse for the next day. The family couldn't afford many books, so Gladys decided to concentrate on subjects that would prepare her to become a secretary after graduation. Gladys used her limited funds to purchase books only for commercial subjects. Her older sisters were gracious in helping her with money for books, and Gladys studied diligently. When she graduated, she was presented with the Commercial Award for outstanding performance in business courses. Gladys graduated from Godwin High School, Class of 1940.

Gladys was not only a good student, she also was extremely athletic. She was a good enough baseball player to be the only girl allowed to play with the boys. She also liked to ride her older brother's bike, but he usually put the seat up high to deter her. Gladys helped her mother around the house because she felt very sympathetic toward her mother for how hard she worked to keep the family going. In high school, Gladys spent many hours babysitting for a family with a special needs infant. It was not unlike Gladys to notice the good in other people and to make an effort to be a support to them.

Just out of high school, Gladys took a job as a secretary. When the United States entered World War II, Gladys wanted desperately to serve her country as part of the Air Force as her older sister was doing, but Gladys had a heart murmur that kept her from enlisting.

In her early twenties, Gladys moved to California, travelling by train. To the delight of the other passengers, she and her friends sang popular songs of the day, harmonizing like the Andrews Sisters. When Gladys and her friend arrived in California, she found that the wartime labor shortage worked to her advantage, and she was immediately offered a good job working for the railroad. She lived at first in a house at the top of a large hill, but doctors told her to move to avoid stress on her heart.

After a couple of years in California, Gladys received a telegram from her father that her mother was gravely ill. She immediately returned home to care for her mother. Gladys truly lived her life in the service of others. Sadly, her mother died in 1946. Gladys would always miss her mother, but as a woman of faith she knew they would meet again.

Gladys decided not to return to California, and instead stayed in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was contacted by a old high school classmate, Ernie Dupont, because his employer (for whom she had worked briefly before moving to California) wanted to hire her. After reconnecting, Gladys and Ernie began dating, initiating a beautiful companionship that would last a lifetime. Shortly thereafter, Gladys moved to Detroit to live with her sister, but Ernie would not be deterred. He moved to Detroit, too! Gladys and Ernie married on May 3, 1947, in a simple ceremony before the Justice of Peace.

It wasn't long before the couple would start a family of their own, and they were delighted to welcome their first daughter, Deborah Alice, into the world. Immediately after Deborah was born, the family moved back to Grand Rapids to settle permanently. Ernie and Gladys soon purchased her father's home on Division Avenue in Byron Center. Three years later, they had a second daughter, Dawn Maureen.

As the girls grew older, Gladys thought about returning to the workplace. One day, Gladys purchased an expensive new set of china, and she immediately went out and found a job before telling Ernie about her purchase. Gladys went to work as a secretary, and needless to say, the family still has the china that prompted her return to full-time employment.

As a mother, Gladys was loving and kind. She was a great cook, and could whip up a delicious meal in a short amount of time. Ernie worked as an optician, later opening his own optical business, and the two of them commuted together to work and back. As soon as Gladys walked into the house in the evening, she would swing into action, and within half an hour, a nutritious dinner was on the table.

Like her parents and most of her siblings, Gladys loved music, and she had an amazing ear for melody. She loved to play the piano by ear, despite never having had any formal musical training. She taught her daughters to love music, and the family spent many happy Sunday afternoon drives singing together. Ernie and Gladys loved gospel music and often took the girls to gospel music concerts.

Gladys, Ernie, and their daughters were active and involved members of Corinth Reformed Church. Gladys was very creative in her ideas, and her girls have fond memories of making decorations for the Mother Daughter Banquet and other church functions. In the Dupont household, Saturday was always cleaning day. There was a traditional labor structure at home, with Gladys doing indoor chores and Ernest taking care of outdoor chores, while the girls rotated between indoor and outdoor assignments. Gladys would blast her favorite gospel music during the Saturday cleaning sessions.

Gladys liked family outings, and the family often took trips to Gun Lake to visit Ernie's brothers or to have picnics at the state park, loving to spend time around the water. Later, Gladys and Ernie bought a cabin cruiser, and during the summer, they lived on the boat, which was docked at the marina on Lake Macatawa. Gladys and Ernie loved weekend getaways, and for several years, they also owned a small cabin near Baldwin, where they spent time as often as possible.

Going out to eat was a special treat for Gladys and Ernie, and they would go to a nice restaurant every few months with their great friends, the Terpstras and the Stuitjes. Life-long friends, they always were together as couples or families. Gladys and Ernie cherished their friendships with the other two couples.

Later in life, Gladys and Ernie sold their Byron Center home to their daughter and son-in-law, Dawn and Bill, and moved to Morrison Lake in Saranac. At Morrison Lake, they made many friends, with whom they enjoyed cruising around the lake in their speedboat. Gladys and Ernie also owned a house trailer in Naples, Florida, where they vacationed during the winter months. During the same time frame, Gladys joined Ernie at Lakeshore Opticians, doing clerical work and serving as an informal “fashion advisor” for waiting customers. After Ernie sold the business and quit working full-time, he and Gladys spent all their time at the cottage, which Ernie was busy remodelling. Gladys loved going for walks with her friends, but she was hindered by a bad fall in the mid-1990s, which produced a compound fracture of her ankle.

In 2000, the couple moved to Jenison, where they lived but briefly. In 2005, they moved to Spring Lake to be closer to their daughter, Dawn and her family. Living in Spring Lake allowed Gladys and Ernie to make many trips to Lake Michigan, and they loved driving to various beaches or walking beside the water. Gladys was happy to be close to Dawn and her family, and mother and daughter often went shopping or running errands together. When her daughter, Deborah, visited from Washington, DC, Gladys and Deborah -- both night owls -- loved to stay up late watching television and laughing together.

Over the years, Gladys retained her intellectual curiosity and joy at discovering new things, but her body was wearing out. Over the past two or three years, she lost a great deal of weight, and she often felt weak and tired. After a fall on May 19, she was taken to Mercy Hospital in Muskegon, where she spent six days and five nights. On May 24, she was moved to Heartwood Lodge in Spring Lake. Gladys took the hand of Jesus and departed for eternity on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. She will be so deeply missed.

Gladys will be remembered as a devoted Christian as well as a warm, witty, and fun-loving individual. She had a great sense of humor, and she was a true friend to many people whom she befriended over the years. Gladys leaves a legacy of dedication to family and friends, with a warmth that will never be forgotten.

Gladys and Ernie celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary this past May 3. In addition to her loving spouse, Gladys leaves behind two daughters, Deborah Dupont (Washington DC), Dawn Dupont (Grand Haven), son-in-law William Fettis (Grand Haven), and three granddaughters: Alexandra Fettis (Grand Haven), Liana Kutos (Washington, DC), and Amara Kutos (Washington, DC). She also leaves one brother-in-law, Dan Dupon (Grand Rapids), numerous nieces and nephews, and many long-time friends. She was preceded in death by her three sisters and five brothers.

Visitation and a memorial service for Gladys Dupont will take place on Friday, June 10, at Alt and Shawmut Chapel (a Heritage Life Story Funeral Home), 2120 Lake Michigan Drive, N.W., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504. Phone: 616-453-8263. The family will receive visitors from 5-7 p.m., with a memorial service at 7 p.m., followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Mission Fund of Covenant Life Church in Grand Haven, Michigan.