Helen Nederveld

Helen Nederveld was born to Rein and Effie (Van Dijk) Feenstra who migrated from the Netherlands and settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan. On June 6, 1915, their sixth child, Helen, joined three older brothers and two sisters. Helen was known as "Rabbit" as a youngster as she frequently was running, often to keep up with the older kids. Helen was later joined by her sister, Rena, as the tag-alongs in the family. In this busy family that wanted for many things, Helen learned to share, to stick up for herself when necessary, and to look to God for the needs of every day. Lessons of faith were reinforced by the family's regular attendance at Seventh Reformed Church.

Helen's father was a jack-of-all-trades and the family moved several times as Rein sought work. Helen enjoyed school, attending Harrison Park Elementary and Davis Tech High School, until the stock market crash of 1929. Helen had to leave school in order to work and help support the family. Helen's first job was working at Bissell Carpet Sweeper Co.

While living on Crosby NW, she met a young man who lived just one street over on Arianna NW. His name was Melvin Nederveld and the two of them hit it off, courting for a few years before eloping on March 24, 1936, to Michigan City, Indiana. They spent nearly sixty years working as a team to establish a home and raise their two sons, Robert and Gary. The family attended 12th Street Christian Reformed Church until it closed and then Helen became a member of West Leonard Street Christian Reformed Church.

When her sons were not yet of school age, Helen successfully sold magazines by phone as well as door to door. When her sons were in school, she began to work out of the home, first at Schols Floral on Leonard Street hill and then Jurgens and Holtvluwer Men's Store on Leonard where she worked for over thiry-five years, eventually bookkeeping for Roy Jurgens until retiring in her mid seventies. Helen was a driven, career-oriented woman long before it was common. She managed a job and a household, and did a good job with both.

Helen Feenstra Nederveld faced challenges that led many to think of her as a strong, decisive woman. Shaped by the struggles of a family enduring the depression, the family saw her as hard working and determined. She loved her husband and her sons, always doing what she believed was in their best interests.

Helen was proud of her boys and wanted them to grow up to be strong men of character and integrity. She loved and supported them in many ways, and one way she believed she could do that was by not helping them with their homework. She believed they would be better served to work hard and figure it out for themselves. She gave them a lot of responsibility when they were younger, and also gave them more freedom than many of their peers. They were allowed to camp out with friends even when they were quite young, and were expected to handle situations appropriately.

Helen had a sense of adventure and loved to travel. In 1953, when Melvin was laid off from his tool and die job as auto models changed, she decided the family should leave within a few days for a Route 66 trip to California. California was love at first sight. She was ready to put down roots there, near a sister, but Melvin was not so inclined. After much discussion, Melvin got in the car and Helen reluctantly followed. Bob later recalled that the beginning of the long ride home was more silent than normal.

In later years, Helen and Melvin took trips to Hawaii, Mexico and Europe. She would return with notes worthy of a travelogue. They spent winters in Pompano Beach, Sarasota, and Siesta Key. She never lost her wanderlust and filled up what little free time she had with travel and a little knitting now and then. She kept up with current events, reading newspapers and magazines, and arguing the Republican point of view with her Democratic sons. She also made time to be involved in the Priscilla Circle, Couples Groups, and Ladies Aid at her church.

Helen endured the loss of her dear husband in 1994. She was devastated to lose her partner and best friend, but took comfort in her remaining family, enjoying visits with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She moved several times over the years. Most recently she was receiving care at the Christian Rest Home.

Helen leaves her family with many fond memories and the example of a strong woman who worked hard for what she wanted and stood up for her beliefs. Her influence will continue to be felt for years to come.

Helen passed away Wednesday, August 23, 2006. She was preceded in death by her husband Melvin; her brothers, Jake, John, and Sam Feenstra; sisters, Doris Huizinga and Margaret Lyzenga; and sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Betty, Stella and Nellie Feenstra, Viola and Jim Slabbekoorn, Evelyn and Clare Wybenga, Les Nederveld, and Vernon Nederveld. Surviving are her children, Robert (Dawn) Nederveld, Gary (Pat) Nederveld, and former daughter-in-law Vita Nederveld, all of Grand Rapids; grandchildren, Cindy (Bill) Beekman, Pamela (Mike) Swope, Kristin (Jeff) Deppen, Kendra Nederveld, Allen (Emily) Nederveld, Anne (Bob Frazho) Nederveld, and Steve (Cindy) Nederveld; sixteen great grandchildren; sister Rena Kramer of Lynchburg, Virginia; sister-in-law Genevieve Nederveld of Grand Rapids; and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, August 27, at 2 p.m. at Heritage Lifestory Funeral Homes - Van't Hof Chapel, 851 Leonard NW with Rev. Neil Jasperse officiating. Interment will be in Washington Park Memorial Gardens. Friends may meet the family at the funeral home on Saturday, August 26, from 2-4 p.m. and on Sunday, August 27, from 1-2 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Christian Rest Home, 1000 Edison NW, 49504, or West Side Christian School, 955 Westend NW, 49504. Please visit Helen's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can share a memory or photo, sign the online guest book, or watch her Life Story film.