Irene Glerum

A woman who was truly beautiful on the inside and out, Irene Glerum made a significant impact in the lives of those around her through her humble, gracious, and kindhearted spirit. She was a social and outgoing person with a warm demeanor that naturally drew others near. Blessed to share much of her life with her true companion, Irene was filled with unspeakable happiness to witness her family tree blossom to include numerous branches of loved ones who were her greatest source of pride and joy. Although she will be deeply missed, Irene leaves behind a timeless legacy that will continue on in the hearts and lives those who follow in her footsteps.

Life in America during the early part of the 1900s was drastically different from the life we know and love in America today. A lack of child labor laws coupled with unsafe working conditions all across the nation meant that the nation’s youth were often the most vulnerable workers. Automobiles were available, but until they were able to be mass produced in large quantities around the 1920s they were a luxury that only the wealthy could afford. It was as the sun was setting on the year 1912 that a young couple from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was eagerly anticipating the birth of their baby. Their wait was over on November 14th when the baby girl they named Irene Ruth made her arrival. She was the third oldest of five children born to her parents, Peter and Florence (Bylsma) Hamelink, and she was raised in the family home on the Northwest side of Grand Rapids alongside her siblings. Because both of Irene’s parents had emigrated from the Netherlands, they frequently spoke Dutch in the home in addition to some more limited English.

In many ways Irene experienced an upbringing that was fairly typical for the youth of her generation. She attended West Side Christian School during her earliest years while her high school years found her at Union High School. Irene’s parents divorced while she was in high school, and she lived with her mother. In order to help out, she left school after her 11th grade year.

As a young woman, Irene worked as a baker and waitress at the Tea Room downtown. This provided the backdrop for a romance to blossom between Irene and a coworker named Jacob Glerum. They had been childhood friends as their families socialized together, but their time spent working together allowed their relationship to deepen. She and Jakey became close and eventually began dating. They shared many of the same interests and could often be found ice skating at Richmond Park during the winter months. With a desire to spend the rest of their lives together, Irene and Jacob became husband and wife at Alpine Christian Reformed Church.

A young newlywed, Irene began working as a cashier at Family Foods while Jacob worked for CL Frost. She remained at their West River Drive location for over 30 years where she enjoyed her work and loved keeping up with the regular customers. Since she never liked to drive, Jacob took her back and forth at the beginning and end of his work day.

New and exciting changes were in store for Irene when she and Jacob welcomed their daughter, Judith, into their hearts and home through adoption in 1942. Their family of three lived at 3143 Richmond St., NW, which was near Irene’s brother, Bill. This would be the place Irene called home for several years. They attended Wallin Congregational Church and later Remembrance Reformed Church. Irene’s family fully appreciated her cooking skills, and she was continually on the lookout for new ideas as she had an entire cupboard full of recipes. In fact, she continued to collect them even after she stopped cooking for herself. One of Irene’s most famous treats was her banket.

Throughout her life Irene enriched her life in numerous ways. Once their daughter was older, she and her husband traveled all around the globe to places such as Hawaii, Mexico, and Las Vegas, often with other couples. In addition, they went on some memorable cruises. Irene and Jacob also loved heading out for a night of dancing during their younger years. At home she kept busy knitting, making numerous afghans, and she also read anything she came across including newspapers from cover to cover. Always social people, Irene and her husband enjoyed getting out for coffee in the afternoons for years. She loved being outdoors, and when it came to watching television it was usually the news or Law & Order for Irene. As she got older Irene became a woman of routine when it came to certain things such as reading the newspaper, and although she enjoyed visits from others she didn’t like her routine to be interrupted. Irene’s favorite meal was fish on Fridays, and she was also known to have a sweet tooth as she loved donuts, strudels, and cookies. There were always bags of candy nearby, too. A firm believer that she could find a use for anything, Irene was known to keep absolutely everything including bags, straws, and sundae cups.

As she got older Irene experienced both peaks and valleys along her life’s journey. She was delighted to become a grandmother, and as grandmothers go her grandchildren would say she was the very best. Irene was active in the lives of her four grandchildren and was intentional in spending as much time with them as she could. Although she was deeply saddened with the death of her beloved Jacob in 1995, she continued to live on her own for the rest of her life while more deeply embracing the love of her family.

In everything she did, Irene Glerum was ever-mindful of others and was one of the sweetest people around. No matter what came her way she maintained a positive attitude and had a quiet strength that is to be admired. Friendly and approachable, Irene loved being around others and always looked her best as she was classy lady throughout her life. A blessing to those around her, she will be forever remembered by all who knew and loved her.

GLERUM – Mrs. Irene R. Glerum, aged 101, of Grand Rapids passed away on May 7, 2014. She was preceded in death her husband, Jacob “Jakey”. Irene is survived by her daughter, Judith Harmsen; 4 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; 24 great-great-grandchildren; brother, Bill Hamelink; sister, Betty Myers; sister-in-law, Arlene Longfellow; and special caretaker, Phyllis Cahill. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 AM on Monday, May 12, at Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes, 851 Leonard St. N.W. Friends are invited to visit with her family from 5-7 PM on Sunday. Contributions in her memory may be made to Christian Rest Home. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to read her lifestory, archive a memory, photo, or sign the guestbook.