John Chardon

John Chardon's life story is one of faith, trust and servanthood. He wrote, "Looking back, life has not been easy and we still do not know what tomorrow will bring. Yet we do know that it is God who controls our lives from day to day and he has given us many blessings. Thank you Lord for all our loved ones, for our children and grandchildren, for friends and neighbors, and for the church." For eighty-three years, John shared his joy of life and great faith with all who knew and loved him.

The early 1920s were a collage of interesting events. There were power struggles in Russia, Babe Ruth was setting records and the First Miss America was crowned. But for most of the people living in the small farming community of Nederhorst den Berg, The Netherlands, such happenings were nothing more than headlines in a newspaper. Their lives centered around raising their families and earning a living. This was the life of Willem and Sjoerdje (Althuizius) Chardon. The Chardons owned a farm southeast of Amsterdam, and in the winter of 1922, were expecting their third child. Son John made his arrival on January 16, 1922, on the family farm.

Along with his two sisters, Afke and Annie, and brother Henk, John grew up in a very modest home with no television or radio, and their main mode of transportation was by horse and buggy. After attending to their daily chores, the children had fun playing marbles, hoops and hide and seek together. At the age of five, John began attending the small Christian school in town, but like most young people of that time, he left school after the 7th grade to find work and help support his family. Sadly, his father died of pneumonia when John was 9, leaving his mother to raise four children and run the farm alone. It was quite difficult for the family to make ends meet and keep the farm running, so his mother decided to auction it off along with the livestock and move to a small house in town. Here John worked in a shop, shoeing horses, fixing bicycles and making stovepipes, giving everything he made to help his family. Later in life, he went to night school to learn welding and proudly received his GED just prior to his own son graduating from high school.

In 1940, Germany invaded The Netherlands, and while most of the German men were serving on the war front, there was a need for workers in the factories. The Germans began gathering young Dutch men to fill these positions, which John escaped by going to a distant farm to work. Even there he had several close calls of being found, but he hid in a haystack or in a secret room through the pigsty. John told his family many interesting stories of his ordeals during the war. Shortly after World War II, the small Dutch colony now known as Indonesia proclaimed its independence, but the Dutch government wanted to prevent this from happening so they solicited young men to serve in the military during this time. John answered the call of duty and served for two years in Indonesia, where he contracted malaria at least three times.

In 1951, John set out on a new adventure by immigrating to the United States. When he arrived in New Jersey, John knew very little English, but was able to secure a job welding. A few years later, another wonderful thing happened to him when he was introduced to Connie Yeomans through some friends. The young couple fell in love and was married on February 3, 1954. Over the next eight years, they were blessed with three wonderful children: William Martin born in 1955, Marlene in 1960, and Marjorie in 1962. Tragically, when Marjorie was 21 months old, she became gravely ill and the doctors suspected she had meningitis. This, unfortunately, was not the case and her very high fever would not come down, which left Marjorie with severe brain damage and paralysis. Despite their great sadness, John and Connie lovingly cared for Marjorie until it became too much for them and she was moved to residential care. She spent her final years at Eastern Christian Children's Retreat, which was a true blessing to the family, until her passing in 1985.

During this time, John supported his family as a vacuum cleaner salesman/repairman at Electrolux. He thoroughly enjoyed his job and never thought twice about going out of his way to be of service to his customers. Perhaps a natural gift, John had an amazing ability to remember names. Because of his dedication and personal warmth, he was greatly respected by many of them. Aside from his work, John also was very involved in the church and served as a volunteer throughout much of his adult life. From tutoring math at Straight Street School in Grand Rapids and delivering packages at Fulton Manor to helping at the Eastern Avenue Food Pantry, John's passion was to support and help others. In addition, he was also a great advocate of the public bus system. When it came to leisure time, John enjoyed tending his garden, reading or visiting with someone, perhaps sharing with them his strong Christian faith, which was a hallmark in his life.

In 1989, John and Connie moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to be closer to their children. By now, John was a proud grandfather to four precious granddaughters, Jessica, Heather, Katherine and Claire, whom he adored. Each of their births added yet another incredible blessing to his life. Sadly, John's beloved Connie was showing signs of Alzheimer's and as the disease progressed, it became increasingly difficult for John to care for his wife. She was later moved to the Christian Rest Home where she passed away in 1996. In 2000, John went to live at Fulton Manor, a place he loved and happily called home for the last five years of his life.

Gentle and loving, John Chardon sought no fanfare, no praise, no admiration for the ways in which he served others. He quietly went about his business, helping where he saw a need, and taking pleasure in things others often take for granted. His life and his work are an inspiration to all. John will be deeply missed.

John Chardon, age 83, died July 29, 2005. He was predeceased by his wife, Connie (Yeomans) Chardon, and his daughter, Marjorie Chardon. John is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Marti Chardon, and their children, Katherine and Claire; a daughter and son-in-law, Marlene and Glenn Hudson; their children, Jessica and Steve Reinstra, their sons, Alex and David; and Heather Hudson; a brother and sister-in-law, Henk and Ina Chardon, and a sister, Ann Van Vaneveld, in The Netherlands; together with nieces and nephews.

Friends are invited to meet with John's family at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, Van't Hof Chapel, 851 Leonard NW, Grand Rapids, MI, on Tuesday, August 2, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, August 3, at 1 p.m. at the funeral chapel. A memorial service will be held at Fulton Manor Chapel at a later date. Interment at Rosedale Memorial Park. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribution to the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee.