John Verhey

Although John Verhey could seem a bit rough around the edges, anyone who spent just a short amount of time with him could see his heart of gold and gentle spirit. He and his wife shared a deep love that was apparent to their children and sustained them throughout the peaks and valleys of life. As far as grandfathers go, John was simply the best and never hesitated to include his grandchildren in whatever he was doing. He was a driven man who worked hard to provide for his family and his future after living much of his younger years without, determined to learn from one of history’s greatest lessons. John loved life and loved to laugh, too, always looking for every opportunity to share a good jest with others. He was a true gift to those who were blessed to know and love such an extraordinary man.

The year 1917 is often recalled as the year in which our nation entered WWI, but it was also a year of great joy for the family of Orie and Jane (Jones) Verhey as they welcomed the birth of their son, John, on September 25th. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, John was the oldest of five children in his family. He was raised in the family home on Jones NW and attended Fairview Reformed throughout his entire life. John formed close relationships with his siblings that would remain as such into their adult years. The Great Depression gripped our nation during the 1930s and beyond, and this experience greatly affected John. He was always afraid that this crippling experience could happen again so John became a saver. He never wasted anything, worked hard throughout his life, and always tried to repair rather than replace whatever was broken. John attended Fairview Elementary and graduated from Union High School.

As our nation became involved in WWII, John was able to escape the draft due to an issue with his foot. He started working at a Texaco station in Standale instead. John later joined his father at Oliver Machinery where he worked as a machinist for several years. Once he saved enough money, John purchased some property on South Division where he initially established his business, Verhey Motor Sales. He later moved the business to Alpine Avenue. The business was right in front of the family home for years. In order to earn some extra money, John raised and bred foxes. When he was in his fifties, he took a job with C.B. DeKorne selling tools for the tool and die industry. This job was a good fit for John and he enjoyed it as well. Even when he was old enough to retire, he continued to work there part-time for awhile.

Amidst establishing his career, John met a young woman named Edith who would forever change the course of his life. After dating for a time, the couple married on October 7, 1938. They adopted two girls, Sharon and Linda, who were the light of John’s life. Although much of John’s time was spent working, the family did get away from time to time, often to Silver Lake near Hart. They later started renting places on Oxbow Pond, but later bought a cottage on Croton Pond, which became their weekend home. The cottage became a special place where they entertained their children, siblings, and later their grandchildren, especially during their retirement years. John always had work to do there, but made time to take the pontoon boat out in the evening to go fishing.

Throughout the years, John enjoyed a variety of hobbies. He loved to fish, often alongside his family. John especially loved showing his grandsons the ins and outs of fishing, usually at the cottage. He loved to grow fruits and vegetables in the garden with his wife. Much of John’s work took place in the spring when getting the garden established. Later in life, he took up woodworking. He made shelves and tables for his children and grandchildren, and each great-grandchild received a handmade Victorian chair from John. He liked going to Russ’ restaurant where he loved their mushrooms and onion rings, although no one could cook like his wife. Although John greatly enjoyed all of these things, nothing was more precious to him than spending time with his grandchildren. He especially loved taking them to the cottage.

Life was not without hardship for John. When their daughter Sharon was in her mid-forties, she suffered a stroke. John and Edith faithfully visited her every day in the nursing home until she passed away in the late nineties. Sadly, her oldest son then also had a stroke. Again, they faithfully visited him. John was deeply saddened with the death of his wife in 2003. It was around this same time that he began having trouble with his hip. John moved into Oxford Place at Clark on Keller Lake where he really enjoyed meeting new people. He remained there for over six years until his health demanded that he move into the Christian Rest Home just a few weeks ago where he received more hands-on care.

There were so many things that made John such a special man to so many. He was a man of great strength who could be stubborn, but he was very likeable at the same time. John was a hard worker who tended to gravitate toward others who valued a strong work ethic, too. He called a spade a spade and said exactly what was on his mind, often unfiltered, but one could always count on him to speak the truth. John was very dependant on his wife for many things, but he had a keen appreciation for her as well. They were not outwardly affectionate except on Sundays when they cuddled on the couch.

For those who knew John Verhey, there was rarely a dull moment when he was around as he had a great sense of humor and loved to get others going. He was outgoing and like it or not, you knew his opinion on something. Nothing was more important to John than his family whether he was sharing a Sunday meal with his siblings, fishing with his grandchildren, or laughing with his great-grandchildren. John was generous, thoughtful, and fun-loving, a truly remarkable man. He will be greatly missed and warmly remembered.

John Verhey died on July 3, 2010. John is survived by his daughter, Linda (Jim) VanderHoning; grandchildren John Stack, Todd (Tammy) Stack, Sharla (Shawn) Lodewyk, Scott (Kristi) VanderHoning, James II (Phyllis) VanderHoning, Dawn (Todd) Zondervan; 12 great-grandchildren; sisters, Lou (Mel) Veenboer, Dorothy Vogel; brother, Harry Verhey; and several nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by his wife, Edith, his daughter, Sharon Herrington, and by his sister, Marian Oosse. John reposes at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Alt & Shawmut – Grand Rapids, MI where friends may visit with his family on Wednesday, July 7 from 4-5 p.m. A funeral service will be held at 5 p.m. Please allow time to share your memories during a light meal immediately following the service. For those who wish, memorial contributions to Clark on Keller Lake – Oxford Manor, are appreciated. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a favorite memory, share a photo, or sign the guestbook.