Josephine Van Loo

Josephine M. Van Loo was an honest and devoted wife, mother and grandmother. From her humble beginnings until her death, Josephine’s devotion to family made her an exceptional person. Always caring and thoughtful, she found great happiness in the simple pleasures of life.

The year was 1915 and the United States was in a time of transition. Black skies thundered over Europe with the beginning of World War I. The American way was changing from a farming society of small towns to the industrial boom of the big cities. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, life for the Poterack family was also in transition. On July 13, 1915, they welcomed the birth of one of their thirteen children, daughter Josephine. Josephine spent her growing up years in the community of Grand Rapids, where her father worked in public transportation while her mother remained at home raising the Poterack children. Josephine would grow up during some of the most challenging and exciting times of the twentieth century. She would live through both world wars, the Roaring 20s and the Great Depression. These were the formative years of Josephine.

While working at a dry cleaner, Josephine took notice of the young man, John Van Loo, who delivered and picked up the clothes from her cleaners. The young couple was smitten with each other and it didn’t take long for their love to blossom. They were soon wed and their union was blessed with three wonderful children, Sandra, Karen and Roger. Josephine was a wonderful mother and took great pride in the raising of her children. She and John took their children on many wonderful trips. Some were just quick jaunts to new and exciting places, while a more memorable trip to Niagara Falls stands out from the rest. As the children grew older, Josephine decided to work outside the home being employed by the telephone company. She meticulously drew up blueprints for the layout of the installation of new utilities so that there were no surprises during the installation process. She retired after 22 years of service.

Josephine was a wonderful chef and enjoyed spending time in the kitchen cooking and baking. One of her specialties was making trout. It was always a sure bet that Josephine would have fresh baked pies every Sunday, which her children especially looked forward to eating. Josephine was also very meticulous and regimented with her housecleaning, always keeping to her routine and schedule. She would listen to the soap operas on the radio while she was ironing, hoping to make the time go faster. Josephine also shared her home with her cats, dogs and parakeets. She enjoyed their companionship and love.

After the children were grown and gone, John and Josephine spent a good deal of time traveling to places like Hawaii, Jamaica, California as well as the magnificent Grand Canyon. From 1980 to 1989, she resided in Utah before returning to Grand Rapids.

Josephine M. Van Loo passed away on Tuesday, December 30, 2003. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Van Loo. She is survived by her children: Sandra Andree of Grand Rapids, MI, Karen (Nick) Volkart of Sigurd, UT, and Roger (Elaine) Van Loo of Mesa, AZ; 5 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great-grandchildren; her brother, William (Rosemary) Poterack, of San Antonio, TX; sister, Mary Virgene Bruggema; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be on Monday, January 5, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Ann’s Home, 2161 Leonard St. NW. Friends may meet with the family on Sunday, January 4, from 7-9 p.m. at the Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can read Josephine’s life story, order flowers or make a memorial contribution to the Alzheimer’s Association.

When you lose a loved one, memories of your times together become treasures of the heart. Josephine will be greatly missed by all those that knew and loved her.