Laura Ann Aldrink

Laura Aldrink was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and sister. She was a woman of many special interests, including singing, playing the piano, and English literature, yet it was evident in every way that her family meant the world to her. Laura’s genuine and good-natured ways of showing affection will forever be remembered by all who knew and loved her.

The 1940s were characterized by WWII. By 1947, some of the most significant inventions that would impact lives for many years to come were created including the Transistor and the Mobile Phone. That same year, Laura Ann was born to hard-working parents, Edward Jack and Grace Laura (DeGruchy) Musch, on December 30th, in Akron, Ohio. Her birth brought her parents great joy.

During her childhood, her parents modeled a hard day’s work. Her father worked as an engineer for NASA and later taught math as a college professor. Her mother started out as a dental hygienist and then later stayed home with Laura and her siblings. When they were older, her mother worked as an elementary school teaching assistant. As a result of her father’s work, they moved often to several states in the Midwest including; Ohio, Kentucky, Maryland, Indiana, and Michigan. Wherever the family moved they always became members of a Christian Reformed Church. Close-knit, the family often traveled to Florida to visit Grandpa and Grandma DeGruchy for summer vacation.

Her schooling began at West Cleveland Christian School where she attended from kindergarten through eighth grade. Due to her brain trauma at a young age, she didn’t participate in any sports but enjoyed singing in the school’s choir. Studious as well as ambitious, she graduated with the Class of 1966 from Illiana Christian High School. In high school, Laura made a public profession of her faith in Jesus at the Munster Christian Reformed Church in Munster Indiana. She later received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Dordt College in 1972.

Not to be forgotten was the meeting of Doug Aldrink who was studying to become a minister at Dordt. Laura had asked him for a ride home over the holidays, and although his car was too full of passengers, he didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to get to know her and later asked her out on a date. They attended the hockey game and when Laura noticed he was having trouble seeing the puck, she allowed him to look in her glasses. For the first time in his life, he saw clearly! That evening, Laura had opened his eyes in more ways than one!

The happy couple dated for a little over a year before they became engaged. Ridgewood Christian Reformed Church in Jenison was the perfect setting for their wedding ceremony on June 8, 1973. They took a honeymoon to Ontario, Canada before settling on the north side of Philadelphia. They struggled economically in their early years, any time the rent went up, they collected their garage sale belongings and moved to a cheaper rental. They may have been poor in terms of resources, yet they were rich in love!

Laura’s role as an elementary school teacher was professionally derailed once she became a mother. She relished in her years as a homemaker to her two loving children, Mike and Tammi. Laura enjoyed her years with her kids. They never grew tired of her special treats, especially her delicious Blarney Stones. As a mother, she was strong, yet humble. She and Doug modeled a beautiful marriage for their children and gave selflessly their time and resources to support their every need.

Although Laura’s health condition kept them from traveling too much during their later years, she and Doug were able to take several cruises in the Gulf of Mexico while living in Florida. They also enjoyed a fifteen day cruise from Los Angeles to Hawaii to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. Just two months later, Laura’s health began to decline which resulted in her moving to a nursing home to receive more care.

Nothing brought her more joy than sharing her love of Jesus. Laura lived a full life and always kept an incredible attitude while accepting her physical challenges. May her loved ones always trust that she is now at home with her Lord and Savior and may her many special memories live on eternally in their hearts forevermore.

Laura Ann Aldrink, was born in Akron, Ohio on December 30, 1947, and grew up with loving Christian parents, Jack and Grace Musch, along with her siblings, Tom, Ruth, and Dave. At age 9, Laura collapsed on the playground and after brain surgery, the doctors did not expect her to live more than three months. But the Lord had different plans for Laura and she went on to graduate from Dordt College where she met Doug.

After a year of teaching at the elementary Christian school of Hospers, Iowa, she and Doug were joined in marriage and started living together in Philadelphia where Doug attended Westminster Theological Seminary and Laura taught at Northwest Christian School. The next stop was Lynden, Washington where Doug served as a student pastor and Laura gave birth to their son, Michael. Complications after the birth revealed that Laura had a life-threatening malformation of blood vessels in her brain. Nine years later she was able to have a lifesaving operation in San Francisco. But what followed was 37 years of medical issues including seizures, stroke, episodes of pneumonia, and a near-death experience with Covid.

Through it all, Laura served admirably as a loving mother of two, Mike and Tammi, and as a pastor’s wife in five Christian Reformed Churches. She was never a leader type but all the congregations loved her as one who could be a trusted confidant and who was always nonjudgmental. In their 49 years of marriage, Doug cannot remember a single time that Laura complained about a church member. She definitely exhibited the fruits of the Spirit.

Laura dearly loved her son Mike (Jennie) and daughter Tammi, her grandchildren, Elena, Caroline, and Jude, her extended family, Tom and Jill Musch, Ruth and Tim Dillon, Dave and Jan Musch, Larry and Mary Aldrink, Charles and Joyce Aldrink. Her love for her husband Doug was unconditional and life-enriching. All praise to the Lord who ushered Laura into glory on November 27, 2022. There will be a visitation on Friday, December 2, from 5:30 – 8 PM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Alt and Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. N.W., Grand Rapids, MI. The funeral service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, December 3, 2022, at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Memorial contributions can be made to Willow Brook Christian Home, 55 Lazelle Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43235. Please visit www.heritagelifestory.com to submit a favorite memory, photo, or to sign the guestbook.