Lena Veenstra

Lena Veenstra loved meeting people. She was friendly, outgoing and inviting. She was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother, and a friend to so many over the years. Most of all, Lena was a hardworking, caring Christian woman.

Lena’s story began on a cold winter day in 1925, in the bustling city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. On January 8, 1925, Herman and Margaret (VanderArk) Engels celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl, a daughter they named Lena.

Lena was the first of four children in the family’s home, and was later joined by siblings James, Tressa and Herman. The family lived at 1236 Garfield NW in Grand Rapids, and later moved to 1241 Leonard NW when Lena was a young woman.

Lena and her family were faithful members of the West Leonard Christian Reformed Church, where her faith was formed at an early age. In addition, Lena and her siblings attended West Side Christian School. Lena attended Davis Tech High School in Grand Rapids, where she earned her diploma.

Lena was a very hardworking young woman, and during high school she worked part-time at VanderMeer Grocery Store on Leonard Street. After graduating in 1943, she began working at Grand Rapids Wholesale Grocers.

During those dark days of World War II, Lena joined the West Leonard Church Girls Society, which wrote letters to our brave soldiers overseas. Lena was a clever girl, and knew one of the G.I.’s on the list, a handsome young man named Ralph Veenstra. She had a crush on him back in high school, when she’d see him working on his car while she passed by riding the bus.

So Lena arranged to get Ralph’s name to write to, and her heartfelt letters soon arrived in Ralph’s hands. He began writing her back, and a love bloomed between those pages. When the war ended and Ralph was discharged, they began dating, and were married on June 5, 1946, at the Ladies Literary Club in downtown Grand Rapids.

After a honeymoon in Niagara Falls, New York, the newlyweds settled into a little apartment on Jennette Street NW. Not long afterward, they bought a beautiful home across the street, where they would live for more than 50 wonderful years.

The couple was blessed with five wonderful children over the years, Lynne, Beth, Mary Jo, Joanne, and Ralph Jr., who filled their lives with pride and joy. Lena was a wonderful wife and mother, and instilled a great faith in the Lord in her children. Lena prayed faithfully for her children. The family attended 12th Street Christian Reformed Church, where Lena was a longtime member.

Often they rented a cottage with her parents, and later they began going to Young State Park, which was always Lena’s favorite. The family enjoyed camping together.

Along with her family responsibilities Lena was employed at the Christian Rest Home, then Pollyanna Bakery and then Meijers on Alpine where she retired from after 20 years of service.

Lena enjoyed traveling with her family. In 1996, Lynne and Gerrit took her parents back to Niagara Falls, to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary where they spent their honeymoon.

Of course, any time Lena spent with her children and grandchildren was a special occasion to her. She especially loved the holiday get-togethers. She was very proud of her kids and grandkids.

Some of the highlights for Lena were when her family grew. When Gary, Tom, Gerrit and Brenda joined her family were happy times. She always thought of them as her children. Her greatest joy in life was being a grandmother. Carla, Jeremy, Andrea, Julie, Brian, Megan, and Eric would always make her smile. Lena's most enjoyable time was babysitting and time spent with the grandchildren.

Sadly, her beloved Ralph died in his sleep on January 18, 2000, after 54 years of wonderful marriage. Lena had shown signs of dementia prior to his death, and soon went to live in the Christian Rest Home..

Lena died on a crisp Tuesday morning on November 13, 2007, at the age of 82 with her family at her side.

Lena lived a life full of family, faith, and friendship. She was such a hardworking, generous and social lady, who loved talking to people, and making new friends. She was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother and grandmother, and a friend to many. More than anything, she was a loving, caring Christian woman, who was loved by all who knew her. She will be greatly missed.

She was preceded in death by her husband Ralph, her daughter, Beth Veenstra, and her brother, Jim Engels. She is survived by her children, Lynne and Gerrit DenHartog, Mary Jo and Tom Vryhof, Joanne and Gary Pecor, Ralph Jr. and Brenda Veenstra; 7 grandchildren, Carla DenHartog, Jeremy and Julie Vryhof, Andrea Pecor, Brian, Megan and Eric Veenstra; her brother and sister, Herman and Reka Engels, Tressa and John Vander Henst; sister-in-law, Dee Engels; brothers-in-law and her sisters-in-law, Louis & Barb Veenstra, John & Elaine Veenstra, Audrey Veenstra, Evelyn Veenstra; several nieces, nephews and many friends. The family would like to thank the staff of the Christian Rest Home for the wonderful and loving care given to their mother. A service to celebrate Lena’s life will be held on Saturday morning at 11:00 AM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Van’t Hof Chapel, 851 Leonard St. NW. Burial in Washington Park Cemetery. Relatives and friends may meet her family at the funeral chapel on Friday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM, and on Saturday from 10:00 AM until the service begins. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Christian Rest Home Foundation. To read more about Lena’s life, to sign her guest book and to share a memory of her, visit her web page at www.lifestorynet.com