Margaret Pinch

For Margaret Pinch, family was the greatest source of happiness in her life. Coming of age during difficult times provided her with a resourcefulness and virtue worthy of imitation. Margaret possessed all the traits of a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. Her quiet nature did not overshadow her sincere joy for life and unconditional love for her family.

In 1925, the United States was enjoying the easy living of the Roaring Twenties. Yet, overseas in Germany, the country was continuing to face political unrest, and Adolf Hitler became better known with the publication of his book "Mein Kampf." Amidst these troubling times, Remer Janssen and his wife, Christina (Nuttbrock), of Ihausen, Niedersachsen Germany, welcomed the birth of their daughter, Margaret, on April 4, 1925. She was the youngest of their eight children.

Remer served in the German Navy and knew first hand the trouble brewing in Germany, not to mention the already economic hardship. So, in 1928, after being sponsored by some acquaintances in Canada, the family set off for a better life, landing in Nova Scotia and making their home in Manitoba, a prairie province in the heart of Canada. Remer settled his family on a farm, which they all worked in order to make ends meet. Unfortunately, this wasn't an easy time, since much of the world was now in the depths of the Great Depression, but they worked hard for this better life. Margaret received her elementary education in the Manitoba schools. At the age of 12, she went to live with her sister in Leamington, Ontario, where there were better educational opportunities. Leamington is also known as the "Sun Parlour" due to its southern location. After Margaret graduated high school, she got her first job at the large H.J. Heinz Co. factory.

Margaret was raised in the Baptist faith and with very strong values. She lived her entire life by these morals, and was old-fashioned in nature. As fate would have it, Margaret met a wonderful man named Walter Pinch, who shared these same traditional values. He had just returned from war and worked at the Heinz factory as a painter. The two soon fell in love and were married in 1945. They made their home together in Leamington, where they welcomed the birth of their first child, daughter Sharon. Walter earned a living as a professional painter/decorator, but as time went on, he felt he could make a better life for his family in the United States. So, in 1952, they moved to Detroit, Michigan, settling in a home in the suburbs of Royal Oak. While Walter pursued his career, Margaret stayed home, tending to the needs of the family. It wasn't long before the couple welcomed the birth of the second child, son Wayne, who completed the Pinch family.

Margaret was a truly devoted wife and mother. She meticulously maintained her home and nurtured her children, fully supporting them in every phase of their life. One of Margaret and Walter's favorite pastimes was maintaining a beautiful house and yard. They had a rock garden with climbing plants, which was the envy of landscapers everywhere. Since their house was on the corner of the street, many people would stop and even take pictures of their beautiful creations. Outside of the yard, Margaret was also very capable in the kitchen, and was known to be a great cook. Her son-in-law boasted of her fabulous German Brown Bread and roast beef. On Friday nights, it was customary for Margaret and Walter to go out for pizza after working in their yard. But above all else, Margaret enjoyed being surrounded by her husband, children and grandchildren. They were the people that she shared life with, and the people that she loved. Throughout her life, Margaret was always upheld by her faith and she and Walter were faithful churchgoers.

In later years, when their health began to wane, Margaret and Walter decided to move closer to their daughter, Sharon, who lived in Grand Rapids. In 1996, they moved into an apartment at Villa Maria, but as Margaret's health declined and she needed additional care, she moved to the Christian Rest Home. Walter soon joined her there, but then suffered a stroke and died in 2001. Margaret stayed at the Rest Home and continued to receive the required care for her Parkinson's disease. A loving and caring wife and mother, Margaret lived by strong values. She passed these values on to her family with her warm and giving heart and wonderful smile. She will be deeply missed.

Margaret Pinch, age 81 of Grand Rapids, MI, and formerly of Royal Oak, passed away Saturday, December 30, 2006. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Pinch. Surviving are her children: Sharon and Mike Poggi, Wayne and Suellen Pinch; her grandchildren: Scott and Jenny Poggi, Sara and Sean Gallagher, Lara and Eric Streeter, Jessica Pinch, Jonathan and Kalei Pinch, Joshua Pinch, Carrie Hull, Brian Hull; her great grandchildren: Samantha Streeter, Eric Streeter, Benjamin Streeter, Madeleine Streeter, Jonathan Walter Pinch; her sister, Rita Bergman; and nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, January 3, at 2 p.m. at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Drive in Grand Rapids, with Rev. Gerald VanderVelde of Richmond Reformed Church officiating. Interment will follow in Rosedale Memorial Park. Mrs. Pinch reposes at the funeral home where relatives and friends may meet her family on Wednesday from 12:30 p.m. until time of the funeral service. For those who wish, memorial contributions may be made to the Christian Rest Home. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory or photo of Margaret or sign the online registry.