Midge Zokoe

Madelyn (Midge) M. Zokoe was a not only generous, but also had a soft heart. Whether it meant lending a hand to baby-sit, volunteering at the local hospital, or feeding neighborhood dogs, Midge was there for those in need. Throughout her life, she remained a devoted follower and participant in the faith, which she learned as a child. Because of her strong Christian love, she was dedicated to both her family at home and at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church, where she was a long time member.

1939 was a year that would forever stand-out in the annals of world history. It was in that historic year that World War II began in Europe. However, for Americans, the threat of war remained a distant thought. As the War was being waged abroad, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared U.S. neutrality. Although 1939 was certainly a memorable year, perhaps no one remembered it more fondly than Melvin and Arlene (Guiette) Himmelein. On January 20 of that same year, the couple welcomed their second child Madelyn M.

Raised in a devout Catholic family, Midge attended Catholic elementary school before transferring to St. Andrew's High School, where she graduated in 1957. A hard worker, Midge learned to balance her studies with a job. In order to earn some extra money during the difficult years following the Depression, she began working for the manager of the Saginaw Country Club. Although she was only a child herself, she was dedicated to caring for his children. Though school and work meant long hours for Midge, being able to devote herself to classes was a welcome escape for the young girl. Growing up, Midge had what some would call a difficult childhood. Through the second marriages of her mother and father, Midge's family grew to include several half sisters and brothers. It was a difficult time in our nation's history; jobs and money were scare and with the new kids, there were many extra mouths to feed.

As soon as Midge was old enough, she moved to Grand Rapids to live with her aunt and search for work. As luck would have it, her aunt was married to a man who happened to have a brother named Fred Zokoe. Midge became acquainted with Fred when he would stop by to visit his brother. It was not long before the kids started dating, and as Fred recalls, he was careful to take his time in the relationship. He went to California for a short time, but while he was there he missed her so much that he had to call her. Eventually he returned to Grand Rapids and the two resumed their courtship and were eventually married on June 24, 1961. After the couple took their vows, Fred continued to work as a farmer and the young couple lived on a farm located near Standale. Later, Fred went into construction and they built their own home on 10th Avenue in Tallmadge Township where Midge would spend the rest of her life. By the time the couple moved into their new home, they had already been blessed by the birth of their first child, Karen, and when she was three years-old, she was given a brother, Fred J.

Conditioned by her difficult years as a youngster, Midge learned the value of hard work. Not only was she completely devoted to her husband and kids, she also held down a full time job. Cooking was one of her favorite hobbies, and she became a cook at the Delight Restaurant in Standale, and later went to work for Indian Trails Camp, a position she held for 10 years. Indian Trails Camp was dedicated to serving children who were mentally handicapped. Midge enjoyed this job because it gave her the opportunity to cook while helping those in need. Although Midge cooked for people every day at work, she never tired of it. She was not only a good cook at work, but a wonderful cook at home. She loved providing meals for her family and they always appreciated her skill and knowledge. Midge not only enjoyed cooking for her "human" family, but for her dogs as well. Fred remembers that whenever the family had pork chops for dinner, the dog was given the same meal, and often their pet was joined by several other neighborhood dogs who were invited to the Zokoe house for supper. Food was always left on the front porch for any dog that wanted to stop by for a bite, and many dogs took her up on the delicious offer!

Because Midge stayed busy with her family and work, she very rarely had spare time, but when she did, she had no trouble finding things to do. During her time off from work, she liked to decorate the house, and Fred said she would get the desire to redecorate every other year. Usually, however, when Midge wasn't cooking, she was reading. She especially enjoyed reading novels and "self-help" books and she purchased many of them. Her family was amazed at the speed at which she could read; usually she could finish an entire novel in one reading. Of course, this meant she went through a lot of books very quickly, and Fred says the basement is full of books that she had read. The family remembers that Midge usually spent Sundays either reading or in the pursuit of her next book. They would all load up in the car and take a leisurely ride. At the end of the trip they would often stop at a store where Midge would purchase another book or two. Because reading was such an important part of her life, Midge was eager to pass her passion for literature down to her kids. For as long as the kids could remember, she would read to them. In fact, many of the books that were purchased on Sunday afternoon drives were selected for the express purpose of reading them to the children.

With her huge heart and passion for helping others, Midge was always there for a friend in need. A generous person, she would never hesitate to help a friend of neighbor without childcare. She would often be found babysitting for other families. Midge also spent many hours volunteering at St. Mary's Hospital working in the Patient Escort Department. Much like her work with Indian Trails, she cherished this job because it allowed her to be of service to other people. During breaks from volunteering, she loved to travel, but seldom went far. When she and Fred had spare time, they would just get in the car and go for a drive. They rarely had destinations in mind, but they would often end up at a flea market or an antique shop; Midge loved to investigate these places.

Sadly, in the 1990's Midge showed signs of illness. While it was not diagnosed very quickly, it eventually became apparent that she was suffering from the early symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease. When the cause of her problem was finally determined, Fred dedicated himself to making her final years as pleasant as possible. Although her symptoms began to increase, Fred would not let it slow them down. Midge loved to gamble and weekends would find them at a casino where she and Fred tried their luck. Often they would win, but most importantly they were together. During the last years, they had the opportunity to visit many casinos throughout Michigan. At the time, Karen was living in New York and Midge and Fred were even able to take time out to travel and visit her. Sometimes, Midge's illness would cause her to be confined to a nursing home, but her family was still there to care for her. Fred, Karen, her sister-in-law, and other extended family members were largely responsible for her care during this time.

After a life filled with love, Midge died on Sunday, August 28, 2005 at the home of her brother and sister-in-law in Bridgeport, MI from complications of Alzheimer's Disease. Surviving are her husband, of 44 years Fred Zokoe, her children: Karen E. and Tom Drasiewski of Grand Rapids, Fred J. Zokoe and Sally Peterlein of Grandville, her step mother Bea Himmelein, her brothers and sisters-in-law Ken and Ann Himmelein, Robert and Adrian Himmelein, Keith and Bette Himmelein, her half sisters and brothers and their spouses: Lisa Salvi, Matt and Edna Ticar, Marv and Carol Himmelein, Barb Himmelein, Lori Holly and numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial mass will be held Thursday at 11 A.M. at Holy Spirit Church. A time to visit with Midge's family will be held Wednesday at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, Alt and Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. N.W., from 7-9 P.M. and where a Bible Vigil service will be held 8:30 P.M. Please go to www.lifestorynet.com to read Midge's life story, leave a memory, sign the guestbook, share a memory, view photos, or make a memorial contribution to the Hartland Hospice of Bay City or the Hospice of Michigan