Nancy Yeiter

Nancy Yeiter loved the simple, honest pleasures in life. A beautiful sonnet, a day at the circus, a classic movie on TV, Nancy loved them all. She was a wonderful woman, whose greatest pleasure was always found in her family, as a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend. They were truly her greatest treasure, and carry her love with them today.

Nancy’s story began on a cool spring day in 1943, in the shoreline city of South Haven, Michigan. Those were turbulent times across the globe, as the battles rang out around the world, from the streets of Europe, to the seas of the South Pacific. Yet amid those anxious times, Paul and Goldie (Conklin) Pomeroy found a reason to celebrate, with the birth of a beautiful baby girl on April 5, 1943, a daughter they named Nancy.

Nancy’s father was a hardworking owner and operator of Pomeroy Coal & Oil Company, while her mother cared for the home. Being an only child, she became very close with her parents, especially her mother, who taught her to knit and sew, and also made sure her daughter was well versed in the arts, as well.

Nancy took dance lessons as a little girl, and also learned to play the oboe and the piano, which was a lifelong love for her. She attended South Haven Public Schools, and even played the oboe in the South Haven High School band.

After she graduated from South Haven High in 1961, Nancy headed off to Albion College. She returned home for a year to help care for her ailing father. After her fathers death, she and her mother later moved to Kalamazoo in 1963 to live on Canterbury Avenue, in Kalamazoo’s Westwood neighborhood. That year she started college at Western Michigan University.

Nancy continued her schooling at Western, and graduated in 1965 with her degree in Home Economics. She continued living with her mother, though soon she’d have a family of her own to consider.

One night Nancy agreed to go on a blind date with a young man named Phillip Yeiter. They started with dinner at the Saddle Club at the historic Harris Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo, followed by going to see My Fair Lady at the Capitol Theater. Nancy loved that classic movie, and before long, she was in love with Phillip, too! The two dated for more than a year, and were married on July 22, 1967 in the Kanley Chapel on Western Michigan University’s campus, beginning a wonderful life together.

The newlyweds promptly headed to the Upper Peninsula town of Copper Harbor, Michigan for their honeymoon, which would become a beloved vacation destination the rest of their lives. They returned home and settled into a little home at 613 Wheaton Avenue in Kalamazoo, though they would need a bigger home soon enough, as their family began to grow.

Nancy and Phillip were blessed with five wonderful children over the years, sons Paul, Bryan, Todd and John, and their lovely daughter Elaine, who filled their mother with such pride, joy and true fulfillment in life. The family moved from Kalamazoo to a larger home on Corduroy Avenue in Portage for a time, before finally in 1978, moving to a beautiful home at 1350 Granada NW in Grand Rapids, where Nancy remained the rest of her days.

Nancy was a wonderful wife and mother, and the family did so much together over the years. They attended the Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, then the First Evangelical Covenant Church, and eventually, the Mars Hill Church, which Nancy enjoyed for the high-energy services. The family also took many wonderful vacations in the summertime, visiting Copper Harbor together, the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Disney World too. Nancy wasn’t one who enjoyed camping, so they always stayed in a hotel, with the simple comforts she enjoyed.

Of course, Nancy was equally content to remain close to home, where her heart always was. She enjoyed staying in and watching some of her favorite, classic movies, like the Wizard of Oz, the Sound of Music, Gone With the Wind, and others. She also loved Bing Crosby, Matlock and Murder She Wrote on TV. She’ also enjoyed cross-stitching and knitting. She loved to read, was an excellent seamstress, and made many beautiful items for her family over the years.

Nancy was always one to share her gifts and her joys with her family, the greatest gift to her of all. When her children were young, Nancy enjoyed sitting them on the piano bench beside her, and teaching them to play the instrument she loved so much as a child (though it never took). She also loved the circus, and saw so many in her lifetime, taking her children and later grandchildren to share the simple, innocent joy she found in the events. Nancy especially enjoyed doting on her grandchildren, and never forgot a birthday or special date in their lives. She had an uncanny talent for remembering dates, birthdays and anniversaries, and her family was sure to have a card in the mail or a phone call from her.

Nancy’s life wasn’t without its challenges, however. As her years progressed, her health declined, and she endured many kidney problems and ulcers, as well. She never liked doctors and hospitals, and put up a terrible fight to avoid going most of the time.

Then on July 24, 2006, Nancy suffered a serious heart attack, which affected her greatly. Doctors feared the worst at the time, though she recovered well. Nancy began to be more cautious with her diet, for the first time in her life. Sadly, Nancy’s health continued its slow decline, and she became very weak and unresponsive on Sunday, January 13, 2008. Her daughter and Phillip took her to St. Mary’s Hospital, where she sadly died in the early morning of January 14, with Elaine and her beloved husband Phillip by her side. She was 64.

Nancy was a wonderful woman, who loved the simple things in life, from classical music and classic movies, to the joy of sharing moments with the family she loved most of all. More than anything, Nancy was a loving and dedicated wife, mother and “Nana,” whose love lives on in them today. She will be so greatly missed.

Nancy is survived by her husband of 40 years, Phillip Yeiter; her children, Paul (Felipeta) Yeiter, Bryan Yeiter (Shannon Plowman), Todd (Andrea) Yeiter, John Yeiter, Elaine Yeiter; 9 grandchildren, Tabitha, Paul Jr., Jennifer, Alicia, Austin, Anna, Dezarae, Zachary and Erin; and many friends. Nancy was a dedicated wife, mother and nana who loved her family. She will be greatly missed by everyone who knew and loved her. A service to celebrate Nancy’s life will be held Thursday at 11:00 AM at First Evangelical Covenant Church, 1933 Tremont NW. Burial in Lake View Cemetery, South Haven, MI. Relatives and friends are invited to meet her family at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW on Wednesday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM. Contributions in her memory may be made to The Arc, Advocacy & Resource Center, helping citizens with developmental disabilities or First Evangelical Covenant Church. To sign her guest book or share a memory or photo of Nancy, visit her web page at www.lifestorynet.com