Olga Mendez

Olga Marie Mendez was a very special woman who dedicated her life to her family. She was caring and compassionate, and could always bring a smile and sense of humor to any situation. Olga was content to live in the moment, appreciating the family, friends and events that brought her life incredible joy.

The Roaring Twenties was a fantastic period in our nation’s history, when the sounds of progress could be heard in every village and city across America. It was the birthplace of jazz, the golden age of industry and above all, a time of plenty. Olga entered this bustling world on August 31, 1925, in the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was the third of four children born to William and Mary (Dianas) Zokas, both of Lithuanian descendent.

Along with her older siblings, Helen, Mary and Victor, Olga grew up on the west side of Grand Rapids on Hamilton Street NW. The family were members of St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, and the children also attended the church’s elementary school. The time of the Great Depression was difficult on everyone, but Olga’s father was able to scratch out a living working in a factory, while her mother tended to the children at home. Like many young girls of the time, Olga left school after the 10th grade to work full-time. Her first and only job was working in the factory at Knapp & Vogt Manufacturing Co., where she was a loyal employee for many years.

As a teenager of this era, most weekends were spent in local halls, attending dances. It was while attending one of these dances at the Sons & Daughters Hall near her home that Olga met the love of her life, Alfred Mendez. After they danced the night away together, the two began dating, fell hopelessly in love and were happily married on November 9, 1944, by the Justice of the Peace on their lunch hour. They later had a Catholic wedding at St. James Church. The newlyweds settled into married life together living on Scribner NW for a while, before moving to Front Street and Courtney Street for a time where they raised their three children, James, Pamela and Kristine. Tragically, their daughter Kristine died at the age of 15 of Reye’s Syndrome. Alfred and Olga later bought a home on Wallingford NW in Comstock Park.

Time together as a family was always important to Olga and Alfred. They made many trips to visit Alfred's family in Texas. They also spent many great summers at a rented cottage on Big Star Lake in Baldwin, as well as Sunday picnics and weekend trips to the beach. The Mendez family were members of Saint Peter and Paul Catholic Church for some time before transferring to St. James Catholic Church. For Olga, family was the greatest source of happiness in her life. She , her mother and siblings were very close and saw each other often. Sadly, Olga lost both her parents to cancer in the early 1950s. One of Olga’s greatest joys in her later years was spending time with her grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren, all of whom she adored. In their presence, she always had a big smile on her face and lots of hugs to hand out. For a while, Olga’s great grandson, Michael, his wife, Fran, and their children lived with her; she thoroughly enjoyed their company.

In 1975, Olga was forced to retire because of a weak heart. In her leisure time, Olga had several activities she enjoyed, like going to card parties held at other’s homes. She also enjoyed adding various shapes and sizes of glassware to her collection. Olga liked watching daytime soap operas and game shows, and was a die-hard fan of the Detroit Tigers. One of Olga’s most endearing traits was her wonderful sense of humor, which never failed to brighten someone’s day. Although Olga’s life was happy, it was also marked by great sorrow. Olga lost her beloved husband Alfred on October 18, 1998, of heart failure after 54 years of marriage. Tragically, her granddaughter, Kimberly Shanahan, was killed by a drunk driver, and her great great grandson, Haidin Shanahan, died as an infant.

As her health problems began to progress and she needed special care, Olga was admitted to Heartland Health Care Center. In the last week, her health diminished even more and she was admitted to Holland Hospital. It was then determined that little more could be done for her, and Olga spent her final days at Hospice of Holland, where she passed away on Monday morning, November 30, 2009, at the age of 84.

Olga was a dedicated sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great great grandmother and a friend to all who knew and loved her. She will be dearly missed.

Olga was preceded in death by her husband, Alfred Mendez, her daughter, Kristine Mendez, her granddaughter, Kimberly Shanahan, her great great grandson, Haidin Shanahan, her brother, Victor Zokas, and her sister, Mary Huizenga. She is survived by her son, James Mendez; her daughter and son-in-law, Pamela and William Manus; her devoted granddaughter, Terri Shanahan and husband, David Rathbun; her grandson, Joseph Shanahan; her great grandchildren, Michael and Fran Shanahan, and Ian Shanahan; 5 great great grandchildren; her sister, Helen Haan; several nieces and nephews and many friends.

Olga was a member of St. James Catholic Church where the Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, December 3, at 10:00 AM. Memorial contributions in her memory may be made to the Michigan Chapter of MADD. Burial will be in Rosedale Cemetery. Relatives and friends may meet her family at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel on Wednesday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM, with a scripture service at 7:00 PM. . Please visit Olga’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory with her family or sign her online guest book.