Ruth Adema

Loving, quiet and kind, Ruth Adema enjoyed her life on the 170 acre farm with her husband Bob (Robert). They together enjoyed watching the crops grow and be harvested, baby calves being born and running around in the pastures. Their life was rich in their Christian faith, love of family and community. Actives members of the Coopersville Christian Reformed Church, they were examples to their daughters of living out your faith, attending church every Sunday morning and evening, Sunday School and Wednesday night classes.

Ruth was the second youngest of six children born to Tom and Sadie (Terpstra) Westveld. She was born on November 15, 1927 and rumor has it that Grandpa was not too happy to stay home from deer hunting that day. Tom Westveld was a farmer, hunter, horse trader and owner of the general store in Lamont, Michigan. Sadie was a homemaker and did a lot of canning and sewing on her Singer Sewing Machine. Ruth was close to her mother and her responsibilities were generally helping her mother in the kitchen and gardens.

Ruth met her husband Bob at a church party for young people. They were married on November 7, 1947 at Lamont Christian Reformed Church. During their first years of marriage, Ruth worked in a factory and Bob as a mechanic at Lemmen’s Pontiac. They bought their first home and farm in Allendale, Michigan. Ruth stopped working in the factory when their first daughter Norma Jean was born and devoted her time to caring for her children, being a homemaker and supporting her husband on the farm. Three years later another daughter, Audrey Kay was born.

In 1958, they moved to the Green Top farm in Ravenna, Michigan and lived a majority of their life in this location. Bob was a dairy farmer and had about 100 cows. In July of that year, their third daughter was born, Cheryl Lynn. Ruth was often times busy cooking meals for Bob and his farm helpers during the planting and harvesting seasons.

Though the demands of the farm were physically and mentally challenging, Ruth did enjoy life’s simple pleasures including gardening, playing her piano from memory, (had no lessons) singing hymns, fishing for bass or bluegill or ice skating on a large pond on the farm with the family and neighbors and many family holiday celebrations with their families.

Ruth often had smiles for her caretakers at Valley View even when she was in pain. She especially appreciated the visits, prayers, scripture reading from the Hospice Chaplin. She would recite Psalm 23 with him and often singing songs with him like, Great is Thy Faithfulness and Amazing Grace.

As we celebrate Ruth’s long life, may we find comfort in knowing she is free of the bodily constraints caused by dementia she endured over many years and skin cancer in the last three years. May we also find comfort in our many treasured memories and the honor of carrying her legacy of Christian faith and love forward in our lives. To keep Ruth’s memory alive may we live each moment to the fullest.

Ruth Grace (Westveld) Adema, age 98 of Grand Rapids, was called home to be with her Savior on April 21, 2026. Ruth was a loving mother who enjoyed spending time with her family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Adema. Ruth will be lovingly remembered by her children, Norma (Al) Kruithoff, Audrey (Larry) Newenhouse and Cheryl James; grandchildren, Tim (Amy) Kruithoff, Becky (Ryan) VandeBunte, Amanda (Matt) Horton, Rachel (Rob) Kern and Janet James; 7 great-grandchildren; brother, Burt Westveld and sister-in-law, Lois Adema. A special thank you to Valley View Care Center and Faith Hospice for the loving care provided. The memorial service will be held at 11 AM on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Alt and Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW. Visitation from 10 AM until the start of the service. Contributions in her memory may be made to the American Cancer Society. Celebrate Ruth’s life by sharing a favorite memory or photo on her dedicated memory page at heritagelifestory.com