MILDRED JUNE HERREMA
Sunrise June 15, 1927
Sunset Aug. 20, 2019
Age 92
Millie Herrema grew up during World War II years, the youngest of 6 children, and having two of her brothers ship out to war, with Mink coming back wounded. She graduated from Grandville High School in 1945, and the community worked to find a new normal after the previous turbulent time. Her first job was working at Steketee’s Department Store in ladies apparel, and shortly after that she met her husband Bruce Ickes. They married in 1947, and were so poor that they lived in a converted chicken coop on the property of his parents small farm. The next year Bruce was involved in a car crash that almost severed his arm, and a country doctor sewed it back on with him lying on the kitchen table of a stranger’s farm house. Millie and Bruce parented 4 children through measles, mumps and chicken pox, including Jim drinking Kerosene, being rushed to the hospital, getting Meningitis, and Millie having Rheumatic fever that damaged her heart. Through all the ups and downs of living life, her faith was always a constant, and she never wavered from her belief in Jesus as her Lord and Savior. In fact, in her 60’s she decided to go to Bible School in Tennessee, and after that first year, she had an opportunity to do mission work in Scotland, and she lived for 3 months in a real castle there.
When Millie came back from Bible school, she looked for a job, and found her calling in being a nanny for the Wait family. She answered an ad in the local paper and when she asked for the address, she found they lived in the same house she had been born and raised in. One child multiplied to three and she stayed with them for 12 years, loving those children as much as her own.
In 2014 Millie's aortic heart valve was failing, and because of her age, she was not a good candidate for open heart surgery. So she was asked to become part of a clinical trial the heart doctors at the Lena Meijer Heart Center were doing. It was called a Trans Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) and it was in the pioneering stage and not open to the public. She agreed and was one of only 250 people nationwide taking part in the trial. The doctors were only performing it on people who had no other options for heart surgery and one lady was age 102. The surgery was successful and it allowed mom an additional 4 1/2 years instead of less than 6 months when she signed up for it. She loved her doctors and nurses who took care of her, and she always would bring them treats from the bakery or showed her gratitude in other little ways.
Millie has been living in Amsterdam Village for the last 10 years and has treasured her friendships with her neighbors there, always inviting them over for coffee and treats, and being so delighted when a group would come. They became like a family, and she always left her door open for anyone to pop in. They celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, and grieved when one of their group lost a husband or wife. As Millie’s health started to fail this spring, she welcomed her beloved friends coming over to visit, and she valued her time with them.
Millie is survived by her 4 children, Sandra (Johan) VanderTol, James Ickes, Kathleen (Brian) VandenBand, Barbara (Norman) Chapin, 17 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Simon and Tillie Herrema, Siblings: Gertrude (Ed) Berends, Russell (Fran) Herrema, George (Louise) Herrema, Beatrice (Raymond) Remtema, Maynard (Ruth) Herrema, her two husbands, Bruce Ickes and Carl Gabbert, and grandsons Robbie Ickes and Christopher VanderTol.
A celebration of life, will be held on Aug 25 from 2-4 pm at the New Amsterdam Village House, 7905 Cottonwood, in Jenison. Interment will be at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.
Sunrise June 15, 1927
Sunset Aug. 20, 2019
Age 92
Millie Herrema grew up during World War II years, the youngest of 6 children, and having two of her brothers ship out to war, with Mink coming back wounded. She graduated from Grandville High School in 1945, and the community worked to find a new normal after the previous turbulent time. Her first job was working at Steketee’s Department Store in ladies apparel, and shortly after that she met her husband Bruce Ickes. They married in 1947, and were so poor that they lived in a converted chicken coop on the property of his parents small farm. The next year Bruce was involved in a car crash that almost severed his arm, and a country doctor sewed it back on with him lying on the kitchen table of a stranger’s farm house. Millie and Bruce parented 4 children through measles, mumps and chicken pox, including Jim drinking Kerosene, being rushed to the hospital, getting Meningitis, and Millie having Rheumatic fever that damaged her heart. Through all the ups and downs of living life, her faith was always a constant, and she never wavered from her belief in Jesus as her Lord and Savior. In fact, in her 60’s she decided to go to Bible School in Tennessee, and after that first year, she had an opportunity to do mission work in Scotland, and she lived for 3 months in a real castle there.
When Millie came back from Bible school, she looked for a job, and found her calling in being a nanny for the Wait family. She answered an ad in the local paper and when she asked for the address, she found they lived in the same house she had been born and raised in. One child multiplied to three and she stayed with them for 12 years, loving those children as much as her own.
In 2014 Millie's aortic heart valve was failing, and because of her age, she was not a good candidate for open heart surgery. So she was asked to become part of a clinical trial the heart doctors at the Lena Meijer Heart Center were doing. It was called a Trans Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) and it was in the pioneering stage and not open to the public. She agreed and was one of only 250 people nationwide taking part in the trial. The doctors were only performing it on people who had no other options for heart surgery and one lady was age 102. The surgery was successful and it allowed mom an additional 4 1/2 years instead of less than 6 months when she signed up for it. She loved her doctors and nurses who took care of her, and she always would bring them treats from the bakery or showed her gratitude in other little ways.
Millie has been living in Amsterdam Village for the last 10 years and has treasured her friendships with her neighbors there, always inviting them over for coffee and treats, and being so delighted when a group would come. They became like a family, and she always left her door open for anyone to pop in. They celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, and grieved when one of their group lost a husband or wife. As Millie’s health started to fail this spring, she welcomed her beloved friends coming over to visit, and she valued her time with them.
Millie is survived by her 4 children, Sandra (Johan) VanderTol, James Ickes, Kathleen (Brian) VandenBand, Barbara (Norman) Chapin, 17 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Simon and Tillie Herrema, Siblings: Gertrude (Ed) Berends, Russell (Fran) Herrema, George (Louise) Herrema, Beatrice (Raymond) Remtema, Maynard (Ruth) Herrema, her two husbands, Bruce Ickes and Carl Gabbert, and grandsons Robbie Ickes and Christopher VanderTol.
A celebration of life, will be held on Aug 25 from 2-4 pm at the New Amsterdam Village House, 7905 Cottonwood, in Jenison. Interment will be at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.
MILDRED JUNE HERREMA
Sunrise June 15, 1927
Sunset Aug. 20, 2019
Age 92
Millie Herrema grew up during World War II years, the youngest of 6 children, and having two of her brothers ship out to war, with Mink coming back wounded. She graduated from Grandville High School in 1945, and the community worked to find a new normal after the previous turbulent time. Her first job was working at Steketee’s Department Store in ladies apparel, and shortly after that she met her husband Bruce Ickes. They married in 1947, and were so poor that they lived in a converted chicken coop on the property of his parents small farm. The next year Bruce was involved in a car crash that almost severed his arm, and a country doctor sewed it back on with him lying on the kitchen table of a stranger’s farm house. Millie and Bruce parented 4 children through measles, mumps and chicken pox, including Jim drinking Kerosene, being rushed to the hospital, getting Meningitis, and Millie having Rheumatic fever that damaged her heart. Through all the ups and downs of living life, her faith was always a constant, and she never wavered from her belief in Jesus as her Lord and Savior. In fact, in her 60’s she decided to go to Bible School in Tennessee, and after that first year, she had an opportunity to do mission work in Scotland, and she lived for 3 months in a real castle there.
When Millie came back from Bible school, she looked for a job, and found her calling in being a nanny for the Wait family. She answered an ad in the local paper and when she asked for the address, she found they lived in the same house she had been born and raised in. One child multiplied to three and she stayed with them for 12 years, loving those children as much as her own.
In 2014 Millie's aortic heart valve was failing, and because of her age, she was not a good candidate for open heart surgery. So she was asked to become part of a clinical trial the heart doctors at the Lena Meijer Heart Center were doing. It was called a Trans Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) and it was in the pioneering stage and not open to the public. She agreed and was one of only 250 people nationwide taking part in the trial. The doctors were only performing it on people who had no other options for heart surgery and one lady was age 102. The surgery was successful and it allowed mom an additional 4 1/2 years instead of less than 6 months when she signed up for it. She loved her doctors and nurses who took care of her, and she always would bring them treats from the bakery or showed her gratitude in other little ways.
Millie has been living in Amsterdam Village for the last 10 years and has treasured her friendships with her neighbors there, always inviting them over for coffee and treats, and being so delighted when a group would come. They became like a family, and she always left her door open for anyone to pop in. They celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, and grieved when one of their group lost a husband or wife. As Millie’s health started to fail this spring, she welcomed her beloved friends coming over to visit, and she valued her time with them.
Millie is survived by her 4 children, Sandra (Johan) VanderTol, James Ickes, Kathleen (Brian) VandenBand, Barbara (Norman) Chapin, 17 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Simon and Tillie Herrema, Siblings: Gertrude (Ed) Berends, Russell (Fran) Herrema, George (Louise) Herrema, Beatrice (Raymond) Remtema, Maynard (Ruth) Herrema, her two husbands, Bruce Ickes and Carl Gabbert, and grandsons Robbie Ickes and Christopher VanderTol.
A celebration of life, will be held on Aug 25 from 2-4 pm at the New Amsterdam Village House, 7905 Cottonwood, in Jenison. Interment will be at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.
Sunrise June 15, 1927
Sunset Aug. 20, 2019
Age 92
Millie Herrema grew up during World War II years, the youngest of 6 children, and having two of her brothers ship out to war, with Mink coming back wounded. She graduated from Grandville High School in 1945, and the community worked to find a new normal after the previous turbulent time. Her first job was working at Steketee’s Department Store in ladies apparel, and shortly after that she met her husband Bruce Ickes. They married in 1947, and were so poor that they lived in a converted chicken coop on the property of his parents small farm. The next year Bruce was involved in a car crash that almost severed his arm, and a country doctor sewed it back on with him lying on the kitchen table of a stranger’s farm house. Millie and Bruce parented 4 children through measles, mumps and chicken pox, including Jim drinking Kerosene, being rushed to the hospital, getting Meningitis, and Millie having Rheumatic fever that damaged her heart. Through all the ups and downs of living life, her faith was always a constant, and she never wavered from her belief in Jesus as her Lord and Savior. In fact, in her 60’s she decided to go to Bible School in Tennessee, and after that first year, she had an opportunity to do mission work in Scotland, and she lived for 3 months in a real castle there.
When Millie came back from Bible school, she looked for a job, and found her calling in being a nanny for the Wait family. She answered an ad in the local paper and when she asked for the address, she found they lived in the same house she had been born and raised in. One child multiplied to three and she stayed with them for 12 years, loving those children as much as her own.
In 2014 Millie's aortic heart valve was failing, and because of her age, she was not a good candidate for open heart surgery. So she was asked to become part of a clinical trial the heart doctors at the Lena Meijer Heart Center were doing. It was called a Trans Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) and it was in the pioneering stage and not open to the public. She agreed and was one of only 250 people nationwide taking part in the trial. The doctors were only performing it on people who had no other options for heart surgery and one lady was age 102. The surgery was successful and it allowed mom an additional 4 1/2 years instead of less than 6 months when she signed up for it. She loved her doctors and nurses who took care of her, and she always would bring them treats from the bakery or showed her gratitude in other little ways.
Millie has been living in Amsterdam Village for the last 10 years and has treasured her friendships with her neighbors there, always inviting them over for coffee and treats, and being so delighted when a group would come. They became like a family, and she always left her door open for anyone to pop in. They celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, and grieved when one of their group lost a husband or wife. As Millie’s health started to fail this spring, she welcomed her beloved friends coming over to visit, and she valued her time with them.
Millie is survived by her 4 children, Sandra (Johan) VanderTol, James Ickes, Kathleen (Brian) VandenBand, Barbara (Norman) Chapin, 17 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Simon and Tillie Herrema, Siblings: Gertrude (Ed) Berends, Russell (Fran) Herrema, George (Louise) Herrema, Beatrice (Raymond) Remtema, Maynard (Ruth) Herrema, her two husbands, Bruce Ickes and Carl Gabbert, and grandsons Robbie Ickes and Christopher VanderTol.
A celebration of life, will be held on Aug 25 from 2-4 pm at the New Amsterdam Village House, 7905 Cottonwood, in Jenison. Interment will be at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.
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