Evelyn Weller

As angels rejoiced at her coming, one of the Lord’s most favored children, Eve­lyn Grace (Mulder) Weller, 90, went to be with her be­loved Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Friday, December 21, 2012.

Evelyn was born In Hol­land, Michigan, on March 4, 1922, with a thorough­ly Holland Dutch heri­tage as the youngest child of Abel and Nellie Mulder. Her mother was the grand­daughter of Egbert Fred­ricks, a member of Dr. Van Raalte’s original Holland founding group. Her moth­er was also the great-grand­daughter of Stephen Lu­cas, one of the founders of Graafschap. Likewise, her father’s Dutch ancestors had joined in the settlement of Graafschap and had founded Graafschap Hard­ware Store as well as Mul­der Funeral Services.

Evelyn graduated from Holland High School, at­tended Hope College for two years and then went to Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago for nurse training. This was interrupted by a prolonged bout with rheu­matic fever, after which she agreed to get married with­out finishing her training. On November 27, 1943, she married Tony (Peter A.) Weller.

The Lord gave Evelyn five wonderful children for whom she was the con­summate mother whose life was focused on teaching her five children to know and love her Lord and Sav­ior, Jesus Christ. The Bible was her textbook for teach­ing the art of living a disci­plined and happy life. She did this with a rare combi­nation of deep love and firm discipline that endeared the children to both her and the Lord. Praise God!

As the children grew, she applied her skills to a career of ministering to other chil­dren and young people as a Sunday School teacher and youth groups as well as or­ganizing, staffing and lead­ing Pioneer Girls clubs for girls from 8 to 18 in church­es she attended. In Dur­ham, NH, she organized and led a Child Evange­lism Good News Club in her home for 12 years. This was a weekly after-school pro­gram of activities for neigh­borhood children, using the Bible for reference and ap­plication. Also in Durham, she started an adult Neigh­borhood Bible Study in her home. This was a week­ly morning meeting where, over a cup of coffee, she led a time of sharing and Bible study with her neighbors for 13 years. While in Durham, she and her husband, along with three other cou­ples, started a new Baptist church in 1973. When, after 10 years of meeting in Uni­versity of New Hampshire buildings, the church was ready for its own building, Evelyn served as Chairman of the Building Committee. Today, that church is one of the largest and most active churches in that area and still growing. In summary, it can be said that wherever she went, she brought with her the love and presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

After moving back to Hol­land in 1990, she was an ac­tive member of Beechwood Church, the Evergreen Commons Senior Dutch Dancers, the Evergreen Commons Tulip Time Lun­cheon Show, HASP (Hope Academy of Senior Profes­sionals), and the Holland Country Club.

Evelyn was preceded in death by her brother, John Mulder, her sister, Sarah Dams, and grandson, David Martin.

She is survived by her husband of 69 years, To­ny Weller, and her five chil­dren, Susan and Norman Kapp of Carol Stream, IL, Nancy and John Black of Wheaton, IL, John and Di­ane Weller of Tulsa, OK, Fred and Jan Weller of Plymouth, MI and Sally and Robert Martin of Liv­erpool, NY. Also 13 grand­children: Beth and Andrew Dunning of Nashville, TN, Karen and Michael Trout of Chicago, IL, Nancy Kapp of Carol Stream, IL, Melis­sa and Evan Hill of Chicago, IL, Jennifer and Oscar Ortiz of San Jose, CA, Judy and Dan Jones of North Riv­erside, IL, Janelle Black of Santa Rosa, CA, Laura and Seth O’Day of Manila, Phil­ipine Islands, Kandy Black of Wheaton, IL, Wesley Weller of Washington, DC, Jillian and Trevor Morris of Tulsa, OK, Lisa Martin of Boston, MA and Jesse and Andrea Martin of New Bed­ford, MA. She is also sur­vived by 13 great-grandchil­dren, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Hubert and Ann Weller of Holland and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services to hon­or the faith and life of Eve­lyn will be at 11 a.m. Thurs­day, December 27, 2012, at Beechwood Reformed Church, 895 Ottawa Beach Road, Holland, 49424. The Rev. James Lankheet will officiate. Visitation will be 6:30-9 p.m. Wednesday, at the Langeland-Sterenberg Funeral Home, 315 E. 16th Street, Holland. Burial will be in Pilgrim Home Cem­etery. Memorial Contribu­tions may be made to Res­thaven at Home, Hospice of Holland, the Beechwood Church Mission Fund, the “Dr. John Mulder Memorial Scholarship Fund” at Hope College, “the Weller Family Scholarship Fund” at Whea­ton College in Illinois, or the “ Tony and Evelyn Weller Community Fund” at the Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland.