Alma Rutgers

Age 90 of Kalamazoo, passed away early Sunday morning, October 27, 2024. Ollie was born in Lawrence, MI, on April 20, 1934, the daughter of Adolph and Alvina (Butz) Beutler. On December 18, 1954, she married Marvin D. Rutgers who preceded her in death in 2023. Ollie was an excellent cook and loved to can vegetables, fruits, meats, sauces and anything else you can imagine. She was a consummate entertainer. She held many events in her home and always insisted on doing all the food preparation herself. She showed her love for people through cooking for them. Her family and friends referred to her as "Jolly Ollie." She was also an artist and was adept at creating beautiful ceramic pieces, as well as oil canvas paintings. Outside the home, Ollie was a professional real estate agent, always attaining membership in the Million Dollar Club, back in the day when it took something to get there! In their retirement she and Marv would winter in their RV in Texas and then in the spring spend time near Mesick, where she enjoyed mushroom hunting and spending time with her grandchildren. She was an old-fashioned gal who would rather eat at home than go out to eat. She always was ready to serve you something if you popped in on her. Nothing was more important to her than her family. She enjoyed doing things with them. Their holiday get-togethers always ended up in a rousing card game. Ollie is survived by a daughter, Denise (Rick) Bedell of Kalamazoo; sons, Ron (Teri) Rutgers of Kalamazoo and Kyle Rutgers of Kalamazoo; grandchildren, Benjamin (Rebecca) Rutgers, Christopher (Ariel) Rutgers, Rebeca (John) Heinsen, Alex (Courtney) Boyce, Shaun (Brittany) Rutgers; great-grandchildren, Adriana, Carter, Parker, Adalynn, Ronan, and Aria; brother, Arthur (Beverly) Beutler; nieces and nephews; and countless friends. Besides her husband, Ollie was preceded in death by her parents; son, Mark Rutgers; son-in-law, David Boyce. A service in witness to Ollie's life and faith will be held on Monday, November 4, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church, 2122 Bronson Blvd., Kalamazoo. Friends may call on the family on Sunday, November 3, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Joldersma & Klein Funeral Home, 917 S. Burdick St., Kalamazoo, and for one hour prior to the service at the church beginning at 10:00 a.m. Ollie will be laid to rest next to Marvin at Ft. Custer National Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be given to Zion Lutheran Church or Centrica Care Navigators (Rose Arbor), in c/o the funeral home. Friends may leave a condolence message for the family at www.joldersma-klein.com.