John Van Der Meulen

John Van Der Meulen was a kind and loving man, known for his big heart. He was a proud, hardworking man who, at the same time, was not afraid to show his emotions. His love for his children and grandchildren was evident and he found great joy in them. Throughout his life, John maintained an essence of commitment to family, faith and the joy of life itself.

In the year 1915 for Elko Rot and his wife, Gertrude (Vander Molen), the most exciting event of the year was the birth of their son, John Rot, on May 14, 1915, in Worth, Illinois. Sadly, Elko died of TB when John was only six. His mother remarried when he was ten, to Mr. Van Der Meulen, who adopted John and his brother Joe as his own.

In 1928, the family moved to Martin, Michigan, where Gertrude had an uncle in the area. She had heard about the profitability of onion farming and so they became local farmers. John attended the Walker Public Schools until the eighth grade and worked during the summer for Doogan’s. After leaving school, he worked full-time in the fields or wherever he could make money. Later, he took a job at Bishops, where he delivered many loads of celery to Detroit.

John was brought up in the Christian faith and, as a young person, was actively involved in his church. He met a young lady named Jeannette DeMann in school and they attended all of the church group outings together. Falling in love, the couple was married on August 25, 1939, at the East Martin Christian Reformed Church. They spent the next sixty-five years together, raising their five wonderful children, and sharing many wonderful moments together as a family.

After saying “I do”, the newlyweds settled down to married life together – John worked at GM to support his new family and Jeannette taught in the area school. After a year, they decided to rent a farm and eventually bought it. John became a traditional farmer, complete with milking cows and growing crops.

John was a hard worker, always looking to broaden his horizons. In 1950 he went to auctioneer’s school in Mason, Iowa, where he learned to “cry as sale” and all that went with conducting an auction. Auctioneering was part of his life even after retirement, always conducting the annual “Harvest Sale” fund raiser for the EMCS. He “cried” that sale for 53 years. As if he wasn’t busy enough he also sold and installed Patz barn cleaner equipment for many years.

The farm truly was a “family farm”. As parents, John & Jeannette, made sure the children were part of both the decisions and the work. They certainly taught them responsibility with everyone having chores to do. They worked hard but had a lot of fun doing it.

A defining moment in John’s career came in 1958 when the barn burned to the ground. Many people advised him to give up farming but he was determined to continue. They bought the farm next door and made that a success. In fact he and Jeannette were honorably inducted into the Michigan Farmer’s Hall of Fame in 1992. As part of the farming community, John took great pride in being a good neighbor. If a fellow farmer was ill, he would rally the others to help.

John & Jeannette raised their children in the Christian Faith. It was very important that they all attend the Christian school. Throughout John’s life he was very involved with the EMCRC and the EMCS, where he was a member of various boards, numerous times. John’s passion was to support his community.

In 1969, John & Jeannette sold their farm to their son, Dean, although John continued to help on the farm for many years, always doing what he could. From 1972-1982 John was the Martin Township Supervisor. In his “spare time”, he also drove a delivery truck for E & B Machine, which is his son, Doug’s business.

After retiring, John & Jeannette bought a motor home and traveled. They eventually bought a home in Arizona and wintered there every year. Though as the saying goes “home is where the heart is,” and that was near their children and grandchildren, whom they loved dearly. John truly enjoyed his role as a grandparent and poured the same amount of love into these relationships as he did his own children. He was even the best man in one of his grandchildren’s weddings. And as a grandparent, he could get away with slipping a few bucks to them without anyone knowing.

John was a no nonsense kind of man. He never left things unsaid or in doubt and never held a grudge. John tried every day to be the best man he could, and was rewarded with a life of happiness for his efforts. He left his children with many great memories, but more importantly, he left them with the unforgettable example of what a good father and grandfather can be. He will be greatly missed and frequently remembered.

John Van Der Meulen, age 89, died on Saturday, April 16, 2005, at Bronson Methodist Hospital. John’s family includes his wife, Jeannette; children: Cynthia & Al Westendorp of Martin, Ila & Pete Diepersloot of Arizona, Douglas & Mary Van Der Meulen of Shelbyville, Dean & Carolyn Van Der Meulen of Shelbyville, and Tom & Jean Van Der Meulen of Kalamazoo; 21 grandchildren and 49 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, Joe, and great-granddaughter, Stephanie.

Learn more about John and visit with his family on Wednesday, April 20, from 6-8 p.m. and Thursday, April 21, from 2-4 p.m. & 6-8 p.m. at the RDMG Life Story Funeral Home, Plainwell Chapel. His service will be held on Friday, April 22, at 11 a.m. at the East Martin Christian Reformed Church. Please visit John’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can archive a favorite memory, order flowers or make a memorial donation to either Park Village Pines, the East Martin Christian School or the East Martin Christian Reformed Church.