Martha Zuiderveen

In the early morning hours of December 5, 2022, Martha who was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend was called home peacefully by our Lord.

Martha Zuiderveen was born October 11, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois to John and Cornelia (Evenhouse) Geertsema.

When she was 13 years old, Martha moved with her family from the big city of Chicago to a small dairy farm near Vogel Center, Michigan.

For Martha, life was an adventure with every moment to be lived to the fullest. Martha, along with her siblings embraced the country life wholeheartedly.

Martha was a hard worker, but was always fun loving and known for outrageous pranks and surprises. Along with farm chores came times of fishing and swimming in the nearby Clam River and riding the family horse, Boots.

When armed with a driver’s license, she and Anna got into some well-known mischief in their old ’51 Ford.

She graduated from Northern Michigan Christian School in 1958 and was married to Hubert Zuiderveen on June 10, 1959. Together they farmed and raised their children along with the many who referred to her as Mom.

She loved to cook and was famous for her homemade bread, Grandma Buns, apple slices,‘Tin Can’ raisin cakes and many other goodies that she shared liberally and lovingly with so many.

She greatly enjoyed visiting thrift store (especially Friends) and any garage sale she came across and was forever ready to go fishing.

Martha loved life and she cherished her family and friends. But above all, she loved God and never doubted His love for her. Yes, she is very much alive, for all eternity, with Jesus Christ her Lord and  Savior.

In 2020 Hubert and Martha moved to what they called their “Retirement Home” by the Lambert family on M-66. But she never slowed down for any retirement. She continued to be active with her family and friends.

Martha was famous for periodically decorating the country corner of 13 Mile and Falmouth Rd. with various humorous themes. To update the former neighbors of her whereabouts, she recently created a littler fisherman, dangling a huge fish and sporting a message, “Still alive and FISHING”.

True to form, the morning after her passing, Martha’s family discovered a big bowl of pancake batter lovingly prepared the previous evening for the weekly Monday morning breakfast.

She was preceded in death by her infant twins, Marsha and Mark, her brother, Marty Geertsema, her sister, Anna VanPolen and sister-in-law, Nancy Koetje.

She is survived and will be dearly missed by her husband, Hubert, her children, Steve (Laura), John (Connie), Don (Heidi), Joan (David) Meekhof, Carol (Jim) Lambert, Greg (Wendy) and Misti (Kent) VanHaitsma. She is also survived by her 13 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren along with many who cherished her and spent time with her.

In lieu of flowers please consider contributing to Friends Ministry.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 pm on Thursday, December 8, 2022 at the Vogel Center Christian Reformed Church with Rev. John Lee officiating. Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm until service time. There will also be visitation Wednesday, December 7, 2022 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Young-Holdship Funeral Home in Lake City.

Martha will be laid to rest in the Vogel Center Cemetery.

Words of comfort may be shared at www.holdshipfuneralhomes.com

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