Les Flâneurs: Van Halsema

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Family get-together on Lake Michigan

For those of you who weren't here you missed a fine get together yesterday of some 20 or so Van Halsema cousins at the Great Lake House (previously Overview) overlooking Lake Michigan.

Dinner was catered by the Gnarly Heifer in Whitehall, Michigan; desserts provided by several folk including Susie, Laurie Ten Have-Chapman, and Barb DeKorne. Jen Galloway made a scrumptious salad and our host Dick Van Halsema laid out a vast array of nibbles: cheeses, crackers, fruit and other assorted goodies. He also had two well-stocked large tubs of various drinks on ice along with plenty of wine. I apologize if I missed anyone else.

Good food, and lively conversations with folks sharing lots of reminiscences and stories of days gone by. And hearing these stories never gets tiresome, at least for this outsider. I grew up in a single child household not knowing my one cousin so this is always a treat for me.

Linda and her mother Donna Kallemyn, with cousins Brenda Friedman and Melissa Loaney

Dale and Jane DeKorne

the gang

Jeff Loaney

Melissa Loaney

cousins Brenda Friedman, Dale DeKorne and Susie

sisters Melissa Loaney and Jen Galloway

Scott Galloway inspecting the stonework of the old chimeny

sisters Melissa and Jen

Scott and Jen Galloway

Me and Susie

We had to stay for the sunset. . . Dick VH sees this pretty much everyday now but for us it was truly a spectacular event. We can't thank him enough sharing the experience.

What a way to end a truly wonderful day among good friends sharing an incredible evening.

Happy Birthday Uncle Frank

From your sister, who loved you so very much:

Bernice Audrey Van Halsema Vanden Berg

Susie and I left Rhode Island in 2015 and moved to Grand Rapids because we could and because we wanted to help her mom remain as independent as possible and less dependent as possible on strangers. In the intervening nine years we've met some truly wonderful folk and had some grand experiences all the while spending time with one of the nicest people I have ever known.

It's really as simple as that. Or maybe it's not.

For those who knew her I can't really add anything more than what you already learned from your own experience.

And for those who didn't know her, well you missed out knowing one fine human being.

To learn more you can't do better than her obituary.

For a slide show of images from her life:

Her graveside service from 20 November 2024, performed by Laurie Ten Have-Chapman at Woodlawn Cemetery, close to the 17th green of Indian Trails Golf Course:

Oh, and the man holding the umbrella for Laurie in David Durston of Zaagman Funeral Home.

Photos of the interment courtesy of Dick Lucas Van Halsema:

Update from Grand Rapids

This week brought an unusual confluence of events.

First up was a fast-moving storm that came through late Thursday night; high winds and a tornado warning mixed with the emergency siren going off had lots of us scrambling into our basements. Fortunately, no tornado was actually sighted but the ferocity of the 60 or so seconds of incredible winds left lots of us in this part of Michigan without power.

That evening we joined several of our neighbors outside to review local damage damage and we were amazed at how many large branches had been ripped down. One tree at the entrance to Eaglecrest Drive actually ripped up and fell over on the power line but the line itself remained intact.

While we were pretty unscathed a trip around nearby neighborhoods -- in search of a charging station -- revealed the extent of the storm's damaging winds. Several houses had trees down on the, power lines torn down, and as seemingly endless variety of detritus littering streets, laws and even rooftops.

The power finally came back on at little after 1pm Saturday.

The second and by far more pleasing event was a Van Halsema cousin get together out at the old Overview house, now the Great Lakes House, on Lake Michigan. Susie and I picked up her mom about 3pm and met up with cousins Laurie and Jen and the five of us drove out to the get together.

The drive took only about an hour or so. For me, an only child (more or less) it was grand to see so many cousins renewing their bonds of family relationships, recalling with obvious fondness times spent growing up together and visits to Overview, all the while catching up on the details of all their various extended families.

One person was responsible for setting all this motion, Dick Van Halsema. It was his idea and he spent no small amount of time coordinating the arrangements and providing drinks and food, with some assistance from a few cousins.

And to top it all off the day, 25 August, happened to be the 50th wedding anniversary of Jack and Wilma DeKorne. And Bernice got to see and catch up with so many of her nieces and nephews, most of whom she had not seen for far too many years.

It was a truly special day. . . Plans were laid to repeat the event on August 24, 2024.