Annetta "Nettie" Smith

Annetta “Nettie” Smith lived a life that saw many changes in the world. But through them all, she remained a devoted and caring wife, mother and grandmother. Nettie was a constant in the lives of those who knew her, very dependable and loyal. In Nettie, her children found not only a mother, but also a friend.

The oldest of five children, Nettie Smith was born on March 11, 1921, in the Netherlands, and immigrated with her family to the United States when she was just two years old. They settled in the Coopersville area where Nettie and her siblings grew up. Her father supported the family working as a produce farmer, selling his crops from the back of his truck at local farmers markets. Being a farm girl, Nettie often accompanied her father on market days, and it was here that she learned to make change in her head at a very young age. She was a great help to her father. For school, she attended a one room country school near Coopersville.

As a young adult, Nettie worked in the factory of Hart and Cooley, in Holland, Michigan, as well as at the tannery in Grand Haven. While working at the tannery, a friend arranged for her to go on a blind date. Her date was a young man named Willard Smith, and this proved to be the beginning of 60 loving years of marriage. Nettie and Willard were blessed with five wonderful children, sons Dale, Wayne and Jan, and daughters Kathleen and Karen. Karen was born with Downs Syndrome and Nettie, already a devoted mother, became even more so, working to ensure that all of Karen’s needs were met.

While the children were growing up Nettie and her family enjoyed many trips with their travel trailer, including around Lake Superior, out to Yellowstone National Park, down to Florida, and around New England and the Maine coast. After Willard’s retirement, they went to Arizona three different years to spend a month away from the Michigan winters. Nettie especially enjoyed spending time at the family cottage on Gunn Lake, where everyone could enjoy the sun and water.

When not working or caring for her family, Nettie could be found busily involved in a number of activities. She was a wonderful cook, making big meals for her family, who especially loved her great pies. She took great pleasure in sharing the beauties of nature and enjoyed gardening, and picking wild flowers on her nature walks. She also liked to go antiquing, always on the look-out for a treasure. And if no treasures were found while antiquing, there was always the Thursday garage sales, followed by breakfast with the girls at a local restaurant.

In 2001, Nettie began to suffer the effects of dementia, and over time Willard became her full time care-giver. In spite of her health problems, they built and moved into a new home on Willard’s old family farm property in Holland, land that has been in the family for 130 years.

Although she will be deeply missed, Annetta Smith’s legacy of love and dedication leaves her loved ones with cherished memories and a strong foundation to look to for comfort.

Annetta “Nettie” Smith, age 87, of Holland, died Saturday July 19, 2008 at Holland Hospital. Her family includes her husband of 60 years Willard Smith of Holland; children: Dale and Pam Smith of Jamestown Twp., Wayne Smith of Spring Lake, Jan and Carrie Smith of Grand Haven, Kathleen Smith of Spring Lake, Karen Smith of Grand Haven; 3 grandchildren; 1 great granddaughter; sister Alberta and Joe Hudson of Ravenna; several in-laws, nieces, nephews and cousins. Services will be 1pm Wednesday July 23, 2008 at The Northwood Chapel Dykstra Life Story Funeral Home 295 Douglas Ave. Holland MI. Visitation will be from 7-9 pm Tuesday July 22, 2008 at The Northwood Chapel. Memorials may be made to Alzheimer Association of Ottawa County. Please visit Nettie’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com to sign the online registry, or share a photo or favorite memory.