Judy Mannes

Judy Mannes was an artist, a business woman, a mother, and friend. Although these roles were part of her life, the real Judy cannot be defined by any label. In remembering the events in her life, we see how she became the woman whose quiet elegance made a lasting impression on so many people.

Judy was born on December 31, 1945. At the time, America was celebrating the end of World War II. The introduction of television, indoor plumbing, and penicillin had changed American life forever.

Although the country was modernizing quickly, Judy spent her first years relatively isolated from these new conveniences. Her parents, Tony and Angeline Westerhof, owned a farm in East Saugatuck. They lived rather quiet lives, yet they loved to spoil their only child. Judy only got one “lickin’” in her childhood, after she had hit her father in the head with a lollipop. Tony received a lump on his forehead, and Judy got her one and only spanking.

After two years of living on the farm, the Westerhof’s moved to Holland. Judy’s mother was a city girl, and she had wanted to move back to Holland for quite some time. When Judy sneezed while helping out on the farm, her mother used it as excuse to move. “This child is going to contract pneumonia,” she said, and Tony finally gave in.

Judy liked living in the city. Holland became her new home, the place where she learned to dance ballet, roller skate, and play tennis. By the time she was 12, the tennis courts had become more than just a place to swing a racket. Judy often went to the courts with her friends to look for boys. This strategy ended up working, but not the way she expected. One day, while she was watching "the boys" play tennis, she got hit in the head with a flyaway ball. It had come from over the wall, and Judy stormed over to throw the ball back at the young man who had hit her. Dave Mannes was his name, and by the end of the day, he was smitten with Judy. Judy was 12 and Dave was 15 at the time, and they began dating.

Judy’s mom approved of the young man, from the moment he entered the house and headed straight to the kitchen in search of food. As their relationship grew, Dave gave Judy a diamond necklace that she wore every day from that moment on. They dated throughout high school, though Judy was often very busy working with Carousel Mountain as the Snow Queen where she worked as a model. She even traveled for the company for an entire year, doing photo shoots to promote the ski lodge. Although the couple grew apart for a while, they knew they were meant to be together. They married in 1965.

After living in Jenison for a year, the couple got some unexpected news. Dave had gone out to the mailbox, only to find a draft notice waiting for him. It also happened to be the night of their first wedding anniversary, but they decided to celebrate anyway. Before long, they had more big news: Judy was pregnant. Dave left for Vietnam seven months into her pregnancy. Unfortunately, he was not able to see his daughter until she was five months old, and even then he was only on temporary leave.

After another year and a half of service, Dave returned home to be with his family. They purchased a home in Holland and lived there for five years. By then, it was time to move into their new home they built in Graafschap, therefore providing Missy lots of room to play and ride her horses. Although Judy was reluctant to live on a farm, she ended up liking it. She and Dave raised horses for the next 20 years. Meanwhile, Judy began a business called “That Special Touch,” a flower business that specialized in Christmas and wedding arrangements. She later started another company, Videa, a video production house that created ads.

Although Judy sold her interest in this business two years later, she did not lose her entrepreneurial spirit, and with her good friend Tom Baumann, they created the “Sweetheart Bridal Show” that lasted for eight years. Judy and Tom also created a tour company at Tom’s travel agency. Later, they purchased and managed the Marathon Quick Mart, on the south side of Holland. By 1989, Judy decided to focus her attention more on the business which her husband and daughter had started. She became their office manager until 1999, when they sold the business.

Judy had retired from the business world, but she was far from idle. She had always loved painting and art, so she began taking many art classes. Her teachers greatly respected her talent, and loved her as a person.

Through her art, Judy was able to express her lifetime of emotions. She had lived through many events, all of them contributing greatly to the person she became. Her humility, sincerity, and kindness touched many people, and they will remember her always.

Judy Lynn Mannes, departed to be with the Lord on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 at home. She was preceded in death by her father, Anton “Tony” Westerhof. She is survived by her husband of 39 years, David, of Holland; a daughter, Melissa Mannes, of Holland; her mother Gertrude Angeline Westerhof, of Holland; and a Sister-in-law, Nancy Baker, of Holland. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, 11:00 a.m., at Christ Memorial Church. Officiating will be the Rev. Bill Boersma. Visitation is scheduled for Friday, from 7-9 p.m., at the Mulder Chapel, Dykstra Funeral Homes, 188 W. 32nd St. Burial will be in Graafschap Cemetery. To read Judy's life story, share a memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribution on-line please visit her personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com.