June Elaine Wendt

June Wendt was a remarkable woman, a caring, compassionate and positive person. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, but above all, June was an amazingly nurturing woman to everyone around her.

The year was 1914, and the young couple of Christian and Marion (Plasterer) Hofmann were busy celebrating the birth of a beautiful baby girl, their second oldest of six children. June Elaine was born on a cold, snowy Saturday on December 19, 1914 in Huntington, Indiana, joining older brother Hank in the Hofmann's happy home. The Hofmann's would fill their family with her brothers Paul, Dick and Bob, as well as her only sister Pat, the baby of the family.

June grew up Huntington , which is the home town of former Vice President Dan Quayle, and graduated from Huntington High School . When June was 13, however, she went to live with her aunt and uncle nearby, to help them with their family. Even from that early age, June expressed her natural nurturing ability, and her uncommon willingness to help others.

After she graduated from high school, she moved north to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to attend nursing school at Mary Free Bed. (Her Uncle Bob lived in Grand Rapids and indicated to her that it was an excellent school). So June decided to move to Grand Rapids to pursue this field. This is where she met Ruth Wendt.

One day Ruth introduced her to a dashingly handsome man named Harry Wendt, who immediately swept young June off her feet. Harry was older and more mature, and for June it was truly love at first sight. They dated and quickly became engaged.

They were married on December 21, 1935. Shortly after the wedding, June learned Harry hadn't told the whole truth about his age when they started dating, and she thought about leaving him! But it didn't take her long to realize that he was the one for her.

The newlyweds settled in Holland, Michigan, sharing the home of Harry's parents and having two small rooms to themselves. However, the modest home was located on 80 acres with room to build another home. Here they would start their growing family, which soon included their beautiful daughter Ruth, who was born there. As the family expanded, June and Harry realized they needed more room, so they built a new home next door; a wonderful home where they would live the rest of their lives together. Soon the couple was blessed with three sons, Michael, David and Ernest, filling their new home with plenty of love and laughter - not to mention energy.

June was a fantastic mother, of course, always so nurturing, so encouraging to her children and later to her grandchildren as well. She and Harry also served as foster parents in the mid-1960s, and June would do whatever she could to help these children, which she loved like her own. She was such a positive influence on all their lives, and always told her children they could do anything they set their minds to, that she believed in them. June believed in people, and especially her beloved Harry, whom she always encouraged in his endeavors, whether it was his rock-collecting hobby or his businesses over the years.

June and Harry grew celery on the low lands of the 80 acres, and they also grew fruits and vegetables for local retail. Later, Christmas trees were grown. Their children remember helping out around the farm, picking raspberries and taking them to town to sell them (minus a few snacks, of course!).

Having a farm allowed June's talents to truly shine, and she became well-known for her amazing Green Thumb. She was famous for her elaborate flower gardens around their new home. June had so many plants, of all shapes, sizes and colors, even rare varieties. She was also very generous with them, and loved to share her creations with others. She was a lifetime member of the Holland Garden Club, and made up many of the floral displays for the Ottawa County Fair and the Holland Library. She was given many awards for her wonderful arrangements over the years.

June was always happy to help when she could, whatever it was. She was the kind of altruistic, selfless person people couldn't help but love, and graciously devoted her time to a number of worthy causes. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Questors Club, and volunteered for the American Red Cross, Holland Hospital , and DeGraaf Nature Center , in addition to her foster-parenting. She loved to watch the fruits of her labors, the satisfaction that came from doing well.

Her children remember her telling them that she used her first dime as a child to buy a bag of flower seeds, and growing wonderful plants from them; some of which are still growing today! But that was June. She was so creative at making the most of things, whether it was money (she could stretch $20 in grocery money farther than anyone), to her cooking, to almost anything else. She was also so creative and skilled in many different crafts, from painting to quilt-making. She also made many dolls for the children over the years, from Cabbage Patch kids to Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, too. She loved to see their faces light up when she gave them to the kids.

June loved children so much, and when her first grandchild came along, she looked like she was in Heaven. From that moment forward, her grandkids were the apple of her eye, and she loved to baby-sit for them, which she did quite often. Family was always the most important part of June's life, and she loved spending time with them more than anything. It didn't matter what it was, even the family's special picnics they often had at Ottawa Beach or Port Sheldon Park , June was always happiest to be around them. She loved to take pictures, too, especially of her kids and grandkids, of course, and she was famous for saying "Just one more," as she lined up the perfect photo. She also loved music dearly, a love she happily passed on to her children and grandchildren.

She passed so much on to those close to her. That much goodness in one woman can't help but spill over into all those around her. Every Arbor Day, June would venture into the field, and spend the day carefully, lovingly planting trees, doing her part to create a better world. June understood what so many of us forget, that life is a wonderful gift, a gift to be shared, and nurtured, and loved. June Wendt was truly a gift, a gift we will cherish and remember always. She will be so greatly missed.

June Elaine Hofmann Wendt, age 91, of Holland , went to be with the Lord in her Heavenly home Thursday, March 16, 2006 at Shore Haven Mercy Living Center in Grand Haven. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harry Eric Wendt on February 3, 1996. Surviving are her children, Ruth and Reiner Lange, of Milwaukee, WI, Michael and Carol Wendt, of Chandler, TX, David and Sharon Wendt, of Holland, and Ernest and Judith Wendt, of Holland; 11 Grandchildren; and 17 Great Grandchildren. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews. Funeral services are scheduled for Monday 10 a.m., at Peace Lutheran Church , 389 James St., Holland . Officiating will be the Rev. Earl Merz. Burial will be in Pilgrim Home Cemetery . Visitation is scheduled for Sunday, from 2-5 p.m., at the Northwood Chapel, Dykstra Life Story Funeral Homes, 295 Douglas Ave., Holland . Memorial contributions may be made to Shore Haven Mercy Living Center Activities Fund, 900 S. Beacon, Grand Haven, MI.