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StaffLife Story Funeral Director
mneitzel@lifestorynet.com
The family is one of nature's masterpieces from which come many wonderful things, including character. And good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day with love and patience. Mark knows the meaning of family and the value of character.
Mark was born and raised in Bay City. In high school he played baseball, football, basketball, and track. Baseball was his favorite; he was a pitcher, played short-stop and was selected as an All-State player. Mark enjoyed attending school with his brothers, too, one older and one younger; and together, as older brothers would naturally do, they all looked out for their younger sister.
Mark's grandparents lived close by and gave him a proud appreciation for his European heritage as he mowed their grass and listened to their stories. He remembers when his grandfather died. Mark was seven years old; he saw the ambulance tracks in the grass. At the funeral home he put his hand on his grandpa's hand as his dad told him it would be the last time he'd see his grandpa. No one knew yet that Mark would become a funeral director.
When Mark was at Saginaw Valley State University studying accounting he worked part-time at a funeral home, mowing the lawn and washing the cars. He quickly saw that funeral service was interesting work and that not many people do it. The funeral home noticed him, too, and encouraged him to consider a career in funeral work. Mark did exactly that and went to Wayne State University College of Mortuary Science. While he was there he met Steve Palmateer from Dykstra's and, as they say, the rest is history. As soon as there was an opening at Dykstra's Steve called Mark and Mark came to Holland.
Mark met his future bride, Debbie Young, through one of "The Boys" from Dykstra's, who just happened to be Debbie's brother, Rick Young. They were married a year later in Debbie's home town of Lake City, MI where, incidentally, her father and her brother are the funeral directors. Debbie grew up living above the funeral home and so she understands Mark's work very well.
Mark and Debbie have two sons, Zachary and Jacob, and Mark is already grooming the boys into Red Wings and Michigan Fans-which won't be difficult for him-and teaching them the in's and out's of the world of baseball. Their black lab, Maddie, is an important member of the family, too.
Mark and his family enjoy living in Holland. They are members of First Reformed Church and admire the high degree of church and school involvement throughout the Holland community. They also appreciate how people work together to always make the city better. In a weak moment, though, you might get Mark to admit he misses being close to 'the old' Tiger Stadium.
Family and being close is what's most important to Mark. He knows how good it is for his children to know their grandparents and to keep in touch with their aunts and uncles. He and Debbie want to be sure Zachary and Jacob feel connected to their family and that they value that connection the same way they did when they were growing up. If you were to ask Mark who his heroes are he would probably say his parents. He knows all the things they did for their children, little by little, day by day, with love and patience. And now he wants to duplicate that with his own family. In other words, the family is a masterpiece-the one you come from as well as the one you build yourself.
Mark was born and raised in Bay City. In high school he played baseball, football, basketball, and track. Baseball was his favorite; he was a pitcher, played short-stop and was selected as an All-State player. Mark enjoyed attending school with his brothers, too, one older and one younger; and together, as older brothers would naturally do, they all looked out for their younger sister.
Mark's grandparents lived close by and gave him a proud appreciation for his European heritage as he mowed their grass and listened to their stories. He remembers when his grandfather died. Mark was seven years old; he saw the ambulance tracks in the grass. At the funeral home he put his hand on his grandpa's hand as his dad told him it would be the last time he'd see his grandpa. No one knew yet that Mark would become a funeral director.
When Mark was at Saginaw Valley State University studying accounting he worked part-time at a funeral home, mowing the lawn and washing the cars. He quickly saw that funeral service was interesting work and that not many people do it. The funeral home noticed him, too, and encouraged him to consider a career in funeral work. Mark did exactly that and went to Wayne State University College of Mortuary Science. While he was there he met Steve Palmateer from Dykstra's and, as they say, the rest is history. As soon as there was an opening at Dykstra's Steve called Mark and Mark came to Holland.
Mark met his future bride, Debbie Young, through one of "The Boys" from Dykstra's, who just happened to be Debbie's brother, Rick Young. They were married a year later in Debbie's home town of Lake City, MI where, incidentally, her father and her brother are the funeral directors. Debbie grew up living above the funeral home and so she understands Mark's work very well.
Mark and Debbie have two sons, Zachary and Jacob, and Mark is already grooming the boys into Red Wings and Michigan Fans-which won't be difficult for him-and teaching them the in's and out's of the world of baseball. Their black lab, Maddie, is an important member of the family, too.
Mark and his family enjoy living in Holland. They are members of First Reformed Church and admire the high degree of church and school involvement throughout the Holland community. They also appreciate how people work together to always make the city better. In a weak moment, though, you might get Mark to admit he misses being close to 'the old' Tiger Stadium.
Family and being close is what's most important to Mark. He knows how good it is for his children to know their grandparents and to keep in touch with their aunts and uncles. He and Debbie want to be sure Zachary and Jacob feel connected to their family and that they value that connection the same way they did when they were growing up. If you were to ask Mark who his heroes are he would probably say his parents. He knows all the things they did for their children, little by little, day by day, with love and patience. And now he wants to duplicate that with his own family. In other words, the family is a masterpiece-the one you come from as well as the one you build yourself.
