Sarah Audrey Kamp

With a life that spanned times of war and times of peace, times of plenty and times of want, Sarah Kamp created a priceless collection of memories while holding her loved ones near. She was a loving wife and devoted mother who was filled with unspeakable joy to witness her family tree blossom to include branches of loved ones who were her greatest source of pride and joy. Sarah was outgoing and social in the community she called home for much of her life. A dear woman to many, she will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

The decade that is often referred to as the Roaring Twenties was a great time to be an American. Radios, affordable cars, and refrigerators were signs of the time while prosperity blanketed the nation for nearly the entire decade. During this time Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb made baseball America’s favorite pastime, and the lights of Broadway never shined brighter. Amidst this eventful time was the year 1925 that was a year of great excitement for Harold and Grace Short as they were eagerly anticipating the birth of their new baby as spring emerged on the horizon. Their wait was over on March 24th when the baby girl they named Sarah Audrey drew her first breath. She was joined in her family by two half-sisters, Dorothy and Madeline, and she spent the first ten years of her life in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. In 1935 Sarah and her family moved from Drexel Hill, located in the southeastern region of the state, to Miami, Florida. She was a student at local schools who went on to graduate from Miami High School in the mid-forties.

New and exciting changes were in store for Sarah when she met the young man with whom she would share the best years of her life. His name was John Kamp, and it wasn’t long after they met that they found themselves deeply in love. With a desire to spend the rest of their lives together Sarah and John were married on October 28, 1945.

The young couple moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, but they moved around a bit through the years including to Pella, Iowa, and Moline, Michigan. Several of their years were spent in the Chicago area where John was the executive director of Elim Christian School in Palos Heights, Illinois. Along the way Sarah and John were blessed with the births of three daughters, Debby, Diane, and Denise. She deeply loved her children and was pleased when grandchildren came along later in life.

Upon their retirement, Sarah and John moved to Holland, Michigan, where she remained for nearly the rest of her life. She settled right in there and became involved in the community in numerous ways. Sarah was active as long as she could be, too. One of her favorite things was doing water aerobics with her friends, “the water lilies” at the Holland Community Pool. In addition, she enjoyed bicycling, was a member of the Holland Women’s Literary Club, and was also member of the Pillar Church in Holland. At home Sarah liked relaxing with classic movies. As her family and friends can attest, she was an avid college basketball fan who couldn’t get enough of March Madness. It was so thrilling for Sarah to keep up with the Big Ten every year as she was a huge fan of all the teams and excitement that goes along with pursuing that title.

During her sunset years Sarah spent time living at Perry Farm Village in Harbor Springs where she received superb care. From there she went to Boulder Park Terrace for a time and was under the care of Hospice of Northwest Michigan.

A loving and kindhearted woman, Sarah Kamp was a blessing to those around her. She was never one to worry about building wealth or accumulating possessions, rather, she made it her focus to live life to fullest each day. Sarah’s warm and approachable demeanor drew others near with ease. She will be dearly missed and forever remembered by her many friends and loved ones.

Sarah Audrey Kamp, of Harbor Springs and formerly of Holland, Michigan, died on Thursday, July 31, 2014, at Boulder Park Terrace Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Charlevoix, Michigan. Sarah’s family includes her daughter, Diane and her husband, Mike Clayton, of Big Timber, Montana; daughter, Denise, and her husband, Randy Evans, of Bay Harbor, Michigan; grandchildren, Jonathan Mc Mahon of Austin, Texas and Dana Tuinier of Los Angeles, California; and many nieces and nephews. Sarah was preceded in death by her husband, John, and her daughter, Debby. A memorial service, celebrating Audrey’s life will be held on Saturday, August 9, 2014, at 4:00 p.m. at the Dykstra Funeral Home - Northwood Chapel, 295 Douglas Avenue, Holland, Michigan. Reverend Chris DeVos will be officiating. Burial will be in Lakewood Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be directed to Hospice of Northwest Michigan, 220 W. Garfield, Charlevoix, MI 49720. To sign an on-line registry or leave a memory, please visit www.dykstrafuneralhome.com