Rhea Glazier

With a life that spanned nearly a century, Rhea Glazier lived to love, nurture, and serve the family she treasured. She was no stranger to hard work, yet she also realized that life is for savoring, too. Rhea was warm and approachable with an unmistakable sparkle in her eye and a quick wit coupled with a fun-loving sense of humor. She was a woman of great poise and timeless wisdom who inspired others through her words, but most importantly through the way she lived out the things she believed each and every day. Life will never be the same without Rhea here, but her timeless legacy will continue on through the generations who follow her.

The closing of the 1910s was marked by the end of WWI, and the decade that followed was one of great prosperity. Affordable cars, radios, and motion pictures in both color and sound were signs of the time. It was just as the Roaring Twenties were dawning that a young couple from Gettysburg, Ohio, was pleased to announce the birth of their baby girl on November 13, 1921. Rhea Elizabeth was the 12th of 13 children born to her parents, Albert and Julia (Wilcox) Shafer, and she was raised on the family farm alongside her siblings. They raised both sheep and crops, and her mother was also in charge of the chickens. Rhea and her siblings were responsible for several chores, which for Rhea meant making lunches for her siblings and then delivering them. She also attended local schools.

After graduating from high school Rhea took some additional courses in secretarial work. She put these skills to good use when she found work in Dayton. Life was not all about work, however, as she was an energetic young woman who also liked to have fun.

Life was forever changed for Rhea when she met a young servicemen from the Air Force who was stationed in Dayton. His name was Jack C. Glazier, and after dating for a time they were married during the days of WWII. Rhea was a candy striper at a local hospital during this time. With the war’s end in 1945, the couple moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where they initially lived with his parents before getting a place of their own. They lived in a couple houses before settling into a place at 1029 Drexel Street, NE that Rhea would call home for nearly 50 years.

Soon after marrying the couple started their family, having four children over the five years that followed. She joked that she wanted to have all her kids before she was 30, but she managed to accomplish just that. With more than enough to keep her busy at home, Rhea remained out of the workforce while raising her family. She loved the hustle and bustle of motherhood with kids so close in age to one another. This also meant that when her children grew older they all moved out one right after the other, which left Rhea feeling very empty and with more free time than she wanted since even when they were in school she was busy volunteering for their various school activities.

Rhea made life such an adventure for her kids. She often brought them here or there with Sundays often being spent at Muskegon State Park where she cooked fried chicken in a pan with potato salad. At times they took some trips a bit further from home including a few camping trips. Most vacations were for visiting family members as there were several trips to Ohio where they enjoyed stays with her parents. Rhea began taking her children to church after being invited by their neighbors, which meant that attending Northlawn United Methodist Church was part of their Sunday routine for years. Rhea loved taking her children to vacation Bible school and singing in the choir at church. She was dedicated to getting there, too, since they often walked no matter the weather as they only had one car. Rhea continued to attend until she moved into a retirement home during her sunset years.

As her children got older, Rhea refreshed her skills at Davenport and then found work as a secretary with the Grand Rapids Board of Education. She enjoyed this job, particularly the social interaction, and remained there for many years before retiring.

When her children got older and made their own way, Rhea’s role in their lives changed. She and Jack divorced as she wanted both parents in the home during their formative years. Although she was there when asked, Rhea never interfered in her children’s adult lives. She loved watching her grandchildren whether it was for a quick hour or for an overnight visit. Rhea enjoyed just playing with them and was even willing to sled with them in the winter. Later on she loved being with her great-grandchildren and wanted to be kept up to date in the lives of all the younger children. There was never anything more important to Rhea than family, and even though she had a tiny kitchen she loved preparing a wonderful meal and packing everyone around her kitchen table. She always joked that she was a better housekeeper when her children were younger as being busy forced her to remain on top of everything.

A woman of many interests, Rhea was always busy. She was a wonderful gardener who loved working in the flower garden in her yard as well as growing vegetables at her daughter’s house. Rhea had an amazing green thumb as she could make anything grow, and she could often be found out in her gardens at 6 a.m during what she called her quiet time. She was also an avid reader whose reading material often included novels by Louis L’Amour.

All who knew Rhea would agree that she was truly an extraordinary woman. She was friendly and outgoing, making friends with ease, and she had a tremendous sense of humor. Rhea loved giving people grief in a joking way as she also had such a quick wit. Rhea lived out her faith and saw things as black or white with no gray area. There was nothing like that twinkle in her eye that was a reflection of her never ending zest for life.

As Rhea’s health diminished during her later years her mind became clouded with dementia, which brought her to Clark Home where she lived for several years. She spent the last two years of her life at Laurels of Hudsonville, and while living in both of these places she was a favorite among the staff with her spunky personality that remained with her until nearly the end.

A dear woman to many, Rhea Glazier was a true blessing. She was never concerned with building wealth, rather, she made it her life’s focus to touch hearts. The heartbeat of wherever she was, Rhea will be deeply missed while her memory is forever cherished.

Mrs. Rhea Glazier, age 92 of Grand Rapids, passed away August 20, 2014. She was preceded in death by her 12 brothers and sisters; by her granddaughter Faith Glazier, and by her great grandson Jackson Littler. Rhea is survived by her children Colleen & Roger Moerdyk, Mike & Kathy Glazier, Sharon Beckwith and Pat Whyatt; 9 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren. A service to remember and celebrate Rhea's life will be held on Saturday, August 23 at 11 AM at Northlawn United Methodist Church, corner of Northlawn and Fuller NE, where friends may visit with her family from 10 AM until the service. For those who wish, memorial contributions to Northlawn United Methodist Church are appreciated. To read more about her life, to share a memory or to sign her guestbook, please visit www.lifestorynet.com