Jean Bronkema Zahm

LIFESTORY:

Jean Zahm lived a long and full life; the secret to which she said was to have “eternal optimism and love of laughter.” Jean was a caring and compassionate woman who brought a smile and sense of humor to any situation. She was a person you could never forget, and her charm stayed with you long after she had gone.

Jean and her twin sister, Anna, were born on April 24, 1905, in Riverside (McBain), Michigan to John and Maggie Bronkema. Raised somewhere in the middle of a family that included 14 children, Jean grew up in a happy home on her family’s farm in rural McBain, where they sang and danced together every night for fun. Jean, Anna and two of her brothers went on to sing at local community events too. Jean attended school through the 8th grade, but living out in the country made travel to the nearest high school just too far, so she dropped out.

When the excitement of the Roaring 20s came around, Jean and Anna set out to look for jobs in the city, and soon became employed at Keefers Restaurant on 8th Street in downtown Holland. Eventually, after Anna married and started her own family, Jean moved to Chicago for a time but then returned to West Michigan, settling in Grand Rapids. Here she took a job as a seamstress at Globe Knitting Works, making children’s clothes and men’s underwear. After retiring from her job in 1973, at the age of 68, Jean became a charter resident at Pine Oak Apartments, and began spending her winters in sunny Florida.

With music in her soul, Jean never lost her passion for singing and dancing. After retiring, she took the opportunity to get back into it by doing some ballroom dancing. In 1975, she proudly won first place in a ballroom dancing competition in Detroit. Five years later, Jean started a different kind of dance with Edward F. Zahm, who swept her off her feet in a whirlwind courtship. They were happily married in 1981. In her ever-witty way, Jean said, “This was really funny. I just married the first man that asked me.” The couple spent the next 10 years wintering at Ed’s villa in Bradenton, Florida, until his passing in 1992.

At the age of 100, Jean moved to Walden Woods Retirement Village in Wyoming, and later into assisted living when she suffered a fall and needed additional care. Jean had nothing but wonderful words for the staff and daily caregivers at Walden Woods, and it was there that Jean celebrated the milestone of her 104th birthday. In fact, among her siblings, Jean was the only surviving member of her family. After suffering a stroke 2 weeks ago, Jean was placed under the care of Hospice of Michigan, who gave her special, loving care in her final days.

Jean will be lovingly remembered for her warm sense of humor, singing and dancing, and love of her family. She will be greatly missed.

Jean Bronkema Zahm, age 104, of Wyoming, MI passed away on Monday, June 29, 2009. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward F. Zahm, as well as seven brothers: George, Ralph, William, Benjamin, Henry and John, and six sisters: Helen Bushen, Mary VanHaitsma, Nellie, Anna Bogard, Gertrude Crandle and Janet Yonkman. Her sense of humor is lovingly remembered by her special niece, Carol, brother John’s widow, Henrietta of Sparta, and by many other nieces and nephews.

A service to celebrate Jean’s life will be held on Friday, July 3, at 2:00 p.m. at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, Grand Rapids. Friends are invited to meet the relatives for one hour prior to the service, 1 – 2 p.m. on Friday. She will be buried in Rosedale Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her name to Waldon Woods Retirement Village, 2600 Waldon Woods Drive, Wyoming, MI 49519. Please visit Jean’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory with her family or sign her online guest book.