Jeanette Van Dyck

It is often said that there are no guarantees in life except that one day we will cease to live. For the family and friends of Jeanette Van Dyck, however, this statement isn't true. As long as Jeanette was on this earth, her family knew that they could always depend on her, no matter what. Family was Jeanette's priority, and being there for them was her life's work. Whether she was crafting an outfit for one of her children, making one of her famous malts at Bunte's, or braiding the hair of one of the neighborhood girls, Jeanette made sure she did it all with a smile on her face, just to let you know how much she truly cared.

In the early 20th century, hemlines were rising, waistlines were falling, and department stores had become the norm for purchasing the latest styles. Of course if you wanted the latest fashions, Paris was the place to go, and in 1917, Coco Chanel was establishing herself as one of the premier designers of the day. Meanwhile back in the U.S. on February 12th of that same year, John and Jenny (Nyboer) Harthorn of East Saugatuck, Michigan , were welcoming their own future fashionista into the world, a daughter they named Jeanette.

Jeanette was one of eight siblings born into the Harthorn family, growing up near the shores of Lake Michigan . She was coming of age in an era that would define the term pop culture, as we know it today. Jazz and, later, Big Band music was hitting the airwaves, Hollywood was defining itself as the glitz and glamour capital of the world, and the American dream was spelled out in Fitzgerald's famous work, The Great Gatsby. Jeanette attended school through the 8th grade, but like many young women of her time, continuing through high school was not always prudent.

As a young woman, Jeanette enjoyed going to dance halls to hear sweet jazz music, hang out with friends, and, of course, cut an occasional rug. During the 1930's, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, and Duke Ellington were all making a name for themselves as bandleaders, and in dance halls across the country many young men were aspiring to be like them. While out one night in Saugatuck, Jeanette happened to run into one of those aspiring young men, a trumpet player named Roland Van Dyck. This, however, wasn't her first time meeting Roland, she had met him once when he dated one of her sisters, and then a second time when he had dated another one of her sisters. Jeanette may not have been able to overlook Roland's past as a modern-day Don Juan had it not been for his charming confidence and striking curly hair. With that in mind, she did not have a problem saying I do to Roland at their beautiful springtime wedding.

Now living just north of East Saugatuck in Holland , Jeanette and Roland did not waste much time before starting a family of their own. In the years that followed, the couple had three children, Robert, Juanita, and Sally, and, while the children were young, Jeanette devoted much of her life to her kids and husband. Life in the Van Dyck home always centered on family, and one of the things they enjoyed doing together was traveling. Roland was originally from Oklahoma , and most of his relatives were still there, so this was one of the primary destinations for the Van Dyck family.

No matter what the family did or where they went, they always did so in style, thanks to Jeanette. She had a special eye for fashion trends and, after combing the latest Sears catalog for ideas; she put her talents as a seamstress to good use. Finding the right (Take out patterns and) material, she could create or recreate any of the day's hottest looks. She also loved to shop, spending hours on end at stores, making sure she kept up with the latest styles. And, if while shopping she found something that caught her eye, but wasn't quite right, she could surely make her own rendition even better than the original.

At one point Jeanette decided she would like her own car, and, being the independent woman that she was, she turned her passion for fashion into a career and got a job at Ruby's Clothing Store in Washington Square . Friends and family later found out that not only could Jeanette make a mean wide leg trouser, but an even better malt, when she got a job working the soda fountain at Bunte's on 8th St. With a lot of hard work and determination, she finally earned enough money to buy the car she wanted. When Jeanette wasn't taking care of her family or working at one of her jobs, she also made time to be with friends and people in the community. She was a member of the Neighborhood Coffee Klutz for over forty years, as well as a long time member of the Central Park Reformed Church. And with what time she had left, she enjoyed bowling.

As Jeanette's children began to have families of their own, Jeanette relished every minute of being a grandmother, and later a great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. Between the years she had with her own children, and the ones spent with the grandchildren, Jeanette never ceased to have a smile on her face. At age 72, she had a stroke that left her with limited mobility; however, Jeanette was a great fighter and refused to let the rest of her life pass by without being part of it. Despite all of the physical limitations and struggles she faced later in life, everyday she made wearing a smile seem effortless.

Jeanette Van Dyck age 90 of Holland, died Friday, March 10, 2006 at Haven Park Christian Nursing Home. She was preceded in death by two sons-in-law- Curtis H. Brown in 1993 and Herb Wybenga in 2004 and a granddaughter- Lynn Rydell in 2005. Surviving is her husband- Roland; Children- Robert and Iris Van Dyck of Holland, Juanita Wybenga of Alma, Sally Brown and Dean Heyboer of Holland; 12 grandchildren, 3 step grandchildren, several great and step great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren; sister- Marie Weighmink of Holland; in-laws- Grace Harthorn of Holland, John Van Dyck of Florida, Virgil and Janice Van Dyck of Oklahoma, and Beryl Van Dyck of Oklahoma; several nephews, nieces, and cousins.

Services will be held 11 am Tuesday at the Dykstra Life Story Funeral Homes-Northwood Chapel, 295 Douglas Ave. Burial will be in the Graafschap Cemetery . Visiting will be one hour prior to the service at the chapel. Please visit Jeanette's personal memory page @ www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribution to either Haven Park Christian Nursing Home or one's own choice.