Barbara Gruizinga

Gruizinga, Barbara 2/8/1927 - 2/16/2022 Bear Lake, Michigan Barbara Jane Gruizinga, age 95, of Bear Lake, Michigan, previously a longtime resident of Kalamazoo, MI, Morris Plains, NJ, Hudson, NH, and Traverse City, MI, passed away peacefully at her home on Wednesday February 16, 2022. Barbara was born on February 8, 1927, in Kalamazoo, the daughter of the late Lewis and Mildred (Van Houten) Bush. On September 30, 1945, she married John Jacob Gruizinga at the United Methodist Church-Parchment in Kalamazoo and they shared 40 years together before John's passing on February 13, 1986. She was a homemaker until all her children were in school. She retired from International Paper Box Machine Company in Nashua, NH as a cost accounting clerk. Barbara was a member of the United Methodist Church in Parchment, MI, Morristown, NJ and Nashua, NH. She was a Den Mother for Cub Scouts and Scout Leader for Brownies and Girl Scouts as her children grew up. She volunteered at Red Cross Blood Drives in Nashua, NH for many years. She loved to do yard work and spent many happy hours in her beautiful flower gardens. She was famous for her pies and large family dinners. Barbara is survived by her sister Audrey Merrill of Portage, MI; her children Bonnie K. Baris of Bear Lake, MI, Patricia (Dan) Davidson of Palm Coast, FL, John R. Gruizinga of Brethren, MI, and Mary A. Tebbenhoff of Bear Lake, MI; eleven grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren and one great great grandchild. In addition to her parents and her husband, John, she was preceded in death by son Bernard L. Gruizinga; sister Dorothy Weed; brother Alan Bush; son-in-law Godefridus Tebbenhoff; and loving companion to son John, Jane Macomber. Services for Barbara will be held at a later date in Kalamazoo, MI. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude's Children Research Hospital. Please feel free to share a memory or photo with the family at www.oakgrovefh.com. The family has entrusted funeral arrangements with Oak Grove Funeral Home & Cremation Center of Manistee.