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Carolyn "Kelly" Post

August 5, 1920 - September 23, 2017
Grand Rapids, MI

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Visitation

Saturday, October 7, 2017
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
Porter Hills Meeting House
3600 E. Fulton
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
(616) 949-4971
Web Site

Service

Saturday, October 7, 2017
2:00 PM EDT
Porter Hills Meeting House
3600 E. Fulton
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
(616) 949-4971
Web Site

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Emmanuel Hospice
401 Hall St. SW, Suite 263
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
(616) 719-0919

Porter Hills Benevolent Fund
3600 E. Fulton
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
(616) 949-4971
Web Site

Flowers


Below is the contact information for a florist recommended by the funeral home.

Ball Park Floral
8 Valley Ave.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
(616) 459-3409
Driving Directions
Web Site

Life Story / Obituary


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Carolyn Post was an exceptional human being. A hard worker her whole life, she proudly helped her family and supported her husband, Peter, with a servant’s heart. She knew the value of a life well lived and nothing brought her greater joy than to share in the many accomplishments of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She leaves behind a rich legacy of being a friendly person always offering up compliments to others. She managed to keep her beautiful gift of humor and remain independent well into her aging years. A true American from the greatest generation, Carolyn will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.

Looking back on the 1920’s, it was a period of stable economic where radio stations were thriving and the media was focused on jazz music and celebrities. At the brink of what would be known as the Roaring Twenties, Isaac and Neeltje (deJonge) VandeSchraaf welcomed home their newborn daughter, Carolyn on August 5, 1920, in Holland, Michigan.

Her parents were immigrants from the Netherlands who settled on a farm in South Dakota with their sponsors. Pregnant with Carolyn, her mother, Neeltje was offended by someone back on the farm, so she scraped together enough money to afford she and her daughter, Marie train tickets to Holland to visit relatives. Hence, Carolyn was born there before they returned to the farm in South Dakota. There was a certain amount of tenacity among those who lived through these trying times and Carolyn was never one to sulk. Instead, she took on every challenge with a positive spirit including the death of her mother at the tender age of ten years old. With her mother gone, her father was left to care for her and her four other siblings, including her six-month-old infant brother. Her father placed an advertisement for a housekeeper and little did he know that the person who answered his plea, Margaret Visser would later become his wife.

Typical of the times, Carolyn completed formal schooling in a one-room schoolhouse through the eighth grade and stopped in order to pitch in to support the family. Relocating to Grand Rapids proved to be a highlight during those years, where she secured jobs housekeeping, cooking, and providing childcare for many families in the area. Together they made their family home on Arnold Street in the Wyoming area.

A local roller rink proved to be the perfect setting to meet the man of her dreams, Peter Post! Ten years her senior, he lived on a family farm in the Ravenna/Coopersville area. The two of them hit it off right from the start! By November of 1939, they exchanged vows at their pastor’s home committing themselves to the faithful promises of husband and wife. They made their first home on Alpine Avenue and began their family. Just after their son, Roger was born, Peter took work as a manufacturer joining the war effort. Turned down for his size while attempting to enlist in the service, as luck would have it, his small stature proved to be just what the factory needed for inspecting the torpedo bays for military submarines! By then, their son, Melvin had joined the family and soon after, their daughter, Laura, and their son, Keith, completing their family. A busy dad, Peter worked construction as a builder. His exceptional skills afforded him the opportunity to build the family home on Houseman NE in Grand Rapids.

By the time, their youngest son, Keith was school bound, Carolyn went back to work as a waitress, hostess, and cashier at the Ottawa Grill during the lunch shift. Convenient and close to home, she was able to get the kids off to school and be there when the bus brought them back home again in the afternoon. It was the perfect job to keep her busy while also helping to support her children’s busy lives over the years. Later in the early 1970’s Carolyn returned to the work she loved, housekeeping at Porter Hills Village! Carolyn spent time building relationships with all the residents and always saw to it that they were treated with the best of care. She never turned down a personal request as she wanted each and every one of them to feel right at home. Working there for many years, Carolyn was so well liked, she was even able to get her children jobs there!

After she retired, she and Peter enjoyed a meager retirement. Carolyn retired from Porter Hills. With a great love of the outdoors, they shared many day trips and treasured the fall season when they could explore the fall colors and visit roadside stands to get a taste of a good, Michigan apple! Attending the Saturday morning farmer's market became a ritual for the two of them where they frequented the regular vendors and took time to enjoy one another’s company. Their lives were richly blessed with grandchildren and they savored their time with them. She and Peter even watched their son, Keith’s children for several years where they were known to call her home, “grandma daycare!” They enjoyed baking with her during those years as she could bake nearly anything. Carolyn also enjoyed reading, especially in her later years, where she was known to get so far into books, she couldn’t put them down!

Carolyn devoted her entire life to serving others. She was a longtime member of her church, Aberdeen Reformed where she provided nursery care, led Sunday school, greeted members and guests, and was active in the women’s ministry and prayer chain. There simply wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do to live out her faith. Carolyn was so steadfast in her beliefs, she never missed a single daily devotional!

Sadly, Peter passed away in 1999 and Carolyn leaned into the support of her loving family. She spent time with her grandchildren never missing an opportunity to share in their successes and celebrate their birthdays with a special note or card. Her tender and caring ways will be forever remembered by her many special friends and family.

Loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend, Carolyn “Kelly” Post, of Grand Rapids, Michigan passed away September 23, 2017, at Porter Hills Village. She is also preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Peter Post; son, Roger Post; siblings, Marie, Pat, John, and Neal. Carolyn will be remembered for her servant's heart, her positive outlook, and the special friendship she offered. She will be missed by her children, Melvin (Pamela Prorok) Post of Grand Rapids, Laura (Bill) Rottschafer of Holland, Keith (Rachel) Post of Grand Rapids; grandchildren, Douglas, Kevin, Amy, Julia (Derek), Kelli, Andrew, Colin (Rachel), Aubrey; and great-grandchildren. Also surviving are her sister, Anna (Rodney) Kosters; sisters-in-law, Janice VandeSchraaf, Selma VandeSchraaf, and Sadie Crowley; and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 7 at 2 PM at Porter Hills Village Meeting House (please use the west entrance), 3600 E. Fulton. Friends may visit with the family beginning at 1 PM. Private family burial will be in Fairplains Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Porter Hills Benevolent Fund or Emmanuel Hospice. Please visit Carolyn's personal webpage to read more of her life story, leave a memory, condolence or sign the online guestbook at www.lifestorynet.com.

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