Obituaries: Oct. 5, 2026
Our sympathies are with these local families.
Pamela Gail Hadden
August 9, 1936-September 30, 2026
Pamela Gail Hadden, age 90, entered into the arms of her Lord and savior on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, while surrounded by her family.
Pam had a heart of gold and deeply cherished her family and time spent with them. She was a person who had abundant joy and loved to share it with anyone she met, especially her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (who brought her the most joy!).
Pam was devoted to her faith in Christ and strived to live out her life as a reflection of her Lord. She made sure to witness to all, even up to the time of her passing. She will be missed by all those who knew her.
Pam will be remembered by her children, Kris (Al) Hoekstra, Marcy Vander Ploeg, Jenny (Jeff) Klein, Jan (Chad) Kryska; grandchildren, Kurt (Mariah) Hoekstra, Kevin (Michelle) Vander Ploeg, Nick Vander Ploeg, Eric (Cheyanne) Vander Ploeg, Jayson Klein, Brendan Klein, Lauren (Alex) O’Bezil, Logan (Katelyn) Kryska, Calvin (Tori) Kryska, Dawson (Maddie) Kryska; 11 great-grandchildren; and many extended family and friends.
She is reunited with her husband, Gerald “Jerry” Hadden, and son, John Frederick Hadden.
A memorial service celebrating Pam’s life will be at 11 a.m. Monday, October 12, 2026, at Cook Memorial Chapel (East Building), 4235 Prairie St. SW, Grandville, MI 49418, with visitation from 10-10:45 a.m. prior to the service. In memory of Pam and in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Covenant Community Church.
The family welcomes memories and messages at cookcaresgrandville.com in Pam’s online guestbook.
Vivian Alice Hartman
November 12, 1943-October 2, 2026
Vivian Alice Hartman passed on October 2, 2026, at the age of 82.
She was born on November 12, 1943, and resided in Holland, Michigan.
No services are scheduled at this time.
Louise Ann Liefer
September 22, 1944-October 1, 2026
Louise Ann Liefer passed on October 1, 2026, at the age of 82.
She was born on September 22, 1944, and lived in Jenison, Michigan.
No services are scheduled at this time.
May McCleery
April 24, 1928-October 2, 2026
Mary "May" Elizabeth McCleery, age 98, of Zeeland, passed away on Friday, October 2, 2026.
Born and raised in Northern Ireland, May immigrated to the United States in 1973 with her husband, Alan, and their two sons. The family eventually found their community and settled in Zeeland, Michigan.
May's Christian faith was strong. She was active at First Reformed Church of Zeeland, where she found joy in worship and fellowship. Music brought her and her husband together as they delighted in singing duets throughout their years together. May was a devoted wife, loving mother and doting grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was deeply loved and will be dearly missed.
May is survived by her husband, Alan McCleery; sons, Colin and Nancy McCleery, David and Linda McCleery; grandchildren, Eric and Annie McCleery, Kevin and Nicky McCleery, Heather and Josh Matvey, Jessica and Paul Gort, Jonathan and Gaby McCleery, Jacob McCleery; 20 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Elsa McCleery, as well as nieces and nephews.
May was preceded in death by her brother and sister-in-law, Lyle and Irene DeBoys, as well as brother-in-law, Eric McCleery.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 9, 2026, at First Reformed Church of Zeeland, 125 East Lincoln St., Zeeland, MI 49464. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Thursday, October 8, at the Yntema Funeral Home, 251 S. State St., Zeeland, MI 49464. Interment will be in Zeeland Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Mission Aviation Fellowship.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of May McCleery, please visit our Sympathy Store.
Ellen C. Sprik
October 5, 1938-October 2, 2026
Ellen C. Sprik, age 87, of Holland, died Friday, October 2, 2026, at an area care center.
A memorial service will be at noon on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Maranatha Christian Reformed Church, 918 Central Ave., Holland.
Interment will be in Pilgrim Home Cemetery. Visitation will be 10:30 -11:45 a.m. on Tuesday prior to the service at church. Memorial contributions may be given to the Maranatha Mission Fund or World Renew.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Ellen C. Sprik, please visit our Sympathy Store.
Yvonne Ruth Veldt
September 24, 1930-September 28, 2026
Yvonne Ruth Veldt, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and sister, died on September 28, 2026, at the age of 96, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Born September 24, 1930, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to Lawrence and Lelah Nuyen, she grew up on Woodward Avenue and graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School. Through her own diligence and hard work, she enrolled in and graduated from Swedish Covenant Hospital Nursing School in Chicago and became a Registered Nurse. She also completed a Certificate in Biblical Studies at Grand Rapids Baptist Bible College. She worked as a nurse for many years, including time in obstetrics, emergency care, nursing home care and other settings.
Yvonne was married to Stanley Veldt for over 74 years. Together, they raised six children: Martha (David) Gibson, Mark (Renia), Beth (Steve) Meller, Matthew (Molly), Luke (Jody), and John.
She is survived by her husband; six children; over 60 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren; and her sister, Mary Lou Pearson.
She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Betty, Phyllis, Lawrence Jr., Joseph, and Esther; along with five of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Yvonne’s family is especially grateful for the extraordinary care and support she received from the staff of Edison Christian Assisted Living and Emmanuel Hospice throughout the past year. Her co-residents of Edison also became like family to Yvonne and all of us.
To meet Yvonne was to engage with an exceptionally kind person. Always a good listener. Always thoughtful follow-up questions, seeking to know more, to understand more, to be of help. Her faith and her family were everything. Daily Bible reading and weekly church attendance were consistent throughout her life. Everything she said and did was through a filter of doing the best for the Lord.
She was quiet and soft-spoken, Christian in her ideas and behaviors, and if you watched carefully enough, you would get a glimpse of her keen sense of humor. Never loud, never at someone else's expense, but always clever.
She loved to sew and clean, but if grandkids came to visit, she would read and rock, run and jump, play games, and go for walks. (One year she was quite proud to be the oldest alum to complete a marathon walk at Cornerstone College!) She never said no and always asked if you could stay longer — for another hour, for a nap, and finally, “Can you just spend the night?”
Favorite images of Mom/Grandma include sweeping floors, scrubbing stovetops, washing dishes, doing laundry in a ringer washer, ironing, drinking coffee, dressed immaculately for church or her work as an RN, batting left-handed in a backyard softball game, relearning to ride a bicycle at 40, failing to learn to waterski at 40, and eating grandkids’ desserts.
She worked hard and loved hard and the world is better for it. Without a doubt, she has earned eternal rest and joy with her Lord and Savior.
A private family graveside service will take place. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, October 10, 2026, at Woodward Baptist Church, 2160 76th St. SW, Byron Center, MI 49315, with visitation prior to the service beginning at 10 a.m. A luncheon will follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorial contributions be made to Emmanuel Hospice (emmanuelhospice.org) or The Other Way Food Pantry (theotherway.org). The family welcomes memories and messages at cookcaresgrandville.com in their online guestbook.
