Sylvia Vander Schuur

Sylvia A. VanderSchuur, age 94, of Greenville, passed away Monday afternoon, April 27, 2009 under the loving care of her family and Spectrum Health Hospice in her home at Green Acres Retirement Living. The daughter of Oliver & Esther (Shimmel) Martin, she was born on Oct. 6, 1914 in Greenville. On February 1, 1933, in Angola, Indiana, she married Bernard VanderSchuur. Together, they owned Vans Wallpaper and Paint stores (now Jerrys Paint Store) in Greenville, Ionia, and Charlotte. In addition to raising four children, Sylvia was an active volunteer with many community organizations. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Greenville, a Grey Lady at the former United Memorial Hospital, a member and past president of the Blue Star Mothers, as well as the Montcalm Home Economics Extension group where she prepared and served many meals to 4-Hers at the Montcalm Co. 4-H Fair. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bernard VanderSchuur, on Nov. 19, 1995; her parents; four brothers, Oliver, Robert, Donald, & Emery Martin; and three sisters, Norma VanWagner, Lela Rydahl, and Bernice Haight. Surviving are four children, Ronald & Marge VanderSchuur of Meredith, New Hampshire, Sharon & Gerald Ritter of Stanton, Thomas & Elba VanderSchuur of Greenville, and J. Edward VanderSchuur of Greenville; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Edna & William Myers of Louisiana, and Eleanor Buckmaster of Greenville; a special niece, Margaret Koston of Greenville; nine grandchildren; fourteen great grandchildren; one great-great grandson; and several nieces and nephews. Memorial services will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at Green Acres Retirement Living, 1601 Winter Creek Court, Greenville. The Rev. Paul Dickson, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Greenville, will officiate. Honoring her wishes, cremation has taken place and final interment was in Rest Haven Memory Gardens, Belding. Instead of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to either the First Baptist Church or Spectrum Health Hospice. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Sylvia Vander Schuur, please visit our flower store.