1939-J
OEL HOOGENDOORN-2016
Joel Hoogendoorn was born on May 23, 1939 in Hudson, South Dakota, to Johannes and Adrianna (Groeneweg) Hoogendoorn. Joel grew up in Rock Valley, IA. He attended school until the eighth grade and then stayed home to help on the family farm. Joel worked at the local bakery, helped build the elevator in Rock Valley, and then went to work in the wheat fields in Montana for a short time. In 1957 he moved to Michigan where he went to work at Keeler Brass. There he met his wife, Ada Ahlers. Joel and Ada were married in January 1962 and, in February of 1962, Joel was sworn into the Army and sent overseas on July 1 to Kitzingen, Germany. Ada soon joined him, and they lived in Germany until 1964 when they moved back to Michigan. Joel and Ada were blessed with five children. In 1968 they moved back to Iowa for a short period where Joel sold Jewel Tea. They soon realized that they missed Michigan and moved back – and Joel became a mailman for the U.S. Postal Service. He delivered mail for over 40 years in Hudsonville, Michigan, where he enjoyed driving through the countryside every day. Joel also went back to work at Keeler Brass during this time and spent 20 years working two full-time jobs to help take care of his family and because he enjoyed the people he worked with, and many of them became close friends. After retiring from Keeler Brass and the Hudsonville Post Office, he still continued to work as a substitute rural mail carrier for over 10 years where he could run all 16 mail routes. Joel and Ada loved to travel, especially back to Germany, down to Tennessee and out to Minnesota and Iowa to see family. He loved spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Joel went to his Heavenly home on Monday, October 17, 2016.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 54 years, Ada (Ahlers) Hoogendoorn; his children Leanne (Lyle) Kramer of Fulda, MN, Larry (Kelly) Hoogendoorn of Hadley, MN, Lance (Sara) Hoogendoorn of Hudsonville, MI, Lisa (Scott) Huyser of Zeeland, MI and Les (Ann) Hoogendoorn of Aiken, SC; his 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren; his siblings, Coba Van Tilburg, Gilbert (Lorraine) Hoogendoorn, Arvin (Betty) Hoogendoorn, Marge (John) Mantle and Mary Hoogendoorn.
Joel was preceded in death by his parents, Johannes and Adrianna Hoogendoorn; a baby brother, his brother, Marion Hoogendoorn and brother-in-law Marvin VanTilburg.
Visitation was held from 5 – 8 p.m. Friday, October 21, at Cook Funeral Home (West building) in Grandville, MI, 4235 Prairie Street, S.W. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 22 at Cook Memorial Chapel (East building), in Grandville, MI.
Funeral services will also be held at Benson Funeral Home, 1225 Ryans Rd, Worthington, MN, on Tuesday, October 25 at 1:30 p.m., with visitation prior to the service beginning at 12:00 p.m. Committal services will follow at Worthington Cemetery,
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Disabled American Veterans, www.dav.org, or Samaritan’s Purse, www.samaritanspurse.org. The family welcomes memories and messages in their guestbook online at www.cookcares.com.
