Home At Last

My grandmother met Jesus on Saturday. 

I am so glad she was able to come to Abigail's birthday party last week. 

I grew up living right next to her on the dairy farm. We had cookies and hot chocolate after church every Sunday. I climbed the cherry tree in the backyard and ate until I had a tummy ache (or realized how many ants were in those cherries!). 

We picked pears from her trees every summer and would swing from the giant robe swing in her maple trees. I picked and prepared snap peas and green beans with her and washed her windows with ammonia water in the spring. She would read us stories from her old story books kept under the windowsill and play Chinese checkers and real checkers with us. She always let us win. 

She was a watchful eye for the 18 years I lived at home, always concerned for our safety. She taught my family about Jesus and showed us how to love him with all her heart.

She loved to quilt and made each one of her 11 grandchildren a quilt and hundreds of quilts for others in need. I stole my brother's quilt so I have two.

Here is her obituary:

Josephine Vander Zwaag, age 92, of South Olive, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Saturday, June 11, 2011, at Holland Hospital.

She was a member of the South Olive Christian Reformed Church, a member of the Loving Service and the quilting group and was preceded in death by her husband, Willis Vander Zwaag (1998).
She is survived by her children, Donald and Marcia Vander Zwaag of Holland, Melvin and Lois Vander Zwaag of Zeeland, Sylvia and Ken Vermeulen of Holland, James and Pamela Vander Zwaag of Holland; 11 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; sister, Marian and Jay Folkert of Holland; sister-in-law, Betty Slag of Zeeland; several nephews and nieces and cousins.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 14, 2011, at the South Olive Christian Reformed Church at the corner of 120th Avenue and Port Sheldon Road. The Rev. Adam Barton will officiate. Burial will be in North Holland Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Monday, June 13, 2011, at Lakeshore Memorial Services, 11939 James Street, Holland. Memorial contributions may be made to South Olive Christian School or The Bible League.