Class Year: 1970

Virginia Reed ’74 Kruisenga

Virginia Reed ’74 Kruisenga of Hudsonville, Michigan, died on Tuesday, July 11, 2017. She was 64. She was preceded in death by her parents Walter Jr. and Helen Reed; brother Tom (Nancy) Reed; parents-in-law Marvin and Marie Kruisenga. She will be lovingly missed by her husband Robert Kruisenga; children Rob (Laura) Kruisenga, Cindy (Mike) Rankens, Karen Kruisenga Cornelius; six… Continue Reading →

Ruth Wolting ’75 Prince

Ruth Wolting ’75 Prince of New Era, Michigan, died on Monday, July 3, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan following a lengthy illness. She was 64. She was born May 18, 1953 in Shelby, the daughter of Joseph and Doris Wolting. She graduated from Hope College in Holland. She married her best friend and love of her life, Ken Prince, on August… Continue Reading →

Catherine Creet ’76 De Jonge

Catherine Creet ’76 De Jonge of Holland, Michigan, died on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017. She was 63. Cathy graduated from Hope College and was employed at Life Savers for many years. She was preceded in death by her parents William and Edna Creet. She is survived by her sister: Ginny Rinaldi of Oxford, NJ, 3 nephews and 6 grandnieces… Continue Reading →

Mary Flanagan ’79 Danielson

Mary Flanagan ’79 Danielson of Alto, Michigan, died on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017 after a courageous battle with cancer.  She was 59. She will be deeply missed by her husband of 35 years, Mike; her daughters Amanda (Jordan) McElroy and Laura Danielson; her granddaughter Emma McElroy; her mother, Joyce Flanagan; her siblings Linda (Al) Smith, Beth (Craig) Plante,… Continue Reading →

Lynn Davis ’71 Austin

The Hope College Alumni Association will honor two alumnae during the annual Alumni Banquet on Saturday, April 28. The association will present Distinguished Alumni Awards to award-winning author Lynn Davis ’71 Austin (right) of Holland, Michigan, whose 24 books have sold a combined total of more than one million copies worldwide.  Austin is the author of 23 novels and a… Continue Reading →

Ruth Folkert ’71 Trippy

Ruth Folkert ’71 Trippy of Auburn, Georgia, recently published her third novel, A Western Beauty – Colorado, 1879. Her first book, The Soul of the Rose, can be found in Hope’s library. Continue Reading →

Randy Zomermaand ’72

Randy Zomermaand ’72 (Tampa, Florida), Conley Zomermaand ’77 (Xenia, Ohio) and Mike Zomermaand ’81 (Canton, Michigan) met in Mt. Dora, Florida, and proudly represented Hope College at the Mt. Dora Bicycle Festival Oct. 5-8. The brothers, originally from Holland, Michigan, rode routes of 25, 56, 62 and a hilly 37 miles over the course of… Continue Reading →

Chadwick Busk ’74

Chadwick Busk ’74 of Rockford, Michigan, had the article “Using ‘Shall’ or ‘Will’ to Create Obligations in Business Contracts: Once More Unto the Breach” published in the October 2017 issue of the Michigan Bar Journal. He continues to practice information technology and corporate law from his home office and has a blog/ newsletter at busklaw.blogspot.com. Continue Reading →

David DeKok ’75

David DeKok ’75 of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has been working as a contract correspondent in Pennsylvania for Reuters, the worldwide news service, since 2014. He has written several stories in the past year related to the fraternity hazing death of Timothy Piazza in 2017 at Penn State University, and the hazing death of Chen “Michael” Deng,… Continue Reading →

Karen Johnson-Weiner ’75

Karen Johnson-Weiner ’75 of Canton, New York, had a second edition published of her book New York Amish, Life in the Plain Communities of the Empire State (Cornell University Press). More than 20 new Amish communities in New York were established between the publication of the first edition in 2010 and the appearance of the… Continue Reading →

Nancy Bennett ’76 Staal

Nancy Bennett ’76 Staal and her husband, Tim, are currently living and working in Tokyo, Japan where she is teaching grade four at Tokyo International School and Tim is the school librarian. Continue Reading →

Thomas K. Johnson ’77

Thomas K. Johnson ’77 was among the leaders of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) who met with Pope Francis in the Vatican on Dec. 14 to discuss closer cooperation with the Catholic Church, particularly regarding issues of religious freedom and persecution of Christians around the world. Tom is WEA’s religious freedom ambassador to the Vatican. His specialty is human… Continue Reading →

Conley Zomermaand ’77

Randy Zomermaand ’72 (Tampa, Florida), Conley Zomermaand ’77 (Xenia, Ohio) and Mike Zomermaand ’81 (Canton, Michigan) met in Mt. Dora, Florida, and proudly represented Hope College at the Mt. Dora Bicycle Festival Oct. 5-8. The brothers, originally from Holland, Michigan, rode routes of 25, 56, 62 and a hilly 37 miles over the course of… Continue Reading →

Amy Henrickson ’78

Amy Henrickson ’78, Clark Matthews ’61 and Steve Maas ’81 have come together to create the Grandville Community Choir. The choir of more than 50 area singers performs at various community events in addition to holding two special concerts each year, in December and April. Keep up with the choir on its Facebook page (search… Continue Reading →

Tom Allbaugh ’79

Tom Allbaugh ’79 of Rancho Cucamonga, California, had his first novel, Apocalypse TV, released by eLectio Publishers on Sept. 12, 2017. It concerns an English professor who appears on a religious reality show. Continue Reading →

Janice DeBoer ’70 Currie

Janice Lynn Currie passed away in her home in Grand Rapids, MI on Monday, October 30, 2017 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born on April 1, 1948 in Paterson, NJ to John and Florence DeBoer. Janice is survived by her husband, Bill; her four children, Mike (Missy), of Grand Rapids, and their… Continue Reading →

Cecile Gaillard ’70 Spitters

Cecile Marie Kalamazoo Cecile passed into the presence of Jesus, her Lord and Savior, on October 13, 2017. She was born March 7, 1948, the daughter of Rev. Gerard and Janet (Bareman) Gaillard. Cec was employed by Gull Lake High School for close to 24 years and loved being around the young students every day.… Continue Reading →

Larry Smith ’71

Larry Smith, age 68, of Hudsonville, was welcomed home into the arms of Jesus on Thursday, November 16, 2017. He is survived by his wife, Elaine Smith; children, Jennifer (Curt) Day, Jason (Michelle) Smith of Winnipeg, MB, Jillian (Steve) Branderhorst, Jaclyn Smith, Justin Smith and fiance Sara Burgess, Joshua Smith, Jordan Smith of Plymouth, MI;… Continue Reading →

Dale Merrick ’71 Hillermeier

Dale Hillermeir , of Ridgefield Park, formally of Dumont, age 68 entered into eternal life peacefully  on December 7, 2017. Dale was a graduate of Hope College. Until her illness Dale was an active member of the Old Reformed Church of Dumont, where she was in the senior choir and a Deacon. She was also a… Continue Reading →