Obituaries

Word has been received of the death of longtime Wayland-area Realtor Pete Howard Saturday, Oct. 2, at Holland Hospital. He was 79. His son, Mike, posted on Facebook, "Howard contracted…

Arlene Laura Pitsch, age 91, died Saturday, Oct 2. Arlene and Loren were partners in life and in Pitsch Wrecking Company. She believed in the value of education, which was…

Karen Jo VanderZand, age 61, died Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 at home in Wayland. Karen had open arms and an open heart; she made family of everyone with whom she…

Longtime Hopkins area farmer and auctioneer Homer Skinner died Thursday, Sept. 30, at Majestic Care of Battle Creek. Homer was born Jan. 16, 1960, in Monterey Township, son of the…

Laurie Ybema, 54, of Hopkins died Wednesday evening, Sept. 29, Laurie Denise (Pessman) Ybema was born on October 5, 1966 in Morrison, Illinois. She was educated at Morrison Community Schools,…

Roger Lee Medendorp, age 84, died Tuesday, Sept. 28. He is survived by his children Peg (Keith) Beutler, Dan (Deb) Medendorp; grandchildren David (Jaime), Heather (Brandon), Nicole (Mike), Chrissie, David…

Maria Antonia Amato, age 78, died Tuesday, Sept. 28. She was born March 28, 1943 in Alcamo, Trapani, Sicily, to Pietro and Vitria Lombardo. She moved to the United States…

Betty “Baukje Koch” Minnema, age 80, died Monday, Sept. 27, after a long battle with cancer. Betty enjoyed cooking and perfecting her recipes, especially her “pigs in a blanket,” which…

Sheryl Katherine Whipple (Shea) died Wednesday, Sept. 22. Sheryl was born in Hopkins Nov. 2, 1948, the daughter of the late George and Shirley (Montgomery) Shea and later became the…