Helen Bolthouse (Dekker)

Obituary of Helen Eleanor Bolthouse
Spring Lake, MIHelen E. Bolthouse, 96, died peacefully Monday evening at the Houghton County Medical Care Facility, where she had been a resident patient for two years. A longtime resident of Spring Lake, she relocated to Hancock in 2014 to be closer to her beloved family, including son William Deephouse, granddaughter Jennifer Deephouse and grandchildren Senia and Liam.The daughter of Cornelius and Nellie Dekker, Helen was the last of a very large family of eight sons and four daughters. They leave a legacy of many friends and accomplishments throughout the Grand Haven and Muskegon area. Her father was a prominent celery grower and served as president of the Muskegon Celery Growers Association for 25 years.Helen was born In Muskegon on Oct. 18, 1919, and graduated from Muskegon High School. She married Eugene Deephouse in 1939, and the couple had two sons. In 1954, she married Adrian Bolthouse, who died in 1989.Helen served as an accountant for retail businesses in the Grand Haven area, volunteered for Meals on Wheels and was a Stephen worker, visiting homebound residents in the community.She was also an accomplished musician. Many local children learned to play piano on the bench of her baby grand (though, to her regret, not her sons, who preferred baseball and playing on the Grand River). She sang in the choir of the former Christ Community Church, where she was an active member, and volunteered on behalf of the local symphony.In addition to music, her interests were reading a good book, needlework and, especially, quilting, where she applied her fine eye for color and design. She was a member of The Quilters and was generous with her many beautiful quilts, which are treasured by friends and family.After 50 years in her Spring Lake home on Liberty Street, Helen tired of yard maintenance and housework and moved to the independent living community of Oak Crest. About six months before coming to Hancock, she relocated to Robbinswood Assisted Living in Grand Haven.She is survived by her son William (Marcia Goodrich) Deephouse of Hancock; granddaughter Jennifer (Mike Haanela) Deephouse and two great grandchildren, Liam Deephouse and Senia Haanela-Deephouse, of Houghton; and many nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and -nephews.She was preceded in death by her son Robert; brothers Evert, Archie, James, Andrew, Douwe (who died at birth), E. J. "Burt," Herman, Clarence and Richard; and sisters Grace Timmermans, Dorothy O'Neil and Ruth Vorgias.A very dear friend, Pat Davis, that angel on Liberty Street, is remembered with great appreciation for the care and affection she so generously gave to Helen during her last years in the Spring Lake area.The family also owes an incalculable debt of gratitude to the staff of the Houghton County Medical Care Facility, who cared for Helen with tenderness and appreciation during the final, most difficult years of her life; and to the staff of Portage Health Home Care and Hospice, who gently and kindly smoothed her passage from this life into the next.To view Helen's obituary or to send condolences to the family please visit www.memorialchapel.net.A memorial service will be held at a later date in the Spring Lake area. Memorial Chapel & Plowe Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.Service Information



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