Dorothy Voss, one of the founding members of the Zeeland Historical Society and the first director of the Dekker Huis Museum, speaks at a City Council meeting June 2 at which the society was honored for its 50 years of service in preserving the history of the community. Voss died July 25 at the age of 95.
Photo by Greg Chandler
Photo by Greg Chandler
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
In early June, Dorothy Voss came to a Zeeland City Council meeting as the council honored the Zeeland Historical Society for its 50 years of work in preserving the community’s history.
Voss was one of the founding members of the historical society when it started up in 1974, and served as its director for many years. She was instrumental in the acquisition of the Dekker home at 37 E. Main Ave. a year later, and the process of transforming the home into what is now the Dekker Huis Museum.
“It’s been a labor of love, because we dearly love this community,” Voss said at that meeting. “We’ve been blessed all these years with getting funds, just when we needed them.”
Voss died last Friday, July 25, at the age of 95, having completed a life of great impact on the Zeeland community.
“Dorothy Voss was one of Zeeland’s most determined and vivacious champions,” current Zeeland Historical Society Director Katelyn VerMerris wrote in an email to the Zeeland Record. “As a founding member of the Zeeland Historical Society, she shaped our mission with vision, wit, and a deep love for this community. There would not be a Zeeland Historical Society and Dekker Huis Museum without Dorothy. Her legacy will continue to inspire me and many others for years to come and she is dearly missed."
Born in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago in 1930, Voss came to West Michigan in the fall of 1948 to attend Hope College. She graduated from Hope four years later with an English degree and married Leon Voss of Holland, then moved to northern Michigan, where she worked as a psychiatric social worker at the Traverse City State Hospital, while Leon was stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Traverse City.
After Leon’s enlistment ended, the Vosses moved back to Holland, then later settled in Zeeland, where they raised five children.
In the 1970s, Voss became an active presence in the Zeeland community. In addition to being a substitute teacher at Zeeland High School, she became a planning commissioner for the city and was appointed to the Zeeland Environmental Action Leadership (ZEAL) panel, a group of business executives and community leaders who sought to define potential improvements to the downtown area and other shared spaces.
One of ZEAL’s first findings was the need to start gathering and documenting artifacts and stories of local history. It was out of those findings that Voss helped found the Zeeland Historical Society and became its first chairperson. Then after the acquisition of the Dekker home, she became the volunteer director of the Dekker Huis Museum.
Although many people were involved in the historical society, Dorothy and Wilma Veldheer served as its core team, spending countless hours collecting artifacts, hosting shows and events, and learning how to build a museum as they built it. Even after retiring from formal roles with the historical society, Voss remained an active member by researching, publishing books and developing a series of interpretive signs around Zeeland.
From 1984 to 1989, Voss also served as executive director of the Zeeland Chamber of Commerce, growing membership from 175 to 230 businesses, setting up an Ambassadors group and a program to train future civic leaders, and organizing an industrial retention survey.
“Dorothy Voss was especially interested in downtown development, with a particular interest in expanding opportunities for retailers. She had instituted many meeting and event opportunities in her time in leadership,” said Ann Query, who succeeded Voss as executive director of Chamber of Commerce.
Query noted that as Chamber director, Voss instituted such events as the Eggs & Issues breakfast meetings at Bosch’s Restaurant, special events tied to Michigan Week and the annual Chamber banquet.
Voss was a long-time member of the First Reformed Church in Zeeland, where she enjoyed singing in the choir, editing the newsletter, teaching, and tutoring for Kids Hope. She was very proud of her Dutch heritage and her travels included many trips to the Netherlands, including the "Roots and Branches" Witte tour she organized and led for the 150th anniversary of Zeeland's founding.
Dorothy Voss is survived by her children, Mike (Diane) Voss of Grand Haven, Judy, Valerie and Laura Voss of Zeeland, Brian (Roxanne) Voss of Holland; granddaughters, Jenna (Justin) Grewal of Ann Arbor and Erin (Matt) Viening of Norton Shores; great-grandchildren, Eliza and Madalynne Viening, and Elden and Leon Grewal; brother-in-law, Dr. John (Lynda) Voss of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; and a niece and several nephews.
Voss was preceded in death by her husband, Leon, in 1994, and her parents, Sofrides and Anna Fennema.
A private funeral service was planned. Members of the Zeeland community came to pay their respects during a visitation Tuesday night at Yntema Funeral Home.
The family appreciates the care and kindnesses Dorothy received at Royal Atrium Inn Assisted Living over the past year.
To remember Dorothy Voss, the community is encouraged to visit the Dekker Huis Museum or consider a contribution to the Zeeland Historical Society Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area, 85 E 8th St, Suite 110, Holland, MI 49423.
Zeeland Record
In early June, Dorothy Voss came to a Zeeland City Council meeting as the council honored the Zeeland Historical Society for its 50 years of work in preserving the community’s history.
Voss was one of the founding members of the historical society when it started up in 1974, and served as its director for many years. She was instrumental in the acquisition of the Dekker home at 37 E. Main Ave. a year later, and the process of transforming the home into what is now the Dekker Huis Museum.
“It’s been a labor of love, because we dearly love this community,” Voss said at that meeting. “We’ve been blessed all these years with getting funds, just when we needed them.”
Voss died last Friday, July 25, at the age of 95, having completed a life of great impact on the Zeeland community.
“Dorothy Voss was one of Zeeland’s most determined and vivacious champions,” current Zeeland Historical Society Director Katelyn VerMerris wrote in an email to the Zeeland Record. “As a founding member of the Zeeland Historical Society, she shaped our mission with vision, wit, and a deep love for this community. There would not be a Zeeland Historical Society and Dekker Huis Museum without Dorothy. Her legacy will continue to inspire me and many others for years to come and she is dearly missed."
Born in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago in 1930, Voss came to West Michigan in the fall of 1948 to attend Hope College. She graduated from Hope four years later with an English degree and married Leon Voss of Holland, then moved to northern Michigan, where she worked as a psychiatric social worker at the Traverse City State Hospital, while Leon was stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Traverse City.
After Leon’s enlistment ended, the Vosses moved back to Holland, then later settled in Zeeland, where they raised five children.
In the 1970s, Voss became an active presence in the Zeeland community. In addition to being a substitute teacher at Zeeland High School, she became a planning commissioner for the city and was appointed to the Zeeland Environmental Action Leadership (ZEAL) panel, a group of business executives and community leaders who sought to define potential improvements to the downtown area and other shared spaces.
One of ZEAL’s first findings was the need to start gathering and documenting artifacts and stories of local history. It was out of those findings that Voss helped found the Zeeland Historical Society and became its first chairperson. Then after the acquisition of the Dekker home, she became the volunteer director of the Dekker Huis Museum.
Although many people were involved in the historical society, Dorothy and Wilma Veldheer served as its core team, spending countless hours collecting artifacts, hosting shows and events, and learning how to build a museum as they built it. Even after retiring from formal roles with the historical society, Voss remained an active member by researching, publishing books and developing a series of interpretive signs around Zeeland.
From 1984 to 1989, Voss also served as executive director of the Zeeland Chamber of Commerce, growing membership from 175 to 230 businesses, setting up an Ambassadors group and a program to train future civic leaders, and organizing an industrial retention survey.
“Dorothy Voss was especially interested in downtown development, with a particular interest in expanding opportunities for retailers. She had instituted many meeting and event opportunities in her time in leadership,” said Ann Query, who succeeded Voss as executive director of Chamber of Commerce.
Query noted that as Chamber director, Voss instituted such events as the Eggs & Issues breakfast meetings at Bosch’s Restaurant, special events tied to Michigan Week and the annual Chamber banquet.
Voss was a long-time member of the First Reformed Church in Zeeland, where she enjoyed singing in the choir, editing the newsletter, teaching, and tutoring for Kids Hope. She was very proud of her Dutch heritage and her travels included many trips to the Netherlands, including the "Roots and Branches" Witte tour she organized and led for the 150th anniversary of Zeeland's founding.
Dorothy Voss is survived by her children, Mike (Diane) Voss of Grand Haven, Judy, Valerie and Laura Voss of Zeeland, Brian (Roxanne) Voss of Holland; granddaughters, Jenna (Justin) Grewal of Ann Arbor and Erin (Matt) Viening of Norton Shores; great-grandchildren, Eliza and Madalynne Viening, and Elden and Leon Grewal; brother-in-law, Dr. John (Lynda) Voss of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; and a niece and several nephews.
Voss was preceded in death by her husband, Leon, in 1994, and her parents, Sofrides and Anna Fennema.
A private funeral service was planned. Members of the Zeeland community came to pay their respects during a visitation Tuesday night at Yntema Funeral Home.
The family appreciates the care and kindnesses Dorothy received at Royal Atrium Inn Assisted Living over the past year.
To remember Dorothy Voss, the community is encouraged to visit the Dekker Huis Museum or consider a contribution to the Zeeland Historical Society Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area, 85 E 8th St, Suite 110, Holland, MI 49423.
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