Jerry Folkert, 83
Jerry Allen Folkert, 83, of Allegan, passed away on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.
Jerry grew up near Hamilton where as a young man he developed a love for fixing things. He used this skill early in his career at the lumber yard of Hamilton Farm Bureau, as a farmer on the family farm, and later as a maintenance technician/welder for Padnos in Holland for 21 years.
Upon retirement, he enjoyed volunteering at the Michigan Flywheelers Museum, collecting and restoring antique engines, and spending time fishing on the lake by his house. He was a great storyteller, truly enjoyed fixing anything for anyone, and was proud of his service in the Army as a military policeman in Germany from 1964 to 1967.
Jerry was preceded in death by his wife in 2022, Jeanne Folkert; brother, Lloyd and Belva Folkert; brother, Bernard Folkert, and infant brother, Donald.
He is survived by his children, Mike and Leah Folkert of Holland and Susan and Bede Drieberg of Salt Lake City, Utah; grandchildren, Emily Folkert, Jerod Folkert, Ethan Folkert and Xavier Drieberg; sister-in-law, Phyllis and Mel Hogan; brothers-in-law, Vern Mouw, and Jim and Mary Mouw; sister-in-law, Barb and Ken Helbling; and many nieces and nephews.
Memorial services including military honors are at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Grace Fellowship Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 435 W. Main St., Zeeland, with Rev. Michael Schout officiating. Burial to take place in Riverside Cemetery.
Visitation is 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27 at Langeland Sterenberg Funeral Home, 315 E. 16th St., Holland.
Memorial contributions in Jerry's honor may be given to Grace Fellowship Orthodox Presbyterian Church at gracefellowshipopc.com, or by mail to 435 W. Main St., Zeeland, MI 49464.
Kenneth Elhart, 96
Kenneth Wayne Elhart, age 96, of Holland, passed away Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 at Freedom Village.
Ken was a longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Holland and served on their board of directors and finance committee. He also was an associate member of First United Methodist Church of Hobe Sound, Fla., where he volunteered in their Mission Store.
Ken was the founder of Elhart Automotive Campus of Holland and served on the Dealer Advisory Board for Pontiac, GMC Truck, Dodge and Jeep. In addition, Ken served on the First Michigan Bank Board of Directors, was past president of the Holland Board of Public Works, past director of the Holland Chamber of Commerce, and served in the United States Coast Guard.
Born on May 19, 1929 during the depression, Ken lived a life full of incredibly challenging and yet rewarding times. His unwavering faith as he puts it carried him through nearly ten decades. In Ken's words shared with his Methodist Church in Hobe Sound 15 years ago, “I realize how truly blessed I am. In addition to good health, I am blessed with a wonderful wife, a loving family of children and grandchildren, and great friends. Oh yes, there have been rocky times during my lifetime but they have made me realize the importance of putting my trust and faith in God to help me through those difficult experiences. A statement that I carry with me is this:
In happy moments, praise God;
In difficult moments, seek God;
In painful moments, trust God;
And every moment, thank God.”
Ken was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret; son, Wayne Elhart; and sisters, Joann Vermetti and Clara Vander Laan.
Ken is survived by his son, Jeffrey (Cherie) Elhart; daughter-in-law, Kathy Elhart; stepsons, R. Michael (Helen) Redman and W. Scott (Kimberley) Redman; grandchildren, Jacob (Danielle) Elhart, Benjamin (Allison) Elhart, Jasmine Redman, Mariah Redman, Colin Redman and Sean Redman; great-grandchildren, Maeson Elhart, Avery Elhart and Malcom Elhart
Funeral services are planned for 11 a.m. today at First United Methodist Church, 57 W. 10th St., Holland, with Rev. Tania Dozeman officiating. Burial will be in Pilgrim Home Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Wayne Elhart “be nice” Memorial Fund c/o The Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland Area.
Marjorie Barendse, 95
Marjorie Ruth Barendse, 95, of Zeeland, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026.
Marjorie was born on March 5, 1930.
No funeral arrangements had been announced as of press time. Arrangements are by Lakeshore Memorial Services, 11939 James St., Holland.
Kimberly Ward, 68
Kimberly Ellen (Bruxvoort) Ward, 68, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026.
Kimberly was born on July 15, 1957 to Herman and Jean (Dykstra) Bruxvoort in Cutlerville. Kimberly was a dedicated child development teacher and loved playing and teaching her classes.
Kimberly enjoyed spending time with family, whether it was family dinners, camping, trips or wine tasting. Another treasured pasttime was cross-stitching stockings for her kids, grandkids, and nieces and nephews.
She was a member of Waypoint Church in Zeeland, singing with their praise team.
Kimberly was preceded in death by her mother, Jean (Dykstra) Bruxvoort; and younger brother, Timothy Bruxvoort.
She is survived by her children, Virginia (Noah) Ganzevoort, Jeremy Ward and Brian (Danielle) Ward; grandchildren, Josephine and Trisana Ganzevoort, Justin Ward, Austin Ward, Jessica Ward and Joslyn (Caleb) Vela; great-grandchild, Nicole Vela; longtime significant other, Charles Stefanich; father, Herman Bruxvoort; siblings, Debra Everts, Kathy (Klay) Watson and Thomas (Diana) Bruxvoort; sister-in-law, Donna (Timothy) Bruxvoort; and many nieces and nephews.
Kimberly will be remembered at a memorial service on Sunday, March 8 at 2 p.m. at Waypoint Church, 3041 96th Ave., Zeeland, with a luncheon to follow.
Evan Ledbetter, 44
Evan James Ledbetter, 44, of Wellston, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026.
Evan was born March 31, 1981 in Zeeland, and attended school in Holland.
Evan would find peace enjoying the sights and sounds of nature while walking in the woods near his home, and searching for unusual rocks and stones along the shores of Lake Michigan and Man-Made Lake in Manistee.
He is survived by his children, Alyson Rae and Elliot Edward Marcellus Ledbetter, residing with their mother, Nicole, in Wyoming, Mich.; his mother, Bonnie Bushaw of Wellston; father, Ronald (Terry) Ledbetter of Manistee; sister, Cristy Lee Woods and her family, of Franklin, Tenn.; aunts, Dian Ledbetter of Manistee and Judy Drier of Scottville; several cousins residing in Michigan and Indiana; and his precious cat, Sailor.
A private family memorial funeral service will take place at the Terwilliger Funeral Home in Kaleva, and he will be laid to rest beside his maternal grandparents at the Cornell Cemetery in Buckley.
Thelma Machiela, 88
Thelma Eileen (VanZoeren) Machiela, 88, of Holland, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026
Thelma was born in Zeeland on June 12, 1937, to Richard and Margaret VanZoeren. Thelma was employed in various data processing jobs and volunteered in many community organizations. She was an active member of Christ Memorial Church and especially enjoyed singing in the choir and being a part of the quilting group.
Thelma is survived by her husband, Norm Machiela; her sons, Craig and Charity Machiela, Troy and Dawn Machiela, and Lance and Jennifer Machiela; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; siblings, Keith (Ann) VanZoeren, Judy Hardy and Diane (Kurt) Lower; as well as many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her brother and sister-in-law, Max and Jeanne VanZoeren; and brother-in-law, Chip Hardy.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 6 in the Chapel at Christ Memorial Church, 595 Graafschap Rd., Holland. Visitation prior to the service on March 6 will begin at 10 a.m.
Memorial contributions in Thelma’s name may be given to Benjamin's Hope.
David Kuyers, 91
David "Dave" A. Kuyers, 91, of Holland, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, after a short illness.
Born on Feb. 5, 1935, in Jenison to Albert and Gladys Kuyers, Dave spent his childhood in Zeeland and graduated from Zeeland High School. He went on to attend Hope College, where he met his future wife, Jan.
At Hope, Dave was widely admired for his athleticism, leadership, and teamwork on both the football and track teams – qualities that stayed with him throughout his life.
Following college, Dave proudly served in the U.S. Army Reserve. He and Jan married and later welcomed two children: Sue and Mark, eventually making their home in St. Joseph.
Dave was a dedicated member of the United Methodist Church in St. Joseph and built a successful professional career. He worked for Pyramid Oil before joining St. John's Business Machines, headquartered in South Bend, Ind., where he and two colleagues became partners. The group led the company until selling the business in 1989.
Upon retiring, Dave and Jan enjoyed many wonderful years in Naples, Fla., and eventually moved back to St. Joseph. In 2021, Dave and Jan moved to Appledorn Senior Living in Holland. After Jan's passing in 2022, Dave continued to thrive in the Appledorn community, developing close friendships and fondly referring to it as "heaven on Earth."
Dave is survived by his children, Sue Ledvina and Mark (Rhonda) Kuyers; sister, Karen Wiggers; sister-in-law, Margaret Mackay; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents: Albert and Gladys Kuyers; his beloved wife, Jan; brother, Eugene and sister-in-law, Marjorie; brothers-in-law, Norm Wiggers and Robert Mackay; and son-in-law, Steven Ledvina.
A memorial service will be Friday, Feb. 27, with a visitation at 1 p.m. followed by a service at 2 p.m. at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Holland, 270 Hoover Blvd., Holland, MI 49423.
