Obituary: Jan “Dutch” Woelders

Woelders, Jan “Dutch”
Manchester, Michigan

His Legacy… Jan Woelders, Age 87, passed away July 6, 2019. He was born on April 19, 1932, in Den Hague, Netherlands to Gerard Maarten and Gerarda Cornelia (Hesseling) Woelders. Jan married his childhood sweetheart, Willemina Voorhof on February 12, 2004, in Soest, Netherlands. He served in the Military in the Netherlands as a telegraph operator before he brought his family to the United States on July 3, 1965 and eventually became a U.S. citizen. Jan attended Cleary College and went on to work at Ford Motor Co in Saline as a Quality Control Engineer until his retirement in 1997. He and his wife Willemina loved to travel and have traveled extensively around the world. Jan enjoyed gardening and taking care of his koi pond at the home he built. Some of Jan’s favorite past times were hiking, playing the organ and spending time with his family, especially the grandchildren. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

His Family… Jan will be missed by his wife, Willemina, daughters Yvonne (Wayne) Fent, Jenny (Bill) Shoemaker, grandchildren Bryon (Alicia), Danny, Jon, John, Benjamin (Morgan) and step-grandchildren Paige and Cash, sister Corrie Schokker and former wife Cornelia Woelders as well as many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, son Jan and a brother Herman.

His Farewell… Jan’s family held a private Natural Farewell. Memorial contributions are suggested to American Cancer Society. Please leave a message of comfort for Jan’s family at 1-877-231-7900, or sign his guestbook at www.borekjennings.com.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.