Theresa H. (Bronsema) Meester

Theresa Harmina Meester-Bronsema was born on January 17, 1933 in Siddeburen, in the county of Slochteren, in the province of Groningen, The Netherlands. Her parents were Nicolaas Bronsema and Hllichina te Bos. God made a covenant with her at the time of her infant baptism in the Gereformeerde Kerk in Siddeburen. She grew up in the city of Groningen and attended the Christian Teachers’ College there. On May 20, 1951 she made profession of faith along with her husband Walter, in the Gereformeerde Kerk (Vrijgemaakte) in Groningen. On December 22, 1953 she emigrated to Grand Rapids, MI, USA, with her parents and younger sister Martha. Walter followed a month later and they were married on September 11, 1954 in the American Reformed Church of Grand Rapids Michigan of which she was a founding member. Theresa worked as the assistant advertising manager for Meyer Supermarket, and then for Grand Rapids Metal Finishing Co., while her husband was studying for his medical degree. The Lord blessed them with six daughters and a son: Hilda (Michael) Vinyard, Betsy (Arthur) Kingma, Martha (Darryl) Kooiman, Theresa (Clarence) Vander Velde, Grace (Steve, deceased) Peschek, Lydia (Tim) Faber, and Daniel (Stephanie). She was also loving grandmother to 26 grandchildren and great-grandmother to 40 great-grandchildren. Theresa loved gardening and spent many hours designing and working in her yard. She had a Master Gardeners degree and was a member of Lynden and Whatcom garden clubs. She was involved in several community projects, such as the Lynden War Memorial and Front Street city entrance, and attended many city council meetings. Theresa was a founding member of the American Reformed Church of Lynden. Later, she and her husband joined Covenant Grace United Reformed Church of Lynden. She was active in church life and had a keen interest in church history, reading many books and church magazines. For twenty years she spent countless hours, along with her father, on the cassette tape ministry Luisterpost, in which she sent Dutch sermons to elderly, homebound Dutch immigrants in the USA, Canada, and Australia. Theresa loved travelling with her husband and family, often visiting places with significant Biblical or historical importance. Always thinking of OTHERS, Theresa was a faithful, loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Her strong faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior was evident. We rejoice that the Lord heard her final prayers to take her home to Him, knowing that we will see her again.