Verna Holland

Verna Holland was an easygoing lady that enjoyed the comforts of a simple and honest lifestyle. She was perfectly happy spending time with her loved ones and didn’t need thousands of flashy distractions in her life. Verna was a thoughtful and caring woman who made everyone feel special when she was near.

In the year 1914, America was going through great change as the Industrial Revolution drew people to the cities like magnets, where jobs were plentiful in the newly developed manufacturing sector. As the skies darkened over Europe, the raging conflict slowly dragged the U.S. into the trenches of World War I. It was into these uncertain times that Frank and Gertrude (Lane) Glidden welcomed the birth of their daughter, Verna Doris, on November 21, 1914, in their family home in Lawrence, Michigan.

Verna grew up in a large, loving family; she was the youngest of their eight children. They lived in Van Buren County throughout her growing up years, and as the Great Depression affected Verna’s family, they moved around the county in order to find work. Verna attended school through the eighth grade, but then left to help care for her sister’s children as she had died. Her strong motherly instincts were honed at an early age and prepared her for her own family.

In 1935, Verna met her first husband, Ralph Thomas Washburn, while at Lake Cora in Paw Paw. They fell hopelessly in love and were married that same year. Over the next several years, Ralph and Verna filled their home with the joy and laughter of five children: JoAnn, Ted, Ken, Kathy and Wendy. While Ralph worked the fields as a farmer, Verna stayed home and cared for their family. She was the disciplinarian in the house, but also taught her kids good habits and strong values that would guide them through their lives. Verna loved to cook and bake, and her family always looked forward to Sunday dinners with homemade pies and pot roast, and more importantly, the feast she prepared for holiday get togethers. Verna did a lot of canning during the year and also froze much for use later. She had a beautiful flower garden in the summer, and many fresh flowers were brought inside to adorn her table.

The family lived in Mattawan for a time before moving to a home on Valley Road in Lawton, which is now CR 669. When Ralph fell ill in the mid 1960s, they sold their home and moved to Decatur. A few years later, Verna lost her beloved Ralph in 1967. But Verna would find love again with John Holland, a lifelong friend who was also widowed. They were married in 1970, and continued to live in Decatur for a while. They then built a new home on 45th Street in Paw Paw, where they shared many great memories together for the next 28 years. Sadly, Verna lost John in 1998.

Family was always first in Verna’s heart, and she loved spending her time being a devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother to the people who brought her life extraordinary happiness. Verna also found great joy among her church family at the Decatur Bible Church, where she worshipped. She also attended services at East Arlington Baptist Church in Lawrence, with her sister, Una, who she was very close with. Verna placed great importance on her Bible studies and church family, and was deeply committed to both.

When it came to her leisure time, Verna did a lot of reading, especially of Christian novels; she wasn’t much for watching TV. She enjoyed listening to some gospel music, hymns and waltzes on the AM radio, or whatever was coming in clearly during the day. Though she was good at needle work, she didn’t like to sew. When she was young she gladly traded chores with her sisters; she would do the dishes and they would do the sewing. Now, she kept her hands busy crafting beautiful needlework pieces, including latch hook.

Verna passed away on Friday, September 21, 2007, at Porter Hills Presbyterian Village in Grand Rapids. Sitting in heaven’s garden watching over her family, Verna will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Learn more about Verna, view her life story film and visit with her family and friends on Wednesday, September 26, from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home - Betzler & Thompson, 60900 M-40, Paw Paw (657-3870), where a service to honor her life will be held on Thursday, September 27, at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Wildey Cemetery. Food and fellowship will then follow at the East Arlington Baptist Church, Lawrence.

Verna was preceded in death by her first husband, Ralph Washburn; second husband, John Holland; 7 brothers and sisters: Lloyd, Lutha, Alta, Vera, Glen, Una, Atha; 1 daughter, JoAnn; 1 granddaughter and 1 great granddaughter. Surviving are her children: Ted (Linda) Washburn of Lawton, Ken (Judy) Washburn of Lawton, Kathy (Zane) Bradley of Grand Rapids, Wendy (Gary) Kaltschnee of Golden, IL; 3 stepchildren: Ruth Ann (Dave) Callighan of Warsaw, IN, Linda (Ted) Washburn of Lawton, Martha Holland of Modesto, CA; 8 grandchildren: Rick, Shari, Steven, Laura, Kimberly, Jennifer, Nathan and Mark; several great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Please visit Verna’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may sign her online guestbook before coming to the funeral home and/or share a memory or photo with her family. Memorial contributions may be made to the Benevolent Fund at Porter Hills Presbyterian Village or Hospice of Michigan.