Mary started her life on March 23, 1950, in the far north farm country of Minnesota to Karl and Verna Goossen. She is the youngest of five: Tom (June) Goossen, JoAnn (Ron) Pace, Harvey (Carol) Goossen and Eileen Fogerty. Five years later, Karl and Verna sold the farm and moved the family to Holland, Michigan. Mary attended Maplewood, Van Raalte, Harrington, and finished at West Ottawa. At Harrington she was a member of the Wildcats basketball team. I’m still quite proud of her for that achievement. At WO she was a marching band member, Dutch Dance, and worked in the library.
Mary says she met me in kindergarten at the old Maplewood School. Really? She says it was her, the cry-baby, the one always sitting on the teacher’s lap bawling her eyes out begging to go home. From there, our paths would often cross, mostly in our church (Immanuel) elementary age Sunday School. She was 8 or 9 by then, but she was a girl so I pretty much ignored her. By 9th grade, things changed. Hmmm… I thought, this might be worth a 2nd look! I noticed she was always the cutest girl in the room. Then came 11th grade and the summer of ‘66. Ok, it’s time. Now or never. I’m going to ask her out! It’s July 1, and with a newly secured driver’s license safely in hand we headed off for an adventurous evening at Tunnel Park. Things were off and running.
Four years later at our home church, Immanuel of Holland, I (Phil Schaap) took the lovely Mary Jane Goossen to be my wife. After another four years (I had cold feet) we began to add others to the family. They are Angela (Pete) Gatz, Jen Curry and Jesse (Brett) Schaap; and then along came 9 grand kids.
Mary was always a self-proclaimed home body. She liked things simple, clear, and on the safe side. To her credit she found herself living in some far away places like the Copper Country up on Michigan’s Keweenaw and Swaziland, Africa. She has been to 49 states plus Europe, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.
She loves holding babies and toddlers. For 50 years she has faithfully and quietly served the nursery at Immanuel. Our house was always filled with the sounds of Mary humming, especially the old hymns. She wasn’t even conscious of her humming. Hundreds of hours were spent at the kids’ sports events. Also, she enjoyed weekly gatherings with her siblings at Mom’s, reading Christian novels, journeys in Facebook, helping raise our kids and grandkids.
From that July long ago to this July, it’s been fifty-seven years together. Our story of doing life together has now come to a sudden end. Yesterday, Wednesday July 13, my beautiful friend and constant companion moved on to heaven to be with the true love of her life: her Savior, Christ Jesus.
Mary was recently diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. We have been busy readying ourselves for her stem cell transplant. But that was overtaken by a hemorrhagic stroke.
She will always be remembered as one who taught us all about kindness, selflessness, patience, and authentic love.
Visitation is from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 16, 2023, at Immanuel Church, 325 104th Ave, Holland, MI 49423. Funeral services are 3:00 p.m. Monday, July 17 at church. Memorial contributions may be given to Gateway Mission Women & Children’s Center.
Arrangements are by Langeland-Sterenberg Funeral Home, 315 East 16th St. Holland, MI, 49423. To leave condolences online, please visit, www.langelandsterenberg.com.
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