Andrea Mae Holleman

Andrea Mae Holleman was a strong, outgoing, enterprising woman who thrilled to be a wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Andrea was born at a time when the United States was heavily invested in the war in Europe, and the Allied Forces were nearing a long-awaited victory. While men sacrificed abroad, women worked valiantly at home to assist the war effort and stabilize the country. They became competent in business and manufacturing and confident in their ability to contribute to the American workforce, forever changing the social landscape. With all these changes came one more for the Andrew and Evelyn (Stam) Hoogendoorn family of Holland, Michigan who were awaiting the birth of their fourth child. On May 28, 1944, they welcomed Andrea Mae into their hearts and home. The family would grow to include five children - Wilma, Mary, Evelyn, Andrea, and Andrew. They enjoyed a secure yet carefree childhood that included such fun as playing at a nearby creek. The children experienced the love and care of their father who was an entrepreneur and their mother who remained at home to tend to their needs. Andrea loved her family and had an especially close relationship with her Grandmother Stam and sister Evelyn. Because she shared a room with Evelyn, they sometimes "covered" for each other when one snuck out the window. Andrea was a student at Federal Elementary School and then West Ottawa High School. During her young years she not only played on the basketball team, Andrea also took an interest in horses. They became her lifelong passion. Andrea was an outgoing, sociable young woman who was creative and artistic. Yet the person she met and fell in love with was more analytical and scientific, quiet and shy. Andrea met Charlie Holleman at a soda fountain in Holland. These "opposites" not only attracted one another, they flourished in a relationship that culminated in marriage on May 2, 1963 in Zeeland, Michigan. When they began their family, they were delighted to share their lives with two beautiful children: Randy and Jill. Andrea was an encouraging mother whose own strength inspired her children to become independent and pursue their education. Randy and Jill have fond memories of childhood. When Randy went fishing and his mom would drop by to bring him a snack, he knew that she was really checking up on him to make sure he was okay. The whole family remembers water volleyball tournaments in the pool, and Jill can recall hot summer nights when they would jump in the pool before bedtime to cool off. Jill also spent time with her mother taking horse riding lessons and going to exhibits where Jill showed her horses. In years to come, Andrea also shared her love of horses with her daughter-in-law Misti, her niece Mary Jo and friend Debbie. It gave Andrea a bond with them and an inspiration. In 1985, Andrea established Thunderhill Farm. It became one of the most important activities in her life as she hosted horse shows at Thunderhill and took her horses to the annual Coast Guard Parade and Christmas Parade. Andrea took great pride in designing and making costumes for the horses and giving away thousands of presents that she hand wrapped for children at the Christmas Parade. Thunderhill Farm was a great space for Andrea's horse Roxie and their dogs, Mackenzie and Frank. It also became the gathering place for family reunions. Family was very important to Andrea. She counted the marriages of her children and births of her four grandchildren as some of the best days of her life. Trevor, Sydney, Seth, and Trenton liked spending time with their grandma, whom they affectionately called "Grandee". At one time, Andrea was also called "broken grandma". She had broken her hip and two-year old Sydney didn't quite understand what that meant. Still, she and all the grandkids knew that a broken hip didn't keep grandma from loving them and having fun with them. Andrea also had fun with her friends. She and Charlie especially enjoyed time spent with Ed and Carol Douglas at the Coast Guard Parades and Vic and Detti Nikkels, who accompanied them on horse buying trips to Kentucky. Kentucky was a frequent destination for Andrea and Charlie. Most recently she had the pleasure of showing her horses at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Andrea was duly proud of her contributions to the horse show organization, with her membership in the Rocky Mountain Horse Association and especially her ownership of Thunderhill Farm. Andrea leaves a legacy of vigor, strength, and joy to all who know and love her. Andrea Mae Holleman, age 62, died Saturday, September 30, 2006. She is survived by her husband, Charles J.; 1 son, Randy (Misti) Holleman of Grand Haven; 1 daughter, Jill (Jim) June of Kalamazoo; 4 grandchildren, Trevor, Sydney, Seth & Trenton; 3 sisters, Wilma Maatman of Holland, Mary (Ted) Bolks of Holland & Evelyn (Chuck) Daugherty of Holland; 1 brother, Andrew (Donna) Hoogendoorn of Hamilton & several nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Andrew & Evelyn Hoogendoorn. Visitation on Thursday, 2-4 & 6-8 PM at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Grand Haven, 16777 Lincoln Street.