Bill Hodge

With the love of family by his side, Bill Hodge overcame much in the last eight years of his life. Although many would have given in to the disappointment of disease, Bill used it as a catalyst for pushing forward all the more. The kind of man who enjoyed living, he lived it well, and to the best of his ability. Good natured and hard working, he will be remembered fondly by the many who came to know and love him. As the nation struggled through the worst year during the Great Depression, 1933 saw a unprecedented U.S. jobless rate of over 15 million. At the same time, great strides were being made in the culture of America as Radio City Music Hall opened and The Ranger, the first U.S. aircraft carrier, was launched. FDR held his first 'Fireside Chat' to boost the spirits of Americans while entertainment was a welcome deviation from hard economic times. In the shoreline city of Muskegon, Michigan, Fredrick and Velda (Blohm) Hodge had their attention focused on the birth of their son, Erwin William "Bill" Hodge, born on August 14, 1933. When Bill was born his father was a local milkman and his mother, a homemaker who also took in washing and ironing, looked after Bill, his older brother, Melvin and younger sister, Karen. During his childhood they moved to an 80 acre farm in Hesperia where Bill collected fond memories of years growing up on the farm and often reminisced about his mothers great cooking. Everyone shared keeping the farm running smoothly like looking after their cows, chickens and their other animals. They each helped with daily chores and worked together on the various crops they grew. Bill learned a good, strong work ethic during his youth, especially watching his father who not only farmed, but worked in the local factories and as the sexton for several area cemeteries. During high school Bill worked at a grocery store before landing a job at a gas station. After graduating, he was hired at the Gerber baby food plant in Fremont in the cereal department where he worked third shift. Life was good for Bill. He worked hard and it really paid off when he purchased some property of his own east of Hesperia with a plan for building a home. Once the basement was finished, he lived there until he completed the rest of the house. He did most of the work himself but was thankful for the help from a few family members and friends. The year 1958 changed everything for Bill when he went along with a buddy to visit some girls renting a summer cottage on Hess Lake. From the moment he met Karen Dunning, he wanted to ask her out. They indeed began dating and fell in love. October 23, 1959 marked the day they exchanged vows of marriage in a ceremony shared with family and friends. Their daughter, Barbara came along in 1962 and they could not have been happier. With his sights set on furthering himself in a skilled trade, Bill started taking classes to become an electrician. After 12 years with Gerber he left the company for a maintenance position at Harbor Industries in Grand Haven. From their home in east Hesperia, Bill commuted to and from work for a time before buying two large lots of land in Grand Haven Township on the corner of Deremo Ave. and Mercury Drive. Although he had the basic layout of their new home built by a contractor, Bill finished all the electrical, plumbing and trim work himself. During this time he moved his family into a travel trailer on the property until their house was ready to become a home. Shortly after moving to Grand Haven they joined United Methodist Church of the Dunes where Bill served as an active volunteer. He helped on many projects and enjoyed cooking for the mens monthly breakfast group. His wife, Karen eventually was hired as the church secretary in 1976, and remained there for the next 30 years. They both were involved at church and together enjoyed the couples groups. As a family they attended church family camp every summer in Reed City where Bill also gave of his time. They enjoyed camping together and traveled in their trailer all over Michigan. Bill always liked finding spots where he could fish, and often took his daughter, Barb with him. He also made annual deer hunting trips to the Upper Peninsula, but the time he shot a bear during one of the trips was truly his most memorable. After several years with Harbor Industries Bill went to work for the Baker Furniture Company in nearby Holland. During this time he also earned his license as a master electrician. He eventually took a position with Kelly Sales and Engineering installing industrial cranes around the Midwest. At the age of 63, Bill retired in 1999 after nearly 20 years with the company. Since Karen continued to work, Bill became the 'head cook and bottle washer' at home. Each night he had dinner waiting on the table for her with the exception of Friday nights when they enjoyed a night out for dinner. During retirement Bill kept quite busy. He got a dog, a Dalmatian and Australian Shepherd mix. and lovingly named him Ole' Buddy. Inseparable, the two were constant companions and always enjoyed their regular routine of car rides and walks in the woods. He also became interested in genealogy and spent much time gathering information about his family roots from the library and through county records. He also visited many old cemeteries, with Buddy by his side, searching for the names and dates of his ancestors. Never one to sit idle, he loved puttering around the house and always had a project or two in the works along with tending to his garden. Even though Bill had his share of health challenges with COPD and the need to be on oxygen the last eight years, it didn't keep him down, nor did he allow it to get him down. He even found a way to rig his riding lawn mower to hold his oxygen tank so he could keep up with his yard. He continued with his activities at church and joined the Romeo group there which is short for, Retired Old Men Eating Out! When diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma last year, Bill fought the disease with all his might. He never once gave up his will to live, even through the battery of treatments, including chemotherapy. Eventually weak as the disease wore him down, and after the fight of his life, E. William "Bill" Hodge, at the age of 77, sadly died on Sunday, April 17, 2011 at North Ottawa Community Hospital. Although he will be dearly missed, he leaves fond memories to be treasured by many. Bill is survived by his wife of 51 years, Karen; daughter, Barbara Hodge of Spring Lake; granddaughter, Desiree Collison; sister, Karen Hodge of Spring Lake; sister-in-law, Cecilia Hodge of Fremont. He was preceded in death by his brother, Melvin in 1989. SERVICE: Saturday, May 7, 2011, 1:00 PM at United Methodist Church of the Dunes with Rev. Dan Duncan officiating. MEMORIAL: United Methodist Church of the Dunes, American Cancer Society or The Harbor Humane Society. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a favorite memory or photo of Bill or to sign his online guest book. Clock Life Story-Grand Haven.