Constance "Coni" Wibalda

Although some view being a wife and mother to be mundane work with little validation, Constance Wibalda considered these roles to be both her highest calling and her greatest blessing. She was the rock of her family who was there to support and encourage her loved ones in everything they did. Coni was a longtime resident of the community she loved, and she was the sort of person whom everyone seemed to know. Later in life she was filled with unspeakable joy to witness her family tree blossom to include the grandchildren who were her greatest source of pride and joy. Coni will be missed for her quick wit, her fun-loving personality, and her contagious zest for life, but her unconditional love will be her lasting legacy. The memories she leaves behind will never be forgotten. The first half of the 1940s was greatly defined by our nations involvement in WWII. With the wars end in 1945, America was making the shift to being a nation at peace once again, which brought an end to rationing and manufacturing that was focused on supporting the war effort. The year that followed was filled with great anticipation for Charles and Betty (Forberg) Tuttle as they were awaiting the birth of their new baby as the heat of the summer held the city of Oak Park, Illinois, firmly in its grip in 1946. The big day finally arrived on July 16th when the baby girl they named Constance Ann drew her first breath. She was the only child born to her parents, and she was the apple of their eye. Constances father worked as a car salesman for Ford while her mother was a secretary at Sealed Power when living in Muskegon. In many ways Constance, or Coni as she was usually known, was a young girl of her generation. She enjoyed things like gardening with her grandmother, visiting Macys and seeing the ballet in Chicago during Christmastime, and being a Brownie. As a student at local schools, Coni attended elementary school in Oak Park and went on to Black Hawk Jr. High, and she finished her junior high years at Bunker in Muskegon once they moved there. Her high school years found her at Muskegon High School where she was involved in the thespian club as she always enjoyed the theater. Coni was also on student council and was a Saturday morning announcer on Muskegons WKBZ. Spending time with family was always something she loved, and some of her favorite memories were made traveling from Illinois to Muskegon to visit family. Coni had several friends, but her closest friends were Sherry Bleier-Poffinbarger and Sally Moore-Wibalda. After graduating from high school in 1964, Coni went on to Muskegon Community College for a time. Not to be forgotten during her high school years was Conis introduction to the young man who would change the course of her life forever. His name was Leo John Butch Wibalda, and they became high school sweethearts. With a desire to spend the rest of their lives together, Coni and Butch were married on October 28, 1967, in Muskegon. Together they welcomed two children, Jana in 1971 and Dina in 1974, into their hearts and home. The Wibaldas made their home in Norton Shores where Coni was an active part of the community. As a mother she was continually supportive and involved in her daughters many activities. Coni had a way of making the ordinary things extraordinary, and she was sensible and down to earth as well. She took great care and pride in cooking for her family, and when it was someones birthday there was always a grand birthday dinner. As a family they looked forward to adventures spent camping, snowmobiling, and boating and water skiing as well as snow skiing in the winter. Coni and her family vacationed in Europe on three separate occasions, and as a Mona Shores band parent Coni went on many a band trip. Fun times were also had playing various games and card games. For years she was a troop leader for the Girl Scouts, a member of the Vikings lodge, involved in the Muskegon Summer Celebration, a member of the Mona Lake Boat Club, and always up for an adventure with family and friends. Among her closest friends were Jim and Candy Fox, Faisel and Marsha Abdelkader, Gary and Tina Mell, Al and Kathy Cross, and Mary and Mike Hendon in addition to many others. Although caring for her family was always her primary focus, Coni spent 29 years working as an account clerk in the water and sewer department for Norton Shores before retiring in 2011. One of Conis most amazing skills was the way she took everything in stride. A perfect example was the way she broke her foot while playing basketball with the girls one night after dinner. It was so funny how her husband threw her in the back of their van sitting on a bean bag chair and drove her around with only her nose and eyes visible. Coni spent two whole months being chauffeured" around that way! She skillfully mastered keeping her commitments while having fun doing the things she loved, too. Every October, Coni and Butch were lighthouse keepers at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse with Jim and Candy Fox. She loved the Red Wings and was a Justin Abdelkader fan, and Coni enjoyed reading, too. Later in life Coni was thrilled to become a grandmother, and she was an active part of her grandchildrens lives, too, just as she had been with her girls. She enjoyed taking care of them whenever she could, and she was always ready to host family gatherings whether for holidays, celebrations of some kind, or just to have fun together. Everyone who knew Coni knew that her door was always open to everyone, and this included having her grandchildrens' friends over, too. She loved being there to support her grandchildren in their activities, and they all enjoyed playing cards and other games together. Of course Conis grandchildren would all agree that there was nothing like her cooking, either. All who knew Constance Wibalda would agree that she was truly beautiful on the inside and out. She was always focused on nurturing others, and her devotion to her family was unmatched. Coni was content in whatever life brought, and she could find the positive side in anything. She will be deeply missed but never forgotten.