- Date Of Birth: December 24, 1922
- Date Of Death: May 9, 2016
- State: Michigan
Peacefully passed into the arms of Jesus on Monday, May 9, 2016. Age 93. Mary was born on December 24, 1922, the daughter of the late Harm and Katherine (Koets) Smith. She graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School. She was married to John Cornelius Veld on October 23, 1941; he preceded her in death on January 29, 2009 after 67 ½ years of marriage. They were charter members of Hope Reformed Church, where they taught Sunday school and Catechism classes. Mary was active in the Women’s Guild and many volunteer activities, while John was a builder of custom homes, churches and fire stations.
In 1970 they were called into Christian ministry and joined Campus Crusade for Christ (now CRU). They encouraged and “built up” many church communities, including a church start in St. Petersburg, Russia after the government allowed open worship in 1993. In retirement, they attended Centerpoint church and continued to lead and host Bible study groups; and Mary was able to participate in Bible Study Fellowship, which she had originally helped to establish in Kalamazoo in the 1960’s. Throughout her life she touched many lives not only in Kalamazoo, but also in Cosby, TN., Ft. Collins, CO., Orlando, FL., Detroit & Grand Rapids, MI., and St. Petersburg, Russia. She was a gracious and loving hostess, cook, teacher and mentor.
Mary is survived by daughter, Lana Loedeman and her husband, Jerry and their children: Jim (Becki) Loedeman, Jane (Steve) Timmerman and Joe Loedeman; son, John C. Veld Jr. and daughter-in-love, Marian Veld and their sons: Joseph and Joshua Veld; three great-grandchildren, Mike, Quinn and Robert; sisters-in-law, Ruth and Marilyn Smith and brother-in-law, Ken VanderBroek; many nieces and nephews; and myriads of friends. She was preceded in death by three brothers and two sisters, John (Jack) Smith, Dorothy Shoemaker, Kathy VanderBroek, Robert and Donald Smith.
