Greta Overvoorde

Greta Overvoorde Duifhuis of Grand Rapids was born in Barneveld, The Netherlands to Jan Duifhuis and Sijtske Stapertsma in 1933. She died peacefully February 4, 2021.

Because the pandemic limits visitation, the family asks that you please share stories, photos, or memories of Greta at https://memories.lifeweb360.com/greta-overvoorde. Further, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either the Christian Learning Center or Grace CRC.

Greta’s family immigrated to Granum Alberta, Canada in May,1949 where they worked for a rancher on the Prairie. After a year, the family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where Greta became a seamstress until her mother died unexpectedly at the age of 49, and Greta took over the household responsibilities. In 1956 she enrolled at Reformed Bible Institute, now Kuyper College. She studied there for three semesters then transferred to Calvin College while working at Wurzburg Co. as a seamstress. In 1961 she taught grades 5-8 at the John Knox Christian School in Wyoming Ontario Canada. The following year she married Chris Stoffel Overvoorde and completed her Bachelors in Arts degree at Calvin College. In 1963 they moved to Ann Arbor where she taught in a one-room school in South Salem while Chris attended the University of Michigan to complete his Masters degree. In 1966 they moved back to Grand Rapids where Chris began teaching at Calvin College and they joined Grace Christian Reformed Church. She taught Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, was a Calvinette Counselor and was later one of the first Female Deacons at Grace CRC. They were blessed with 2 biological children, Sonja and Paul, and then adopted Joy in 1970 and Peter in 1973.

After raising 4 children, Greta returned to school to become a resource teacher. She worked at Sigsbee Public School and at Oakdale Christian and later at Westside Christian School and the Christian Learning Center, now CLC Network, and she received her Masters of Arts degree in Teaching from Calvin College. After she retired from teaching in 1997, she continued to do volunteer work and became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate).

She is preceded in death by her Mother, Father, brother and husband Chris Overvoorde, as well as her brother Henry Duifhuis, in-laws Jitze van der Vinne, Christiaan, Nico, and Toon (Jeanne) Overvoorde, Peter Terveer, and Maartje Overvoorde.

She is lovingly survived by her children; Sonja (Bob) Timmer, Paul (Lynn) Overvoorde, Joy Overvoorde and Peter (Nora) Overvoorde; her grandchildren; Joshua Overvoorde, Isaac and Benjamin Timmer, Mia and Anika Overvoorde, Megan, Jaden and Andrew Overvoorde, Levi and Eliot Faber, and her great grandchildren, Sophia and Norah Overvoorde; her siblings Richard (Elsie) Duifhuis, Dena Huizinga, John (Affie) Duifhuis, as well as many nieces and nephews and her in-laws; Nel van der Vinne, Adrie (Dicky) Overvoorde, Clara Overvoorde, Dick (Nel) Overvoorde, Joop Overvoorde and Geri (Wim) Braber.

A celebration of her life will be held during the upcoming summer.