Christine Elizabeth Hennip Behrens died June 14, 2022 after spending 88 years focused on family, career, friendship, and service to others. Our mom was born March 16, 1934 on the family farm in Ellsworth, Michigan, to Gerrit and Mary (Siegers) Hennip. When she was 13, the family moved to a farm in Hopkins, Michigan. She graduated from Hopkins High School and Butterworth Hospital School of Nursing, beginning a 40-plus year career. Mom loved being a nurse, and practiced her profession in hospitals, nursing homes, and psychiatric treatment programs. She especially loved taking care of “her boys” at Pine Rest’s adolescent unit. She maintained lifelong friendships with her fellow student nurses - often talking about how much fun they had in school. She was a working mother, instilling in her four children a strong work ethic and providing an excellent example of work/life balance. After retirement, she continued to help others by volunteering on a mission trip to Russia; learning how to transcribe educational materials into braille; mentoring Sudanese refugees; reading to hospitalized patients; and driving those in need to medical appointments. She also was a talented seamstress and quilter, making most of our clothes and creating beautiful quilts for everyone in the family.
Mom married our dad, James Fredrick Behrens, September 22, 1956, and together they raised the four of us in Grandville, Michigan. The family expanded to include seven grandchildren and six (soon to be seven) great-grandchildren. Preceding Mom in death were our dad, Jim Behrens; her parents; and siblings Janet Rutgers, Peter Hennip, and James Hennip. She is survived by her children Amy (Larry) Hewitt, Jane (Marc) Longstreet, Mary (Tom) Scheidel, David (Rebecca) Behrens; grandchildren Katherine Longstreet (Jason) Davis, Lindsay Hewitt (Tom) Peck, Colleen Scheidel (Casey) Selzer, Jack Longstreet, Jake Scheidel, Megan Hewitt (Jon) Villasurda, Ian Scheidel; great-grandchildren Hampton, Oliver, and Freya Peck, Scarlett and Beau Villasurda, Sadie Jo Selzer, and Baby Davis, due in July. She also is survived by her sisters-in-law Connie Hennip and Bonnie Behrens Alward; and many nieces and nephews.
We would like to thank everyone at Sunset Manor and Spectrum Hospice for the excellent care Mom received. Anyone wishing to honor her memory is encouraged to make a donation to the Sunset Legacy Foundation. As a final act of generosity, Mom has donated her body to the University of Michigan Medical School. We will remember her with a celebration from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at Cook Funeral Home (West building), 4235 Prairie St. SW, Grandville. The family welcomes memories and messages in their guest book online at www.cookcaresgrandville.com.
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