Sidney Post

Sid Post, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather to many; great friend to many, many more; and devoted servant to Jesus Christ, was called home to his Lord on November 24, 2023, at the age of 99 after his last day of Thanksgiving. Born Sybren Post on January 6, 1924, to Jelle and Reintsje Westra Post in Sexbierum, Friesland, The Netherlands, he took the name Sidney upon immigrating to the United States in 1948. He married Jeanette (Jaitske) Elgersma on June 3, 1947, in the Netherlands, and they raised their family in the DeMotte, Indiana, area. After Jeanette’s death in 1997, Sid married Shirley (Sjoukje) DeVries Bouma of Sarnia, Ontario. He lived in Hudsonville, Michigan; Wheatfield, Kersey and DeMotte, Indiana; Sarnia, Ontario; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. For many years he owned an egg-delivery service operating in the Calumet region of Indiana and in Hyde Park and the Southeast Side of Chicago. He was very active in his church community, serving for many years as an elder in First Christian Reformed Church of DeMotte and, while in his 80s, in New Hope Christian Reformed Church in Sarnia. In his early years, his ability to speak Frisian and Dutch proved of great value in ministering to elderly first-generation Dutch immigrants to the DeMotte area and in later years to postwar immigrants in Sarnia. He served on the first church council of Community Christian Reformed Church of Roselawn, Indiana, at the time that congregation became organized and was a frequent board member and past president of DeMotte Christian Grade School. He was a member of the board that initiated a Christian-high-school option for DeMotte residents at Illiana Christian High School, was a member of the board of Trinity Christian College and served in leadership roles in many other Christian organizations. Sid is survived by his children Judy (Bob) Van Hoff of Floyd Knobs, Indiana; Rena Post of Toronto, Ontario; Grace (Jonathan) Bradford of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Mary (the late David) Schuringa of Byron Center, Michigan; Theda (Malcolm) McBryde of Detroit, Michigan; Arlene (David) Van Kley of Gwinn, Michigan; Jo Ann (Richard) Cunningham, of DeMotte, Indiana; Anita Post (Stanley) Blom, of South Bend, Indiana; Jerald (Mary) Post, of Oak Park, Illinois; and Karen (Steve) Malestein, of Radcliff, Kentucky. He also is survived by 26 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, as well as by three stepchildren: Ann (Wouter) Schuurmans of the Netherlands; Bill (Denise) Bouma of Wyoming, Ontario; and Reinder (Pam) Bouma of Sarnia, Ontario. He is survived by a sister, Arendsje (Audrey) Appel of Ferndale, Washington; a brother, Jint (Jim) (Geertsje or Gail) Post of Crystal, Michigan; brothers-in-law Aart Slotboom, Sjouke (Atje) Elgersma and Oene (Anna) Elgersma; a sister-in-law, Akke (Aalt) Van der Haan, all of the Netherlands; and numerous nieces and nephews on both sides of the Atlantic. Finally, he is survived by numerous friends at the Clark Home and elsewhere in Grand Rapids, Sarnia and DeMotte. He was preceded in death by his wives, Jeanette (Jaitske) Elgersma Post and Shirley (Sjoukje) DeVries Bouma Post; a daughter, Christine; a son-in-law, David Schuringa; a grandson, Jacob Schuringa; a brother, Piter Post; sisters Marieke Vreugdenhil, Aly Wiersma and Anneke Slotboom; brothers-in-law Adrian Vreugdenhil, Tsjipke Wiersma, Jack Appel, Willem Elgersma, Douwe Elgersma, Age Wesselius, Johannes Breeuwsma, Ame DeVries; and sisters-in-law, Marike Westra Post, Tjet Breeuwsma, Griet Wesselius, Joukje DeVries, Doet Elgersma and Janna Elgersma. Always with joy in life and interest in others. Living and dying in God’s grace. A graveside service will be held at the Holland Cemetery in DeMotte, Indiana, on December 2, 2023, at 11 a.m. with Rev. David Van Kley officiating. A memorial service will be held at the Clark Retirement Community at Franklin (MLK, Jr., Drive) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on December 30, 2023, at 1 p.m.

Sidney Post

January 6, 1924 - November 24, 2023