Alida "Atie" Vaandrager

Alida (Spanjer) Vaandrager, known to her friends and family as Atie, passed at the age of 93 on Sunday October 30, 2016, at the Franciscan Campus in Crown Point, Indiana. Atie was preceded in death by her husband, Hendrik on April 3, 2001, sixteen Vaandrager brothers and sister-in-laws of the Netherlands, and her three brothers and their wives: Harm and Jopie Spanjer, Kees (Cornelius) and Rie Spanjer, and Gerrit and Catriena Spanjer all of the Netherlands. She is survived by sons Hendrik (Henk) Cornelius Tjeert Vaandrager of Boise, Idaho and Nicolaas Arie (Nick) and Mary Ellen Vaandrager of Lowell, Indiana; granddaughters: Jacqueline (Jonathan) Vaandrager Stepanovich of Morganton, North Carolina, Caroline (Dustin) Vaandrager Pittman of Renton, Washington, and grandson Nicolaas Arie (Nico) Vaandrager of San Francisco, California, great-grandchildren, Amelia and Henry (Hendrik) Stepanovich, and Adaline Grace Pittman Atie, the youngest of four children was born to her parents, Tjeert and Heiltje (vanAbshoven) Spanjer on May 28, 1923 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. She was educated in the public schools of Rotterdam in the custom of the time for female students. At the age of sixteen she stood on the balcony of her home and watched the white parachutes of the German occupation forces enter the country of the Netherlands. She was an active member of the underground in Holland during WWII and served her country with pride. Atie met her husband, Hendrik at a liberation party. They were married January 3, 1946 in Rotterdam. Upon Henk’s retirement from the Dutch army, Atie and Henk made their home in Rensselaer, Indiana after immigrating from the Netherlands with their sons in April of 1960. Atie was active in the First Christian Church of Rensselaer as a member of the choir and ladies prayer circle. She was an active member of the Jordan Home Economics Club for nearly 40 years until the club disbanded being one of the longest active clubs in Indiana. Atie was active in the 4H program with her sons. She worked at Jordan School by planning and teaching vocational arts to the students. Atie was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her, but most importantly Atie will be remembered as an example of love, courage, resilience, and stoicism. May she rest in peace. Visitation will be held at Jackson Funeral Chapel, 250 N. McKinley Ave., Rensselaer, Indiana on Friday, November 4, 2016 from 4 pm - 7 pm. Funeral services will be held at the First Christian Church of Rensselaer, 327 N. Van Rensselaer Street, Rensselaer, Indiana on Saturday, November 5, 2016, at 10:30 am with Reverend Elizabeth Hartmann officiating. Burial will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery, Rensselaer, Indiana. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the First Christian Church of Rensselaer in Atie’s honor.

Alida "Atie" Vaandrager

May 28, 1923 - October 30, 2016