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Persoonlijke gegevens Ethel June Brandt 

• Zij is geboren op 11 juni 1921 in Holland, Ottawa County, Michigan (USA).
• Feit: (overlijden) .

  Ethel Kammeraad DeMaat’s loving, caring and unselfish nature brought happiness into the lives of her family and friends. As the second of four musical generations she loved playing music at home with her family. She would cook up a tasty meal and at the same time be taking care of everyone. Her heart was her strongest muscle, and she touched the lives of many with her unconditional love.
  
  In the 1920’s big band music was playing over radio’s and filled dance halls. In this era of good fortune, Bert Brandt and his wife Anne Overway certainly had reason to smile. On June 11, 1921, they were blessed with the birth of their daughter Ethel in their hometown of Holland, Michigan. The second of two children, Ethel grew up with the company of her brother Elmer, or "Gus," as he liked to be called. Since their father, Bert Brandt, started bands in many area schools, their home was always full of musical instruments. At a young age, Ethel showed an easy knack for playing music, starting with saxophone, clarinet and by her eighth birthday she even knew how to play the accordion; her father wanted her to do this, so that if he had a student interested, she could show them how it sounded. She soon began helping her father with teaching his music students lessons, a pastime which occupied a good amount of her childhood. Ethel also put her musical ability to use at school. She attended Van Raalte School before moving onto Holland High School where she was a drum majorette. She graduated with the class of 1939.
  
  During her years at Holland High, Ethel fell in love with a young man named John L. Kammeraad. When she first met him, she had another boyfriend. She had gone on a double date with John and his girlfriend, but after a few more encounters, Ethel and John decided to go out together. After a couple years of dating, they were married in 1941 in Holland. Following their marriage, Ethel and John lived with his mother in an upstairs apartment. This would be their home for the next seven years until 1948, when John completed the construction work on their new house on James Street. It was the only house on a dirt road.
  
  Just before John and Ethel moved into their new home, they were joined by a new member of the family. In 1946 their first child Steve was born; four years later, they were blessed again with the birth of their daughter Diane. Both the kids were raised to love the outdoors and playing music together. The Kammeraads did a lot of camping over the years, as well as a lot of hunting and fishing. John had a boat that he would take out each weekend with the family. The afternoons would involve water skiing and the picnic Ethel prepared. Their home was like a music rehearsal hall, and when extended family members and friends would arrive, everyone participated with their instrument. When Ethel's parents moved out to California, the family began to travel out West frequently to visit.
  
  Despite working part time as a secretary, Ethel always found time to take care of her family and teach Sunday school and create musical ensembles with her children for the church. No matter how busy her day was, there was always a batch of brownies waiting on the kitchen counter when her kids returned home from school. She worked at DePree Pharmaceutical, a job she would hold for over twenty-five years. Upon retiring she continued volunteering and secretarial work for several different companies.
  
  In the year 1965, when their children were still teenagers, John passed away at the young age of 42. Ethel worked through her grief by focusing on her children and her love for music. One of her greatest musical talents was playing the piano. She began accompanying students for the West Ottawa High School's Solo and Ensemble festivals. The door to her house was always open to young people who had troubled lives at home. Ethel would always listen and offer her support.
  
  In the year 1970, Ethel found love again and married Elmer DeMaat. He enjoyed many of the activities that Ethel had become accustomed to over the years as she then grew to enjoy watching baseball. They purchased a cottage on a lake near Big Rapids where they traveled to often. At their “neighborhood campfires” Ethel would play the accordion for entertainment. But Elmer soon became ill with cancer, and after years of devoted care from Ethel, he died in 1981.
  
  After Elmer had passed away, Ethel continued taking care of more family members. Her father was ill with Alzheimer's, and Ethel soon joined her mother in the task of looking after him. When her father died, Ethel continued taking care of her mother. She also enjoyed the companionship of her golden retriever Schnook, and then Schnook 2 and Schnook 3, that came after.
  
  When her mother passed away, Ethel returned to her old love for music. She started playing in many bands, including the VFW Women's Auxiliary, the Good News Gospel Band, Tulip Town Tuners, Evergreen Commons Bell Choir and active in several other musical ensembles, as well as singing and accompanying the church choir. She also had many opportunities to perform with her son Steve for the church. Her daughter Diane, who is also a musician, had the joy of her mother visiting and performing with her in Arizona and then Mexico. Ethel also volunteered many hours to the mission, the Red Cross and other organizations.
  
  Ethel had always been a great cook, and she continued in this tradition as her family grew with grandchildren. Steve always joked that her seven food groups were "starch, starch & starch...." Whenever she made a dessert for her grandkids, she would put a piece of banana into the pudding and whoever got it won a roll of Mentos.
  
  Even when Ethel entered her nursing home, she never lost her youthful spirit and her love for music. One of the workers at the nursing home said that Ethel taught everyone that "you are never too old to look at men." The residents would often play the game "Stump Ethel," which meant that they would call out a tune to see if she could play it on her accordion, but Ethel knew them all. Until her last days, she loved to play music. She was the "love bug" of the nursing home, and when the family visited, they sometimes found it difficult to get past the residents in the hallway as Ethel was stopping to give them all words of encouragement. Since it was very normal for Ethel to be a caregiver, she continued to help people at the rest home--she almost felt that she worked there! The staff had to tone her down a little, because she was as frail as most of the patients.
  
  Ethel was a former member of Beechwood Reformed Church, Fourth Reformed, and most recently attended Calvary Christian Reformed Church. She was a spirited, loving woman who will be greatly missed and frequently remembered by many.
  
  Ethel died on Saturday, January 22, 2005, at a local care facility. She was preceded in death by her first husband, John L. Kammeraad, and her second husband, Elmer Demaat. Surviving are her children, Steve (Linda) Kammeraad, of Holland, and Diane Rachael, of Puerta Vallerta, Mexico; 5 Grandchildren, Kristi (Brian) Rogalske, Lori (Eric) Fox, Kevin (Stephanie) Kammeraad, Sapphire (Jeremy) Bell, and Jade Beall; 6 Great Grandchildren, Zachary and Madison Fox, Ashley, Nathan, and Emily Rogalske, and Carlos Kammeraad; and a Sister-in-law, Ruth Brandt. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Funeral services are scheduled for Tuesday, 11:00AM, at the Downtown Chapel, Dysktra Life Story Funeral Homes, 29 E. Ninth St. Officiating will be the Rev. Frank Wevers. Burial will be in Restlawn Memorial Gardens. Visitation is scheduled for Monday, from 7-9PM, at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Resthaven Care Center, or to the American Cancer Society. Please visit Ethel’s personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can sign the guestbook, share a memory, make a memorial contribution, or order flowers online.

• Zij is overleden op 22 januari 2005 in Holland, Ottawa County, Michigan (USA), zij was toen 83 jaar oud.
• Een kind van Bert Brandt en Ann Overway
• Deze gegevens zijn voor het laatst bijgewerkt op 22 augustus 2021.

Gezin van Ethel June Brandt

Zij is getrouwd met John Loyd Kammeraad.

Zij zijn getrouwd in het jaar 1941 te Holland, Ottawa County, Michigan (USA), zij was toen 19 jaar oud.

Kind(eren):

1. (Niet openbaar)
2. (Niet openbaar)

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