Casey Jagt

Casey David Vander Jagt, age 68, walked into glory to be with his personal Lord and Savior on October 31, 2018. His last hours were spent peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family. Casey was born on September 2, 1950 in Grand Rapids, MI, to Henry and Verona Pearl Vander Jagt as the youngest of six. His family moved to the mountains of Arizona when he was four years old where he hunted rattlesnakes, harassed his sister Margie, and carried gila monsters on the school bus. His mischievous, adventure-loving antics continued throughout childhood and into adulthood. The family moved back to Sparta, Michigan, when Casey was in 9th grade, and he graduated from Sparta High School. After school, during the Vietnam War, he joined the Army. He survived boot camp by escaping the notice of his drill sergeants, and he eventually landed a spot with the 82nd Airborne jumping out of airplanes and shooting rifles long range. Upon his return to Sparta, he continued jumping from planes and racing his dirt bike and his fast Chevy Nova. When Casey wasn't hitchhiking around the United States, he rode his motorcycle across the country. He especially enjoyed his visits to see his big sisters in Washington state-with one of these trips happening during the eruption of Mount St. Helens. That particular trip changed his life. He drove from Washington to Michigan giving himself a pep talk about how the single-life wasn't so bad and he would be content with the life God had given him. His tent stayed securely in place as he drove across the entire United States, but just before arriving at home, the tent came loose and fell off the bike. A helpful woman named Linda, whom he had grown up with, picked up that tent for safe keeping until she could return it to him. When he went to retrieve it, a long conversation ensued, and that was that. He joined forces with Linda and her daughter Carrie to become a family of three on August 15, 1981. The next three years added his next three daughters, Alissa, Nancy, and BreeAnne. With his new family life came a new adventuring perspective: how to include his family in as many things as possible. This led to woodworking projects and gardening, and family horseback riding-first competing in long-distance races and then in team penning. He was passionate about hunting and fishing with his sons-in-law and long-range shooting. He thoroughly enjoyed hitting the trails on quads in the mountains of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee or the woods of northern Michigan. Everyone has great memories of his funny "Tim-the-Toolman-Taylor" proportioned solutions-like the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra he souped-up to road trip around the country with Linda as they visited their daughters at college or going to a Dairy Queen a state away just for fun, or the snowblower on his tractor that would throw sod on the house roof to be found in the spring. Casey was a loyal employee at Pioneer Construction Company for about 47 years until his cancer diagnosis made it too hard to continue to work. He loved his job, his employer, and his co-workers, and missed that part of his life. Over the course of his career, he contributed as Field Superintendent to many building projects in the greater Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Lansing areas such as the Downtown Market, American Seating Park, Grandville High School, Old Kent Bank Computer Center, the Boardwalk Apartments, Verne Barry Place, the helipad at Spectrum Butterworth Hospital, Grandville Resurrection Life Church, and several more. Casey lived a life of faith. He accepted the Lord as his Savior when he was a small child. His trust in the Lord and his commitment to living a life that honored God was evident to all. This faith influenced his career, his family life, and every aspect of his personal life. He was kind. He was gracious. He was faithful to God, his family, his employer, and to his country. He brought such genuine joy to those he met-and he met many people. He was vocal about his battle with cancer and the faith he had as he took each step toward glory. He shared his story-both the successes and the failures-with friends and family. He was excited to get to Heaven to see Jesus and to finally know what it is like. His family takes comfort from his final love letter to his beloved wife: "The three things I am most thankful for in my life are God's love, [Linda's] love, and the love of my family." As he went into glory, he leaves behind a family who will miss him immensely: his wife, Linda Vander Jagt (née Friske); his children Carrie and Anthony Muller, Alissa and Ben Woolston, Nancy Enlow, and BreeAnne and Jeff Jaggers; his grandchildren Bailey, Micah, Owen, and Landon Muller, Vayda, Brecken, Ellory, and Kent Woolston, Aayla, Ameira, and Asher Enlow, and Kirsten, Aiden, and Sadie Jaggers; the family he collected along the way Cassie Smith, and Josh and Julie Clapp, and Max, Dawson, and Jane Clapp; his siblings Thelma Jensen, Katherine Turner, and Margaret Barr; and all of his in-laws Dave and Evelyn Cook, Carl Lambert Friske and Nellie Barr, Nancy Stefano, Janet and Allan Hart, Carol Banks, John and Kathy Friske, and Eric and Carol Friske. He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Verona Pearl Vander Jagt; his siblings Robert Vander Jagt and Eleanor Cook; and his precious grandson who was named after him, David Anthony Muller. The funeral service will be held at 11 AM Wednesday, November 7, 2018 at West Cannon Baptist Church, 5760 Cannonsburg Road NE, Belmont, MI 49306. The family will greet relatives and friends from 9:30 AM until 11:00 AM at church on Wednesday. Pastor Doug Crawford will officiate. In lieu of flowers, you may donate to Casey's Legacy Fund which will help a family in need. To share a photo, memory, and sign the family's guestbook please visit www.stegengafuneralchapel.com To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Casey Vander Jagt please visit our Sympathy Store.