Leonard   Bossenbroek

Bossenbroek, Leonard Leonard Christian Bossenbroek, a solid and faithful Christian man, peacefully died Monday morning in his room at Brookcrest Nursing Home in Grandville, MI, a few yards away from where Sarella, his wife of 62 years died a month earlier. He was 92. His children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends unite in thanking God for his life. Leonard was born on a small farm near Waupun, Wisconsin, to Christiaan and Lena Bossenbroek. He was the youngest of five children and their only boy and was preceded in death by his four older sisters. Although neither Christiaan nor Lena attended school past the eighth grade, they highly valued education, not only for Leonard, whom they hoped would enter the ministry, but also for Leonard’s older sisters, a number of whom relocated to Grand Rapids in the 1930’s and 1940’s to attend Calvin College and look for husbands (not necessarily in that order). Leonard worked on his father’s dairy farm during World War II. After the war, he followed his older sisters to Grand Rapids where he finished Calvin College in 1949 and Calvin Theological Seminary in 1952 (to his father’s considerable delight). While attending Calvin college, Leonard was introduced to Sarella by his sister, Gertrude and her then husband, Dr. Edward Y. Postma and they were married in 1950.  Leonard served four churches in the Christian Reformed denomination - in Harrison, South Dakota (1952 - 1956); Ocheyedan, Iowa (1956 - 1964); Moline, Michigan (1964 - 1971)and Wyoming Park, Michigan (1971 - 1984). Leonard gave his final sermon as a full-time Minister of the Gospel on Sunday Morning, June 17, 1984. On that morning, Fred Holtrop, the Vice President of the Wyoming Park CRC Council, directed the following parting comments to Leonard that summed up his 32 years in the ministry. “You have faithfully preached the whole counsel of God from Sunday to Sunday; faithfully performed your pastoral activities; faithfully visited the sick in the home, nursing home or in the hospital; faithfully promoted the cause of Christian education and missions; and faithfully shared our joys and sorrows at our weddings, births and times of bereavement. You have done well, good and faithful servant.” Leonard loved his Sarella deeply. He treated her kindly with gentleness and respect. To his children and grandchildren, Leonard was a consistent example of how to walk the talk, conscious that what he proclaimed from the pulpit he needed to model for his family. In their retirement, Leonard and Sarella shared an interest in their families’ ancestry and how God sustained their families through the generations. Through a great deal of research, including trips to the Netherlands, they were able to trace their family roots to the early 1800’s. Leonard prayed daily for his sons and their families. He was frugal, lived within his means and always tithed. He didn’t like credit cards and always filed his tax return on time. He loved music, especially classical music, and was an accomplished violinist and taught one of his granddaughters how to play. In later years, he enjoyed keeping up with his children’s and grandchildren’s accomplishments and he always looked forward to his Thursday morning breakfasts with Steve. Above all, Leonard trusted Jesus Christ alone as his Savior to forgive, and ultimately heal him. His final message to his family and friends would certainly echo the text he chose for his Farewell Sermon on June 17, 1984: “And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified.” Acts 20:32. Leonard will be missed by his sons and daughters-in-law, Carl Leonard and Nancy Bossenbroek of Byron Center, MI, James and Carla Bossenbroek of Austin, TX, Steven and Elaine Bossenbroek of Holland, MI, and Lorin and Debra Bossenbroek of Grandville, MI. He will be missed by his grandchildren and step-grandchild, Joe (and Marcia) Bossenbroek, Jessica (and Ryan) Ronne, Nicki (and Dave) Kooistra, Lindsay (and Keith) De Young, Zachary (and Christy) Bossenbroek, Ezekiel (and Dora) Bossenbroek, Elijah (and Kate) Bossenbroek; Karen (and Manoj) Mulki, Steven L. Bossenbroek II, Geoffery (and Elizabeth) Bossenbroek, Ciri+1 (and Kurt) Mingerink; Hannah+1 (and Brandon) Lawrence, Chelsea (and Zachary) Snyder; Chloe Bossenbroek, Greta Bossenbroek, Scott Eldred, Emma Bossenbroek and Moses Bossenbroek; by his great grandchildren, Kilian O’Mara, Shiloh Bossenbroek, Dolorez Bossenbroek, Caleb Crisman, Tate Ronne, Lucas Crisman, Mya Ronne, Mabel Crisman, Joshua Crisman, Jada Ronne, Ethan Bossenbroek, Chandini Mulki, Milind Mulki, Jackson Bossenbroek, Jaden Bossenbroek, Ella Bossenbroek, Sadie Mingerink, Kaden Mingerink, Roman Bossenbroek, Jagger Bossenbroek, Bailey Bossenbroek, Isabella Bossenbroek, Ayva Kooistra, Wyatt Kooistra, Sawyer De Young, Walker De Young; by his brother-in-law, Dr. Edward Y. Postma, by his sister-in-law, Leona Van Oss who also resides in Brookcrest and his brother-in-law Forrest (Jane) Van Oss of Pella, Iowa; by nephews and nieces; by dear friends; and by fellow members of Faith Community Church in Wyoming where Leonard has been a member since 1971. Leonard’s family thanks the staff of Sunset Manor, Brookcrest Nursing Home and Faith Hospice who consistently treated Leonard with dignity and kindness. The Bossenbroek family will receive relatives and friends at the Matthysse-Kuiper-DeGraaf Funeral Home, 4145 Chicago Drive, Grandville, MI on Friday from 4 to 8 pm and from 10-10:45 am at the church prior to the service. A private family burial will be held Saturday morning at Floral View Memorial Gardens.  The Memorial Service for Leonard Bossenbroek will be held on Saturday at Faith Community Christian Reformed Church, 5250 Byron Center Ave., Wyoming, MI, at 11 am with Rev. Roger Groenboom officiating.  The family requests that memorial contributions may be made to Faith Community Christian Education Memorial Fund.