Ann Marijke Guter, childhood sweetheart of Jake Guter, passed away July 14, 2021 at the age of 88, after a long struggle with strokes and dementia.

She was born October 15, 1932 in Noordscharwoude, first child of Jacob & Ina Boonstra, who came from Friesland to North Holland. Her father started a jewelry & watch & clock repair business there in Noordscharwoude (hometown of her future husband) in the late 1920s. She is survived by her loving husband, Jake (married in Hamilton, Ontario on January 31, 1958), and her 5 children, Jake (Mary Doll), William "Bill", Frank (Hilary Dickinson), Marlene Guter Seykora, Mike (Carrie Begin), and her 5 grandchildren, Marguerite, Madeline, Will, Gabriel, and Marijke. Ann has 4 surviving siblings, all living in the Netherlands, Jan (Tjaak), Wilco (Anneke), Jaap (Marijke) & Marijke (Rob) Grund, and 3 sisters-in-law, Marianne Boonstra, Gre (Jaap) Haaksma and Miep (Piet) DeRuiter, and many other nieces and nephews, also all residents in the Netherlands. She was pre-deceased by her sister-in-law Annie Kramer and brother-in-law Frans & his wife, Trijnie, her son-in-law Brian Seykora in 2014 of cancer and her youngest brother Johan (Marianne) in 2016, also of cancer.

Ann Guter was a woman of initiative, adventure, a lover of people, a restless spirit. She and Jake traveled a great deal. They loved to take their family camping, throughout the New York Adirondacks, the Smoky Mountains, eastern destinations such as Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and many more places and adventures. She continually traveled to the Netherlands with her family in tow, keeping close contact with her Boonstra siblings and her Gutter in-laws. Her close relationship with the Dutch family meant everything to her.

Our mother was a hard worker, who earned cash for her own & family needs by, among other things, ironing clothes, fostering children, and selling Avon on her bicycle throughout her local neighborhood on Holley Road. She was always and continually active, hiking, biking, cross country skiing, roller blading and doing yoga. She was always painting, wall-papering and decorating her homes and as a volunteer in many projects. Mom served in a volunteer capacity throughout her life, demonstrating a generous spirit. She was secretary for years both at church, in the local Christian school, and at Wycliffe Bible Translators in Orlando, Florida. She served as the first female deacon in Classis Atlantic Northeast, helping to break brand new ground. She was busy doing her family genealogy for years, she collected and preserved old photos and documents that told the story of her family, the Boonstra's, and her husband's family, the Gutters. Out of all of her saved documents and photos, she gave every one of her children a book on their life. Mom was incredibly creative, continually busy with knitting sweaters and other items, crocheting, making quilts and blankets, sewing clothing for herself and her children and doing needlepoint, most of the time listening to classical or sacred music.

Her faith has always meant so much to her, having been baptized in her local Gereformeerd Church in Noorscharwoude, attending a local Christian school, later serving as volunteer church secretary and then church deacon, one of the first women in that role. As a young girl, Mom was serious about her education, completing high school in the nearby city of Alkmaar. Mom has always loved her volunteer work in church or Christian organizations, having done this wherever she lived and throughout her life.

Her Celebration of Life service will be on Sunday, July 25 @ 1:30 p.m. at Holland Home Breton Ridge (2772 Pfeiffer Woods Drive SE) in the Vineyard Chapel with reception to follow. Memorials may be left at the Ann Guter Ofield Funeral Home page (www.ofieldfuneralhome.com). Donations in her honor may be made to Holland Home Benevolence Fund or World Renew (CRC relief work). Service Details. Memorial Service
When: Sunday, July 25th, 2021 1:30pm
Location: Holland Home Breton Ridge-Vineyard Chapel
Address:
Address: Not Available