Barbara Hiemstra's Obituary
Mrs. Barbara Hiemstra, age 80, of Grand Haven, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. She was born on February 27, 1946, in Ionia, Michigan, to Maurice and Dorothy (Olshack) Weiers. On April 25, 1986, she married Danny Hiemstra in Grand Rapids.
Barbara loved to travel and embraced every new adventure. Over the years, she and her husband lived in many places, including Grand Rapids, Big Rapids, Eugene and Tualatin, Oregon; Bloomington, Illinois; Pittsburg; Holland; Battle Creek; Saint Charles, Missouri; and Grand Haven. Wherever she lived, Barbara was always ready to see what was next.
Barbara had a driving desire to enter the professional world during a time it was difficult for women to attain positions previously held by men, but that didn’t stop her, because the one word that always described Barbara was strong. Barbara’s first positions were in advertising first for the Ionia Sentinel Standard and later the Charlottle Tribune. She worked for Kennedy Research and then in bank management and later as a realtor where she loved helping people and would later retire from the workforce to be able to spend more time enjoying the traveling and exploring the new cities and states her and Dan would call their homes. In her free time, she enjoyed collecting recipes, caring for her orchids and loving her pets and most of all spending time with her family and friends reminiscing about past adventures.
Later in life she used her strength to overcome many medical adversities that most would have succumb to but not her. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
Barbara is survived by her husband of 40 years, Danny Hiemstra; her children, Brenda (Tom) Trebian‑Kolenda and James (Tracy) Trebian; stepchildren Michelle (John) Young and Michael (Cejanet) Hiemstra; grandchildren Alexandria, Nicholas, Maximilian, Noah, Paige, Derek, Tarah, Patrick, and Medrina; great‑grandchildren, Gavin and Emmerson; and her brothers, David and Gregory Weiers. She was preceded in death by her parents, Maurice and Dorothy, and her former husband, Harold Trebian.
A memorial service will be held 11:00 AM Saturday, May 16, 2026, at St. John’s Episcopal Church (524 Washington Ave, Grand Haven, MI 49417). Visitation to follow the service during the luncheon. On your next adventure stop and enjoy the flowers and think of Barbara. Please sign the family’s online guestbook at Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services.
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