JoAnne Smit

JoAnne Smit passed away Sunday, February 27, 2022, in Rose Arbor Hospice Residence. She was born January 27, 1941, in Kalamazoo, MI daughter of the late Henry and Anne (VanBruggen) VerHage. She graduated from Richland High School in 1959 and graduated as an RN from Bronson School of Nursing in 1961. On September 16, 1961, she married Jacob "Jake" Smit of Kalamazoo. She practiced nursing for 8 years and also joined her husband in running the family business, Jakes Concrete, Inc., for 61 years. In her spare time, JoAnne enjoyed time with friends and family, sunsets at Lake Michigan, following the Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race, hatching Monarch butterflies and gardening.

JoAnne is survived by her husband, Jake and children: John (Rhonda) Smit of Paradise, MI, Elizabeth Smit of Richland, MI, Jacob "Jake" Smit, Jr of Ada, MI, Anna (Ernest) Smith of Portage, MI and Stephen (Beth) Smit of Eagan, MN. She is also survived by nine grandchildren, brothers: Larry (Barb) VerHage, Tom (Karen) VerHage and Ralph VerHage and sister-in-law Ellie (Roger) Lowry.

Visitation will begin at 9:00am Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Second Christian Reformed Church, 3015 Nichols Rd, Kalamazoo MI 49004. Funeral service will follow at 11:00am. Luncheon following service Noon - 1:00pm. Graveside services will be in East Cooper Cemetery at 2:00pm. Please consider a gift in JoAnne's memory to KICY Christian Radio Station, in Nome, AK, www.KICY.org. Arrangements entrusted to Langeland Family Funeral Homes Burial & Cremation Services, 622 S. Burdick St, Kalamazoo, MI, 49007. To view JoAnne's personalized web page, please visit https://www.langelands.com