Michigan grandmother, Netherlands native remembered for kindness, work ethic
This obituary is part of “We Will Remember,” a series about those we’ve lost to the coronavirus.
Frederika Rita Price was the matriarch of her family, known for her kindness, positivity, work ethic and penchant for helping others.
She died at 81 on Sept. 16, 2021, at McLaren Hospital in Lansing due to complications from COVID-19.
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Born in Almelo, Netherlands, to Julius and Arenddina (Slettenhaar) Heuer, Price and her family of seven moved to Lansing when she was 15 years old.
Although Frederika was her legal name, the Grand Ridge resident added the name Rita as her second name when she became a citizen of the United States. Most called her Rita, said her daughter Debra Olmstead.
After retiring from a longtime position in a doctor’s office, she found herself accidently employed in a part-time job at CJ Banks in Lansing Mall, Olmstead said.
“She was in there one day shopping and started helping another lady put an outfit together with jewelry and everything and they offered her a job,” explained her daughter, who added, “and she got discounts for herself.”
Price’s life was never easy, but she didn’t let much stop her, according to her daughter, who said her mother stayed positive and kept a strong faith in God. She had five children before she was 25, divorced in the early 1970s, was a single parent and lived with a blood disorder that caused her many problems.
Price stayed active and on the move, and always looked to help others.
“She taught me about being a better person and the importance of service to others,” said grandson Donald Price.
Her biggest hobby was working in her garden and spending time repainting the garden gnomes she had all over her yard in the winter.
“She fell in April of 2020, breaking her hip,” Olmstead said. "She had to do rehab, but was back in the garden by summer.
She loved going to yard sales and enjoying a glass of beer in the evenings.
Price was an active member of Grand Ledge First United Methodist Church, where she enjoyed singing in the choir, working with the women’s group and helping at rummage sales.
Price was fully vaccinated and was waiting to have a heart valve procedure when she started having breathing problems, Olmstead said. She was transported by ambulance to McLaren Hospital, where she was diagnosed with COVID-19.
She passed away after being in the hospital for a week on oxygen, her daughter noted.
Price is survived by her daughter Debra (Andrew); sons Carl, Donald (Debbie) and Roy (Amy); 16 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; three great-great grandchildren; brother Gerrit (Mila) Heuer; sister Jeanne Guile, and dog Jordie.
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Brendel Hightower is an assistant editor at the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at bhightower@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lansing-area grandmother, Netherlands native succumbed to COVID-19
