Johanna Vanden Akker

Johanna "Catherine" VandenAkker, of Snohomish, left our world on August 11, 2010, after 93 years of a good life mixed with plenty of hard times and trouble.

She was born in Boskoop, Holland, in 1916 and married Tony VandenAkker in 1943 and had two boys, Robert and Emile.Together they managed to save themselves and their children from the Nazi occupation and postwar Europe and came to America in 1951 to begin a new life and to provide opportunity for their kids. After working hard for two years and saving every dollar they managed to buy a place on the Sammamish Slough in Bothell that became VandenAkker’s Nursery for 48 years. Catherine became the caretaker of the grand old Monte Villa Farm House in Bothell for over 30 years and loved every minute of it and loved the house.

Catherine moved and cleaned so fast and ferociously that Tony often complained of hurricane-force winds inside the house.

Two more children, Bob and Carole, came along 12 years later. Keeping the family together and connected was a primary purpose in mom’s life and she loved Thanksgivings and Christmases with her family. After Tony’s death in 2000 mom sold the nursery and moved to Snohomish and retired at age 85 and spent 10 years in retirement in another house she loved and was taken care of by her daughter, Carole. Mom was hard working, determined and a fighter who survived by sheer will and never gave up. She was an inspiration to her family and her friends.

A memorial service will be held Aug. 24 at 11 a.m. at St. Michael’s Catholic Church on Pine Street in Snohomish.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Everett Providence Hospital Hospice program.