The Meijer family remembers the life of Lena Meijer, who died this weekend at the age of 102

Lena Meijer, a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, spouse and partner of the late retail entrepreneur Fred Meijer, died on January 15, 2022 at the age of 102. Lena was born on May 14, 1919 on the family farm near Lakeview, Michigan. She was the daughter of the German immigrants George Rader and Mary Lutterloh Rader.

Lena moved to Greenville, Michigan in 1940, where she was hired by Hendrik Meijer as a cashier in the original Meijer supermarket. It was there that she met Fred Meijer, the merchant’s son. They married in 1[ads1]946. The couple moved to Grand Rapids in 1951 and Lena continued to work in the business until the first of three sons was born in 1952.

Lena was very active in Grand Rapids Public Schools, and often volunteered as a member of the Aberdeen School PTA, in addition to serving in other community roles and volunteering at school functions from paperwork to cake walks. She was also an enthusiastic partner to her husband as Meijer’s retail business grew, attending store openings and team members’ awards dinners, taking Sunday trips to visit stores, and making lifelong friends at food industry conferences. Nevertheless, she also led a busy household, making dinner for the family most every night.

From the couple’s first trip to Europe – and her first flight – in 1950 to worldwide travel in recent years, Lena set out on adventures she could not have imagined as a child going to a one-room schoolhouse in central Michigan. She loved memories of camel rides and hot air ballooning, golf tournaments and bike rides.

She valued the company of her family even more, with her seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews and cousins.

In the natural world, she developed a special fondness for penguins, and collected a collection of penguin-related objects in all shapes and sizes.

Her love of gardens, including her own rose garden in their longtime home on the northeast side of Grand Rapids, helped inspire her and her husband’s commitment to creating Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. For many years she decorated the German Christmas tree as a volunteer in the Gardens. There, as with Meijer, her devotion to the committed volunteers and staff was always evident. She and Fred were delighted to welcome visitors to the Gardens, including and especially the children of her namesake Children’s Garden.

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