I’ve heard that Uncle Lou (Lambertus Leeuwenhoek) loved to play games–and was very good at them. Where and when he passed away is fitting, in that context.
Uncle Lou “died at 3:15 Wednesday afternoon at the YMCA immediately after suffering a heart attack. He had just finished a game of checkers.” I bet he won the game.
I need to research where the Y was located.
He died on Wednesday, April 20, 1949. Coincidentally, my father-in-law passed away in 1984 on April 20. Notice that Uncle Lou and Aunt Jen were married on May 20. My birthday is July 20. My cousin was born January 20. I always notice the number 20.
Here is the funeral announcement in the newspaper:
And here is a beautiful memorial book from Uncle Lou’s funeral. I wish I knew how to create a slideshow that allows a reader to enlarge each photo, but I don’t know if there is a way on WordPress.
What I find particularly useful from a genealogy standpoint are the names of the visitors on the last two pages. They are as interesting as the names in the obituary, if not more so.
The Family Kalamazoo 
from http://www.kzooymca.org/history
“The YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo has had a long and colorful history. The first YMCA in Kalamazoo was started in 1866, just 15 years after Thomas Valentine Sullivan’s first American YMCA came into being. Unfortunately, the Kalamazoo endeavor proved to be more difficult to sustain, and the YMCA disbanded in Kalamazoo in 1871.
The YMCA returned to Kalamazoo almost 15 years later with F.M. Hodge serving as the first Board President in 1885. The Y’s 270 members moved into the organization’s first building in 1892, where it stayed until a fire destroyed the building in 1911.
Undaunted, the YMCA staff and members set about constructing a newer, better building, and they succeeded in spectacular fashion. Over 50,000 people were on hand as President William Howard Taft laid the cornerstone of the new building at the corner of West Michigan and Park Street.”
I remember it being the south east corner
Joel, thank you so much for this. I feel as if I was there at one time, but it’s hard for me to sort out from the old YWCA where I spent much more time, taking many classes including swimming and day camp. I need to look for photos. I remember when the “new” one was built in 1970 andplayed tennis there mid-70s.
Joel, was it this building? http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mikalam2/photos/kalamazoo/kz-ymca-3.jpg
I believe so, it is not the other YMCA pictures in that album. It is a parking lot in 2016
https://www.google.com/maps/place/W+Michigan+Ave+%26+S+Park+St+W,+Kalamazoo,+MI+49007/@42.2916052,-85.5869307,3a,75y,179.91h,82.44t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1srpV7GOl1KVkPsNJ0bOHlng!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DrpV7GOl1KVkPsNJ0bOHlng%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D175.06343%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x88179d4229454929:0x9957d9c239358bff!2sW+Michigan+Ave+%26+S+Park+St+W,+Kalamazoo,+MI+49007!3b1!8m2!3d42.2915983!4d-85.5872831!3m4!1s0x88179d4229454929:0x9957d9c239358bff!8m2!3d42.2915983!4d-85.5872831!6m1!1e1
I feel as if I remember this building. I remember standing out in front of it waiting for my mom or dad to pick me up from ballet. It’s possible that my teacher rented space there for a time. We were always moving all over the place. The classes I most remember were at the Masonic temple.
What treasures. The checkers game–> a whimsical touch.
I remember grandpa’s stories about his father (Uncle Lou’s friend and brother-in-law) playing checkers in their fish market with the rabbi and the minister or priest. It always sounded like the beginning of a joke.
Did you notice that the obit says Uncle Lou’s store was at 110 Balch, so it’s true that the grocery store was at their home. I wonder how that worked.
I find it funny how certain dates come up again and again in certain families. You have the date of the 20th, I have the month of May. It seems my family has more births, marriages, and deaths in this month over any of the other months. Not sure what to make of it but it is something that is very noticeable in my family.
May is a beautiful month for weddings, but there is no planning involved in births and deaths. So odd how that happens. Or is it just the ones that ring bells that we remember best?
Who knew checkers could be so stressful? 🙂 I hope you have as much luck with the names in the memorial book as I’ve had with the names in my aunt’s baby book!
LOL, I know! But then I think he was a very dedicated player! Shanah tovah!
YMCA
1001 West Maple St
CELEBRATING 150 YEARS:
https://www.facebook.com/KzooYMCA/
——————–
1014 Garden St is 2.2 miles from the “Y”
He could have walked there.
I will email you today, if I can! Thanks, Jose!
(Yes, the Maple Street building is the new one they built when I lived in Kalamazoo).
miosiog
That is the address of the new YMCA (1970). The old one was in the center of downtown at West Michigan and Park. It is only 1.4 miles from 1014 garden St so he could have walked there.
Thanks for pointing that out about the address, Joel!
It does sound like he the way he passed was very fitting.
I agree. I’m sure he was happy in those last minutes and hours. More than so many can say.
Newspapers provide us so much, even if just a place to start. You wouldn’t know about the checkers game from a death certificate!
Exactly! And what a shame that would be!
Now I love this story about dying after a game of checkers!! What a way to go…we should all be so lucky. Thanks for the story!
I was so surprised to find that in the obit about the checkers. I wish more obituaries were this personal.
Pretty and I just sent off our Ancestry DNA kits! We are so excited…obits are short on creativity…
Woohoo, I can’t wait to hear about it!