Tillie was born in the Netherlands and came to America at the age of 5. It took 10 days over rough seas to get here. She remembers the confusion at Ellis Island where she had to have shots before being allowed to enter the United States.

After a period of living with relatives, her family finally settled in the Oakdale Park area. She graduated from Oakdale Christian School and attended Ottawa Hills High School for a year. She then became a house maid for various families.

Tillie married William Sweers in 1940. They moved to this vicinity and became members of 2^nd CRC Church. Their 4 children attended Byron Center Christian and graduated from South Christian.

In 1973 after 36 years with the General Motors Co., Bill retired and for 8 years they raised a huge garden. They were together constantly and they loved it. But it all came to a sudden stop in 1981 when it was the Lord’s will to take Bill to heaven. There was no apparent illness. They had gone to sleep and ½ hour later he was gone. The Lord sustained Tillie and her family during this bleak period.

The greater part of her day is spent at her kitchen table. She would start the day with her Bible in front of her. After her devotions, she would fill up her day with crossword puzzles or crocheting. She also was an avid sports fan – especially baseball and football.

The Sweers centennial farm was located near the northeast corner of Byron Center Avenue and 72^nd Street.

(Taken from an article in the files of the Byron Center Historical Society.)

They are buried in Boynton Cemetery. William Sweers (1914-1981