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Service Information

 Carl Edward Nelson
Visitation: Saturday, June 13, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM at Stroo Funeral Home
Sharing of memories and tributes: 1:00 PM, Saturday, June 13, at Stroo Funeral Home, 1095 68th St. SE, Grand Rapids, 49508

Memorials: Boys & Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids  235 Straight Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504  https://bgcgrandrapids.org/  

Carl Edward Nelson, age 72, of Byron Center, MI passed away peacefully in his home on Thursday, May 28, 2026, surrounded by family. Carl had a fulfilling career in healthcare administration. He enjoyed singing in a Grand Rapids men's chorus,"The Schubert Male Chorus," was an avid sports fan, and loved to golf and travel. Family was everything to Carl. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Gloria Nelson. Carl will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 37 years, Naomi; son, Justin (Dominique) Nelson; grandson, Judah; brothers, Thomas Jr. (Georga) Nelson, Ted (Jill) Nelson; nephew, Tyler (Nikki) Nelson, and niece, Victoria Nelson. A celebration of Carl's life will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Stroo Funeral Home, 1095 68th St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49508, with visitation from 12 - 1 PM. Beginning at 1 PM there will be a time of sharing memories and tributes, after which refreshments will be served. Memorial contributions may be made to Boys & Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids (www.bgcgrandrapids.org).

STROO FUNERAL HOME
1095 68TH ST SE
GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49508 

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Sept22websiteStroo Funeral Home began operating in 1972 when John K. Stroo and his wife, Elaine, along with their young family moved to Cutlerville. With the experience that came from working in two Grand Rapids area funeral homes, John and Elaine desired a business of their own where they could provide personalized, compassionate service within a small town atmosphere.

Cutlerville provided the perfect place for this. The community did not have a funeral home, and its small town atmosphere appealed to the Stroo’s as a great place to raise their children and to become personally involved in the life of the church, school, and community.

Through the years the community has grown and expanded considerably. With that growth the funeral home continued to grow also, and additional facility space became necessary. In 1986, the chapel was enlarged and the entire facility was redecorated. In 1998, the Stroo family moved from their funeral home residence to a condominium. Shortly after that move the residence was converted into additional funeral home space and a large addition was made.

Along with the need for additional facility space, there was the need for additional staff members to serve the families who called upon Stroo Funeral Home. Mike Vos joined John as his first full time licensed funeral director in 1993, followed in 1999 by Laurie Beute as the first full time office administrator. Licensed funeral director Ken Speyer was added to the full time staff in 2000, followed by John and Elaine’s son, Bob Stroo, also a licensed funeral director, in 2002. Following years of steady growth, Amy Middendorf joined the staff as a prearrangement counselor in 2014. The funeral home is blessed to have a part-time support staff made up of several dedicated individuals who help out on a regular basis.

2018 brought an exciting change to Stroo Funeral Home. After 45 years of owning and managing the funeral home, John Stroo decided to take a lesser role and sold his portion of the business to Bob Stroo and Mike Vos, who now assume shared responsibility as the two co-owners of Stroo Funeral Home. They, along with all of the dedicated staff members, are committed to caring for the needs of each family they are privileged to serve with personalized, compassionate service.

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Founded in 1972 by John K. and Elaine Stroo, Stroo Funeral Home, Inc. has established a reputation for providing personalized, compassionate service offered at a reasonable price, a reputation that Bob Stroo and Mike Vos strive to maintain.

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