Holliston  –  

Anke Geurtsen of Holliston passed away on May 15, 2023 at the age of 91.  Born in Baarn, The Netherlands, she met her future husband, Frits Geurtsen in nearby Bussum and they were married there in 1952.  They had four children, two born in The Netherlands and two in New York after they emigrated to the United States. 

Anke worked in a wide variety of paid and volunteer positions including child care and as a medical clerk at MetroWest Hospital.  She was very active with many choral organizations including the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, the Heritage Chorale and the choir at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Holliston, where she was a member since 1967.  She was a certified trained support worker for MetroWest Hospice since 1983.  She and her husband coordinated the Appalachia Book Project since 1997, sending 3-4 boxes of books on a weekly basis to eleven schools in the impoverished region of southeast Kentucky. 

Anke is survived by her four children: Frits (and Jane) of Front Royal, VA; John (and Jennifer) of Harwich, MA; Peter (and Maryellen) of Holliston, MA; and Marina (and Eric) Wijnbeek of Heiloo, The Netherlands, as well as 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. 

Her ashes will be interred at Lake Grove Cemetery in Holliston next to her husband’s ashes. A memorial service will be held on June 24th at 10am at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Holliston. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 1162 Highland St. Holliston, MA 01746. Arrangements are under the care of the Chesmore Funeral Home of Holliston.