OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — An hour before their 3 p.m. game, a white-haired woman sits waiting for the Hope College Dutchmen to tip off. She's been coming to their games since before they played at DeVos Fieldhouse — even before any of the parents of today's were born.
"My name is Cleo Rutgerts Venhuizen," she says with a smile. This is the 70th year she's held season tickets. "I’ve been going to games in the Holland armory, the Civic Center and now DeVos, the big building here."
Not many can claim a fandom stronger than Cleo's. Her first Hope College men's basketball game experience was as a high schooler, and later, she and her late husband would go to games together with friends.
"We’d go as couples and see the games at the Holland armory," she recalled. "It was a joyous time."
Cleo has seen Hope legends come and go, but she definitely has her favorite. Given the chance, she'll tell anyone about Danny Shinabarger.
In searching for a quiet space for our interview, we accidentally found ourselves in the classroom being used by the visiting team for their pregame meeting. Cleo saw it as an opportunity to teach some history to the players from University of Wisconsin-Steven's Point.
"He's still in the programs today with the most points," she told them all, without missing a beat. "He was a star."
Cleo is truly one of a kind. Still living independently at 98 years old, she lost her husband William in 2004. Now, the seat next to Cleo gets used by her children, grandchildren or even great grandchildren.
Though she never went to Hope as a student, she is certainly college royalty. Earlier this month, she was recognized with a standing ovation during a game.
"I didn’t know it, I was busy eating popcorn," she said. "When I stood up, there were all these people staring up, so I threw kisses and had a great time."
RELATED VIDEO:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.