THREE RIVERS, Mich. — Antique stores are like big lost and found bins. Every shelf possesses something somebody considers to be a treasure.
A Michigan woman recently found an item at an antique store in Saugatuck that definitely puts the 'Holy' in 'Holy Grail.'
In spring of 2020, Mary Doezema decided she wanted to buy an abandoned church that was near her home in Moorepark which is located a few miles north of Three Rivers.
"The fascination for me is because I grew up next to a church my whole life," said Doezema, 65. "I'm a pastor's kid."
She purchased First Reformed Church of Moorepark, which was built in 1878.
"As soon as I saw the for sale sign, it was like a freight train," Doezema said, referring to how she felt before the big purchase. "People tried to talk me out of it, saying I was too old."
But, she didn't care, and bought it anyways.
Her vision from the start was to renovate the church and do all she could to make it look like it did in the late 1800s.
"I see it as a big art project," Doezema said. "Anything that's 142 years old doesn't have to be urgent."
She knew that finding all the original pews, hymnals and organ would be impossible, so she was hoping to find some photos of what the interior of the church looked like, to use as references.
"I checked with the Three Rivers Historical Society and they didn't have any archival information or images of the church before the turn of the century," said Doezema. "They only had photos of what the church looked in the 1950s, 60s and 70s."
In February, 2021, Doezema celebrated her 65th birthday. She and her soon-to-be 94-year-old mother, Ruth Stravers, decided to go on a birthday adventure, making the roughly hour-long trek northwest to Saugatuck Antique Pavilion.
"When we got there, we literally walked in 20 feet when I saw something that I could tell was a church kind of furniture."
It was an old church pulpit, and taped to the top of it was a small envelope that read, "First Reformed Church, Moorepark, Mich."
"I literally screamed without thinking," Doezema said. "My mother thought I was hurt, and the store staff came from every aisle to see if we needed CPR."
Once Doezema calmed down and caught her breath, she explained to the store staff that she recently purchased the church and that the pulpit used to be a part of it.
"Of course, I had to buy it," Doezema joked.
She brought it back to her church and placed it up front.
"It was divine intervention," she said, referring to the sheer randomness of the discovery. "Obviously, it needed to be back here."
Doezema says she'll continue to go to her church everyday, forging ahead with her slow-moving renovation project. But the way she found the most important and historic piece of the sanctuary has her feeling confident about being able to finish the project in live with her vision.
"I wanted to love [this church] back to life," she said. "I think it's probably loving me back to life."
Mary Doezema is asking anybody with interior photos and historical information about her church, to please share that with her. Also, if there's anyone in the Three Rivers area who'd like to volunteer to help her renovate, her email address is: marythemidwife56@gmail.com
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