RHONDA LYNN (MILLS) HELLENGA

Rhonda Hellenga passed away peacefully in her home in Spring Lake, Michigan, on Thursday, September 12, 2024, after a long battle with Posterior Cortical Atrophy. She was 60 years old.

Rhonda was born in Viborg, South Dakota, on November 9, 1963, to Clyde Mills and Audrey (DeNeui) Mills. Her early years were spent in Hurley, South Dakota, and on a dairy farm near Lennox, South Dakota, owned by her mother and stepfather, Darell Eide. Rhonda graduated from Lennox High School in Lennox, South Dakota, in 1982. She was very active in school, participating in band, choir, theater, and debate among many other activities.

In the fall of 1982, Rhonda began her college career at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. Here she would meet her future husband, Lon. In May 1986, Rhonda graduated with a B.A. in Biology and Education. Later that same month, on May 17, Rhonda and Lon would wed at the Lennox Ebenezer Presbyterian Church in Lennox, South Dakota.

Rhonda would then embark on a thirty-year teaching career that would take her to Stephan, South Dakota; Crownpoint, New Mexico; Kimball, South Dakota; Slayton, Minnesota (while in Slayton, Rhonda and Lon would direct nearly forty plays together); and Las Vegas, Nevada. Rhonda would also earn two master’s degrees (an M.S. Ed from Southwest Minnesota State University and an M. Ed. from Southern Utah University). Rhonda and Lon would ultimately move to Spring Lake, Michigan, in 2019 to be close to family as her disease progressed. Rhonda was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents Lee and Edna Mills, her maternal grandparents Royal and Helen DeNeui, her father Clyde Mills, her mother-in-law Renate Hellenga, her brotherin- law Thad Hellenga, and her uncle Robert DeNeui.

She is survived by her husband of thirty-eight years, Lon; her daughters Kaylee (Charles) Freeman of Spring Lake, Michigan, and Sydney (Robert) Fishel of Las Vegas, Nevada; seven grandchildren (August, Hugo, Samuel, Audrey, Roya and Leon Freeman, along with the soon-to-arrive Michael [Micah] Fishel); her mother Audrey (Darell) Eide of Lennox, South Dakota; her fatherin- law Ron (Sherryl) Hellenga of Traverse City, Michigan; her stepmother Denise Mills of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; her brother Richard Mills of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota; her brother Randy (Lisa) Mills of Rochester, Minnesota; her sister Shelly (Shannon) Naser of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; her brother Shon (Gerri) Eide of Gettysburg, South Dakota; her sister-in-law Tanya (Duane) Baldwin of Lake City, Michigan; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and friends.

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE will occur on November 9, 2024, (Rhonda’s birthday) at Ferrysburg Community Church (17785 Mohawk Drive, Spring Lake, MI 49456) with Pastor Nate Visker presiding. Interment will be held at the Spring Lake Township Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to The Spring Lake Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services.