Hendrika Goodwin

Hendrika (Mulder) Goodwin was born in Amsterdam, the youngest in a family of ten children.  On the day she was born the midwife told her mother that this child was the prettiest of all.  As a young woman she masterfully restored oriental rugs and sang alongside her girlfriend with a band.  It was one fateful day, when going on a blind date, (as my dad says "she was blind") that she met the love of her life Robert Goodwin.  They married just 3 months later.  At the age of 21 she bravely moved to America and began a life as a devoted wife and mother to Edward (Mike), Marc (Margo), and Cindy (John).  During those years she packed lunches for my Dad to eat while working at a UPS driver and quite often my Dad would tuck a love letter or poem to her back inside the lunch box.  Anyone who has ever met them knows that their love affair was something to admire and strive to attain.  As a mother she gave of herself completely, making sure all our needs were met and feeling so content when we were happy.  When she became a grandmother to Jacob, Sarah, Elise, and Joshua, her already big heart quadrupled in size. She took great pride in her family and how her children and grandchildren embraced life. 

Rika was a woman of many talents and a vibrant personality. She lived an incredibly full life, moving from Illinois to California and then to Arizona. As many of you likely know, Rika showed her love through food (and she loved BIG). During her childhood food was on short supply, as a result she ensured no one ever left her house hungry! Her garden was always full of fresh flowers and fruit trees. She loved hummingbirds and her home was decorated exclusively in blue and white (to remind her of home). There are so many more words to describe what an extraordinary woman, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend Rika was but pictures are worth a thousand words, and as you know she loved pictures! In lieu of flowers, in honor of Rika,  please share a photo and memory with us below! 

(A memorial service or celebration of life will be planned when it is a safer time to travel or gather.)