Herm was born in Grand Rapids, MI, on July 05, 1956, a son of Joyce and Herman VanBelkum.
He was raised in the Wayland/Dorr area and attended local schools, graduating from Wayland Union High School in 1974. Herm loved horses and after finishing high school he attended Wolverine Farrier School in Howell, MI. When his coursework had been completed, Herm began his own Farrier service business, servicing many racehorse farms and local horse owners for nearly fifty years. He was well known and respected for his high quality of service and his compassion for animals.
He was married to Cindy (Hughes) VanBelkum on December 15, 1977. They made their home in Hastings, MI, where they raised their son together.
Herm was very involved with horses from a young age. He was an accomplished horse trainer and rider and traveled the country competing. He won the Appaloosa National Championship in 1970, as well as numerous other awards, and many contesting awards. He also pulled draft horses for many years. Herm served as the Superintendent of the annual heavyweight horse pull event at the Barry County Fair for 13 years. Herm loved animals and enjoyed traveling the Midwest showing dogs. For eleven consecutive years, Herm held the titles of “Handler of the Year,” and “Best Bench Showdog of the Year.”
He is survived by his beloved wife Cindy, his son Heath (Ashley) VanBelkum, and the grandchildren that he adored: Ayla, Cole, and Eslynn VanBelkum. He is also survived by his siblings Tim aka “Buck” (Laura) VanBelkum, Ken (Tammy) VanBelkum and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Herm was loved and respected by everyone that knew him. He was an excellent provider and protector for his wife and family. He was a best friend and mentor to his son. There was no better grandpa in the world than Herm VanBelkum. He will be dearly missed.
Funeral service will held on Friday, June 09, 2023 at 01:00 PM at Daniels Funeral Home Nashville, located at 9200 E M 79 Hwy, Nashville, MI.
The family will receive visitors, on Thursday, June 8, 2023 from 06:00 PM 08:00 PM at Daniels Funeral Home Nashville.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Daniels Funeral Home in Nashville, MI. For further details please visit our website at www.danielsfuneralhome.net.
