Bella Tanis

On Friday, February 10, 2023, our beloved mother, Bella Tanis (née Ruitenberg) passed away at the age of 92 at the Hunterdon Medical Center in Raritan Township NJ.

Born in Prospect Park NJ on October 6, 1930, she was the daughter of the late Henry Ruitenberg and Grace Ruitenberg (Van Houten).

Bella attended Hawthorne High School where she was active in the 4-H Club. She was an avid reader and loved to sew and bake.

She retired from Johnson Controls in Branchburg NJ, but continued to volunteer at Legal Aid Services in Doylestown PA for many years.

Throughout her life, Bella took pride in making sure each new house the family moved into truly became a home, with family gathered around the kitchen table for home cooked meals, and a wonderful balance of support and guidance to nurture her children.

She was active in her church community, both in her Christian Reformed faith and later in life in the Presbyterian church family. Her daily devotionals were an important part of her spiritual upkeep as it became more difficult for her to travel outside of the home.

She will be remembered for her amazing generosity, her devotion to caring for her family, and for the strong Christian values she exemplified throughout her long life.

She was preceded by her loving husband, Cornelius, and her siblings, sister Ethel (Vander Werf), and brothers Henry, John and Alco. Bella was a loving and caring mother to her three children, Timothy, Jane, Joanne, and her husband Mark (Hughes), and adored her two grandchildren, Evan and Maggie (Hughes).

Funeral services for Bella will held at 3:30 pm on Sunday, February 19, 2023 at Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington NJ. Calling hours will be on Sunday from 2:00 pm until the time of service at the funeral home. Interment will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, February 20, 2023 at Fairlawn Memorial Cemetery, 22-21 Maple Ave, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410.

The service will be livestreamed at 3:30 pm by clicking here :

Memorial contributions in Bella’s name may be made to the American Red Cross, PO Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037-0839 or In Touch Ministries, PO Box 7900, Atlanta GA 30357.

For further information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.holcombefisher.com.