Grand Rapids is one of just nine cities named a Best Midwest City by Midwest Living for 2026, earning praise for its craft beer scene, food, attractions, and cultural events like ArtPrize.
You may not have known Lena Meijer. As with many women of her generation, she was the backbone of the family. In this case, it's the family was the Meijer family, whose stores are all over the Midwest now. Lena Meijer was a daughter, a wife, a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and eventually a philanthropist. She died this past Saturday. Meijer was 102.