As the summer sun fades into school schedules and sideline cheers, the Grossenbacher family is gearing up for another whirlwind fall. But for Jeremy and Sara Grossenbacher and their kids Zoe (8) and Jude (7), chaos is a joy, not necessarily a burden.

This fall, Zoe will be heading into third grade and Jude into first grade at Holmes Elementary. Both kids are proud alumni of the Little Lakers Kids program, where they began building friendships and community ties from the time they were infants. 

Zoe has a creative spirit with quiet confidence, and she is Jeremy’s ‘mini doppelganger’. She recently completed her fifth year with Dance Revolution, where she participated in both ballet and pre-company. This fall, she’s trading in ballet slippers for pom-poms as she joins the Spring Lake Youth Football cheerleading program. She’s also dabbled in gymnastics at FIT Gymnastics in Coopersville.

 “She’s one of the most caring people I’ve ever met,” Sara says. “She’s thoughtful, kind, and so good with younger kids and animals. She asks us how our day was and waits to hear the answer.”

Jude, on the other hand, is all energy and determination. “His first word was ‘ball,’” Jeremy laughs. And it shows. He’s entering his third season with the Lakeshore Football Club for soccer, just wrapped up his first year of baseball through Lakeshore Little League, and has spent two winters playing basketball in the Tri-Cities YMCA league, where Jeremy even co-coached his team. “Jude gives everything 100%,” Sara says. “He’s a perfectionist, and he’s always aiming to improve, whether it’s in the classroom or on the field.”

Jeremy and Sara’s love story is one rooted in friendship, familiar faces, and a shared sense of home. Married for 13 years and together for 17, their connection first sparked back in their teenage years. Sara, 15, growing up in Allendale, and Jeremy, 16, from nearby Coopersville. The two often crossed paths through mutual friends at St. Michael’s and at high school events, always friendly, but never more than that….until fate stepped in years later.

After college, they both found themselves living in Chicago, but it was a chance holiday run-in at Main Street Pub in Allendale in December 2007 that set everything in motion. 

The night of August 9th, the following year, they reconnected at a friend’s party in Coopersville, and everything changed. From that night on, their lives aligned. The next day, she gave him a ride back to Chicago, and by the following evening, they were on their first date at Café Lula in Logan Square. They’ve been together ever since.

Jeremy reflects on how Sara’s nurturing heart and dedication to her career first drew him in. From earning her degree in Special Education to advancing with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy, she’s built a life around compassion and purpose; supporting students with special needs with an empathy and patience Jeremy calls "incredible to watch." Sara is an avid reader. "She’s passing this hobby to our kids, who think that a trip to the Spring Lake District Library is a big treat!" She also met her goal to run a marathon by the time she turned 40 last fall. The amazing bike trails in our area were crucial in meeting this goal.

Sara echoes the same respect for Jeremy, especially for the passion he brings to life and family. Whether he’s in the kitchen with the kids, cheering from the sidelines, or building his business from the ground up, she sees a man who pours himself into everything he does. “His laid-back personality hides how much he actually juggles,” she shares. “But he shows up, always.”

Jeremy is the owner and operator of Coopersville Brewing Company, a vibrant local hangout with a mission to bring people together over great beer, food, and conversation. “Coopersville Brewing isn’t just a business, it’s a piece of our family,” Jeremy explains. “We built it to be a welcoming, family-friendly place where the community can gather, celebrate, or just relax after a long week.”

The idea for the brewery came after Jeremy spent years in Chicago’s corporate tech and sales world, including a notable stint with Groupon. He returned to West Michigan with a vision: to create something rooted in passion and authenticity. With the support of his father, the dream took shape in a once-vacant building next to his family’s RV business. After years of planning and pandemic delays, Coopersville Brewing Company opened in 2021, followed shortly by One Eyed Pete’s, the in-house restaurant.

“Turning a hobby into a career has been incredibly rewarding,” Jeremy says. “I feel grateful every day to work in food and hospitality, and to bring something to life in my hometown.”.

Through Coopersville Brewing and One Eyed Pete's, they regularly host fundraising events, benefits, and donate to a number of local charities and initiatives.  

Sara, meanwhile, has followed her lifelong calling to work with children. After earning her undergraduate degree in Special Education at Western Michigan and a master’s in occupational therapy from Midwestern University, she returned to Michigan to serve her community. She currently works at Ottawa Area Center, a school for students with significant cognitive impairments. 

“It’s an honor to be part of these students’ lives,” she shares. “And seeing our own children embrace inclusion and compassion has been one of my proudest moments as a mom."

When the family isn’t working, coaching, or cheering from the sidelines, they escape to Sara’s family lake house in Ludington or Jeremy’s parents’ place in Pentwater. There, they soak up the slower pace with card games, bonfires, boat rides, and beach time.

“We stay busy for sure,” Sara laughs, “but we really do carve out time to just be together. Even if that means reading books, hiking local trails, or hitting up a favorite brewery for dinner, those little moments matter.”

Jeremy’s family is from Coopersville. They owned Fun N Sun RV for 50 years. He graduated from Baker College in 2006 with a Business Degree.  Sara's Dad is from the East side of Michigan, and Sara's Mom, Paula Gruber (formerly Raskiewicz), and her family grew up in Grand Haven. She was raised in Allendale and graduated in 2003.

“We have lived on Sidney Ct. in Spring Lake since 2016. Sara and I both had fond memories of growing up in West Michigan and spending our summers "up north", says Jeremy.  “Even though we both had a wandering spirit that led us to Chicago, we knew once we wanted to put roots down and start a family, that we would do it somewhere in West Michigan.”

When the couple was looking to relocate to this area, Sara's grandparents (Mary and Bill Boyer) lived in the house they do now on Sidney Ct. “They were moving into the assisted living facility by Orchard Market, and we were looking for a place to put our stuff while we figured out our next move,” Sara explains. “It turns out our next move was to make that home our forever home and adopt Spring Lake as the place we would raise our kids.”

With deep roots in West Michigan, a shared commitment to service, and an ever-growing list of community contributions (like hosting fundraisers and local dog adoption events at the brewery), the Grossenbachers are the kind of family that reminds us of what matters most: showing up for each other, following your passions, and making your town a little brighter. “We love being able to walk and bike to everything — parks, restaurants, the library,” Jeremy says. “The trails, the water, the sense of community, it’s unbeatable!"