Lorna J. Sikkema(1934-2020)

SIKKEMA

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 5/23/2021 at 17:43:30

Lorna June Bush Sikkema of Grand Rapids, Michigan passed away peacefully on Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020 of natural causes.
She was born on November 7, 1934 to David and Ruth Bush of Morrison, Illinois. She was preceded in death by her brother Lee Bush and her husband of 30 years, Arthur Sikkema of Fulton, Illinois.
Lorna is survived by her two brothers: Virgil (Diane) Bush and Vince (Delores) Bush; her four children: Cindy Hook, Valerie (Joe) Schmieder, Jeff (Lisa Cleppe) Sikkema and Scott (Sue VanderLugt) Sikkema; her 8 Grandchildren: Dustin (Amy Durward) Hook, Maria Schmieder and Adam Schmieder, Kurt Sikkema, Michelle (Scott) Kallenburger, Bo (Shanon) Sikkema, Adia Sikkema and Grayson Sikkema; and her six great grandchildren: Hudson, Marshall, Emily, Alex, Sage and Jax.
Lorna was raised on a farm in Morrison, Illinois and attended Morrison schools through high school. She married Arthur Sikkema of Fulton in 1953. She remained close to her immediate and extended family with regular reunions throughout her life. She was active with the Fulton Christian School, Bethel Christian Reformed Church and Fulton Dutch Days. Lorna and her husband Art worked together for many years at their stores, Sikkema Lumber Company and Sikkema Furniture in Fulton.
In 1958 she completed interior design correspondence courses at The Chicago School of Design which became the foundation for her 60+ year career in interior design. She went on to own her own Decorating Den franchise in Fulton and then in Lisle, Illinois. Eventually she moved to Bethesda, Maryland to work at headquarters where she became the Divisional Vice President of Decorating Den. In 1991 she spent three months in Japan teaching Japanese citizens how to successfully operate a Decorating Den franchise.
In 1993, Lorna moved to Grand Rapids to be closer to her family. She continued her design career working at Expressions furniture store. In 1999 Lorna joined Via Design, an architecture and interior design firm, where she worked alongside her daughter Valerie, her son Scott, and her grandson Adam, until her retirement in 2016.
Lorna was proud of finishing her autobiography and having it published in 2016.
She loved nature and was a supporter of numerous environmental causes. She loved to travel and vacation with her family and friends whenever she had the chance. Her passions included trees, birds, elephants, Chris Isaak, and reading. She loved books and was a lifelong learner.
Lorna cherished her relationships with her kids, her friends and her co-workers. She was an inspiration to many by her love for design, acceptance and love for those in her life, and her gentle wisdom. Lorna lived her life humbly with style and grace and brought beauty to all those around her. We were blessed to have her in our lives. She will be dearly missed.
A memorial service will be held on a later date to be determined. Memorial contributions can be made to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
Published on April 10, 2020