EEKHOFF, Martha 1912-2003

EEKHOFF, UKEN, GATENA

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 6/28/2014 at 16:24:24

Martha Marie Eekhoff, 90, of Wellsburg, died June 1 at the Grundy County Memorial Hospital Long Term Care Unit in Grundy Center. Funeral services were June 5 at the First Christian Reformed Church, rural Wellsburg. Burial followed in the church cemetery. A memorial fund has been established.

Martha was born July 22, 1912, the daughter of Okke and Mary (Gatena) Uken. She graduated from high school in Kanawha and attended Grundy College in Grundy Center where she received her teaching certificate. Martha taught at Fulton, IL and then taught for several years in country school near Kanawha. On April 18, 1941, Martha was united in marriage to Edward Eekhoff at the Christian Reformed Church parsonage in Kanawha. Martha and Edward moved to a farm located on the Hardin and Grundy County line and one year later they bought their own farm in Hardin County.

Martha was a member of First Christian Reformed Church and had been an active member of the Queen Esther Circle, the Crossroads Prison Ministry and Women's Bible Study. She taught herself braille, had become a licensed braillist through the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and did volunteer work for the Iowa Commission for the Blind. Martha had been twice awarded the Governor's Award and she had also received the Volunteer Award from the Hardy Reading Council. Martha had also been a member of the Steamboat Rock Progress Club. Martha enjoyed reading, doing needlepoint and gardening.

She is survived by one daughter, Margaret Jager and her husband Thomas of Grand Rapids, MI; one son, Dale Eekhoff and his wife Paulette of Cedar Falls, one daughter-in-law, Jane Eekhoff of Eldora; seven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; one sister, Betty Schreur of Kanawha; one brother, Harm Uken and his wife Ann of Kanawha; two sisters-in-law, Theresa Uken of Sunnyside, WA and Elizabeth Eekhoff of Ackley; and one brother-in-law, Anco Baker of Kanawha.

She was preceded in death by her husband Edward in 1989; her parents; one son, Lloyd Eekhoff; one sister, Anna Schreur; and one brother, Donald Uken.

--The Grundy Register/Wellsburg Herald (Grundy Center, Iowa), 12 June 2003, pg 9