TJADEN, Esther (1907-2000)

TJADEN, PETERS, DEBOER, RIKKERS, HEIKENS, SPITZER, ECKELS, BOYER, WAIDELICH

Posted By: Hancock Co Genealogical Society
Date: 9/26/2022 at 18:31:03

Esther Tjaden
1907-2000

Funeral services were held for Esther Tjaden on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at the Britt Christian Reformed Church in Britt, with the Pastor Steve Mulder officiating.

Music was provided by Organist, Sharon Sweers, with a Trumpet accompaniment by Pastor Mulder. Solos were performed by Gary Burkhalter, and Rich and Audrey Cogan performed a duet.

Casketbearers were Greg Spitzer, Randall Heikens, Henry Rikkers, Wayne Eckels, Norman Heikens, William Rikkers, Scott Tjaden and William Eckels.

Ushers were Harlan Eekhoff and Ken Vandenhoek.

Interment was in Woden Christian Reformed Church Cemetery in Woden.

Esther Tjaden was born February 24, 1907 in rural Wesley, the daughter of Claus and Bending (Peters) DeBoer. She was raised northeast of Wesley and attended county school at Wesley Township #1, then graduated from Wesley High School in 1925. She attended Iowa State Teachers College at Cedar Falls during summer school and then taught at a rural country school six miles north of Wesley for several years.

She married Ralph U. Tjaden on February 24, 1930 at the rural Woden Christian Reformed Church. The couple farmed north of Wesley until 1961 when they moved into Britt. Ralph died November 14, 1985.

She was a member of the Britt Christian Reformed Church and of the Ladies Aid. She also was a church organist for a time. During the 1960's she taught Kindergarten for some years at the Kanawha Christian School. She was a member of the Britt Women's Federated Club and Nota Bena Club.

Mrs. Tjaden was a dedicated mother and loved her lord, family and her church. She enjoyed playing the organ, oil and tole painting, handwork, traveling and they spent some winters in Arizona.

When they farmed, she was an active member of the Woden Christian Reformed Church where she belonged to the Ladies Aid, and also taught Sunday School. She was a 4-H leader and a member of the Wesley Township Homemakers.

Mrs. Tjaden entered the Westview Care Center at Britt in April 1992.

Survivors include: five children and their spouses: Betty and Henry Rikkers, Sioux Center; Kenneth and Marilyn Tjaden, Des Moines; Mary and Roger Heikens, Milford; Paul and Marilyn Tjaden. Wesley; and Nancy and Paul Spitzer, Mesa, AZ. 16 grandchildren: 29 great-grandchildren: 4 great-great-grandchildren; a sister Bernice and her husband, Forrest Eckels, Britt; a brother Clarence DeBoer and his wife Inez, Clearwater, FL.; a sister-in-law, Mardi Boyer and her husband John, Thousand Oaks, CA.; and a sister-in-law Rosalie DeBoer, Sun City, AZ.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, a sister. Anne Waidelich and her husband Clarence, three brothers, Theodore, in infancy, Herman and Maurice.

source: Leader & Signal, Garner, Iowa, 26 Jan 2000, page 4, column 1