FOLKERS, Jefffey Pierre 1957-2011

FOLKERTS, VANBEMMEL, KROESE, CENTOFANTI

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 8/30/2011 at 14:52:55

Jeff Folkerts

Home Town: Inwood, Iowa
Deceased Date: Sat., July 30, 2011

Services:
Wed., Aug. 3, 2011
10:30 a.m.
Inwood Christian Reformed Church
305 East Madison Inwood, Iowa

Obituary:

Inwood, Iowa – Jeff Folkerts, 54, of Laurel, NE, formerly of Inwood went to his heavenly home Saturday, July 30, 2011 at Fellowship Village, Inwood.

Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday at Inwood Christian Reformed Church. Burial at Richland Cemetery, Inwood. Visitation will be Tuesday from noon – 5 p.m. at Porter Funeral Home and with family present from 6-8 p.m. at Inwood Christian Reformed Church. Memorials may be directed to Union Gospel Mission of Sioux Falls, SD or Justice for All of Rock Valley, Iowa.

Jeffrey Pierre Folkerts was born July 4, 1957 to Cornie and Gert (Van Bemmel) Folkerts in Sioux Falls, SD. He grew up on the family farm near Inwood, Iowa. He attended elementary classes at Inwood Christian School and graduated from Western Christian High School in Hull, Iowa.

Jeff married Wanda Kroese on July 8, 1977 in Hull. They continued farming until moving to an acreage near Brandon, SD and then Sioux Falls, SD where he worked as a Carpenter. Jeff and his family were members of Shalom Christian Reformed Church. In his spare time, Jeff used his carpentry skills to expand the facilities at the Union Gospel Mission, providing homes to those in need.

Jeff served as a volunteer with Justice for All of Rock Valley, Iowa, where they did service projects in Mississippi. A month before Hurricane Katrina, he accepted a position as Housing Director for Voice of Calvary Ministries in Jackson, MS. During his four and a half years in Jackson, Jeff worked tirelessly and selflessly to provide encouragement and better living conditions for others.

In October of 2009, he moved to Laurel, NE where he was employed at Dixon County Feedlot in the machine shop. Jeff was diagnosed with Cancer in November of 2010.

Jeff is survived by his sons: Jason Folkerts of Roseville, MN, Jarod Folkerts of Minneapolis, MN and their mother, Wanda Folkerts of Sioux Falls, SD; his parents, Cornie and Gert Folkerts of Inwood, IA; siblings: Julie (Kirk) Hulstein of Sioux Center, Iowa, Lauren Centofanti of Sioux City, Iowa, and Gregory (Jill) Folkerts of Lafayette, IN; many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents: Pierre and Trina Folkerts, Fred and Wilhelmina Van Bemmel.

Source: Porter Funeral Home, Inwood, Iowa.