Dykstra, Norma Eileen (Veverka) 1931--2011

DYKSTRA, VEVERKA, SAUNDERS, JACOBSEN, CARR, LAVIA, VAKERICS, MCBRIDE, THRALL, RIGBY, BONKER

Posted By: Marilyn Norris Holmes
Date: 6/13/2021 at 16:08:45

Find-A-Grave Memorial #112407619

NORMA EILEEN VEVERKA DYKSTRA

A funeral service for Norma Dykstra, 80, of West Okoboji, was held Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, at the United Methodist Church in Spirit Lake. Burial was at the First Reformed Church Cemetery in Everly.

Norma Eileen Dykstra passed away, Thursday, Oct 13, 2011, at Hospice of the Valley patient care unit in Mesa, Ariz. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on Sept. 2 and wanted to spend her remaining days in the Arizona sunshine that she loved.

Norma, daughter of Lewis Edward Veverka and Wanda Maxine Saunders, was born March 8, 1931, in Grinnell. In her childhood, the family moved to Newton and Des Moines where Norma attended school. She helped raise her younger sister, Gloria, while her parents worked and she learned to be a caretaker for others through her early years of life.

She was married young and raised her daughter, Shirley, and son, Denny, in Des Moines. In 1970, Norma married Leonard "Butch" Jacobsen of Lake Park and spent their lives together with his two children, Marc and Lacie, living in the Iowa Great Lakes Region. Norma was noted as a hard worker and helped her husband run their family grocery store in Lake Park, along with his son, Marc, until Butch was taken by cancer in 1997.

Norma met Vernon Dykstra in 2000. It was instant love and they married later that year, spending their summers in Okoboji and winters in Arizona for the last 11 years. They were members of the Spirit Lake United Methodist Church and the Apache Wells Community Church in Mesa, Ariz.

They enjoyed traveling to Italy, Germany, England, and Alaska with their church group. Norma loved her time with Vernon's family--especially his kids and grandkids.

Gardening, cooking, reading, dancing, entertaining friends and making a beautiful home for her family were some of her personal passions. Golf was something she learned in her 30's and she became pretty good at it, playing in many ladies and couples tournaments. One of Norma's greatest gifts was her ability to make people feel loved and welcome. One of her greatest joys was spending time with her husband, her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. She was so proud of all of them.

She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Shirley Carr; son, Dennis Lavia; husband, Butch Jacobsen; and step-son, Marc Jacobsen.

Norma is survived by her husband, Vernon; sisters, Gloria Vakerics of Upland, Calif., and Darlene McBride of Des Moines; step-daughter, Lacie and her husband, Terry Thrall of Mesa, Ariz.; step-sons, Brian and his wife, Sandy Dykstra of Omaha, Nebraska and Todd Dykstra and friend, Jennifer, of Hartley; step-daughter, Lisa and her husband, John Rigby of Spencer; daughter-in-law, Becky Jacobsen of Arnolds Park; brother-in-law, Elmer and his wife, Gloria, of Spencer; sister-in-law Betty Bonker and her husband, Leonard, of Harlingen, Texas; grandsons, Donnie Carr of Yukon, Oklahoma and Doug Carr and fiancee, Angie Feller, of Dallas, Texas; grandchildren, AJ, Breanna, and Marcus Dykstra; Kyle, Derek, Paige, and Kymberli Dykstra; four great-grandkids, Josh and Jacob Carr of Texas, Mellissa and Tiffany Carr of Oklahoma, and several nieces and nephews.