Heemstra, Merlyn John 1925-2003

HEEMSTRA, REEKERS, DEBOER

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg -volunteer (email)
Date: 6/14/2011 at 18:41:01

From the Sioux Center News of Aug 13 2003
Merlyn J. Heemstra
Merlyn John Heemstra, 77, of Orange City died Wednesday, August 6, at the Orange City Municipal Hospital Long Term Care Facility.
A funeral service was Saturday, August 9, at 10 a.m. at First Reformed Church in Orange City with the Rev. Steven Vander Molen officiating. Interment was at West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City.
Heemstra was born August 29, 1925, in rural Orange City, the son of Theodore and Arta (Reekers) Heemstra. He was raised in the Orange City area and served in the United States Navy during World War II. On August 26,1952, he married Audrey De Boer at Sioux Center.
They farmed south of Orange City. She died February 24, 1978, in Orange City. In August of 1991, he moved into Orange City.
He was a lifetime member of the First Reformed Church, where he had served on the consistory and as Sunday school treasurer. He thoroughly enjoyed farming on the home place most of his life. He also liked to play with his grandchildren.
Survivors include his three daughters and their husbands, Leah and Michael Marth of Rudd, Denise
and Cory Doden of Red Wing, Minnesota, and Karen and Andrew Van Der Maaten of Decorah; a son and his wife, Mark and Wendy Heemstra of Orange City; 10 grandchildren; four sisters, Jean Van Zanten, and Elynor and her husband Jack Vander Wilt, all of Orange City, Audrey and her husband John Landegent of Sioux Falls and Carole and her husband Don Kempema of Grandville, Michigan; two sisters-in-law and their husbands,
Nortna and Marvin Korver of LeMars and Ila and Tunis Cleveringa of Sioux Center, and a brother-in-law and his wife, Irwin and Karen De Boer of Sioux Center.
He was also preceded in death by two brothers-in-law, Dick Van Zanten and Theran De Boer.
Memorials are being directed to Hospice.