Venema, John Sr. - 1917-2004

VENEMA, EVANS, WESTERMAN

Posted By: Linda Vander Linden-Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/31/2012 at 18:47:38

Northwest Iowa Review, November 6, 2004

Banning, CA - John Martin Venema, 87, Banning, CA, formerly of Hospers, died Wednesday, Oct. 20 of cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

A memorial service was conducted by the Rev. Richard Venema.

John Venema, oldest child of Cornelius and Anna (Westerman) Venema, was born Jan. 11, 1917 in Hospers. He was baptized at Hospers Christian Reformed Church. He attended Hospers Christian School and Western Christian High School in Hull. He professed his faith in Jesus Christ at Hospers Christian Reformed Church. He attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, and moved to California. He married Virginia Evans on Feb. 24, 1940, in California. They farmed near Sheldon 1949-56. He obtained his teaching degree at Westmar College in LeMars and taught at Bellflower Christian High School in Bellflower, CA.

He used his talents in church council and Bible studies and was a member of Hemet Reformed Church in California.

Survivors include his wife, Virginia Venema of Banning, CA; a son, John Martin, Jr., and Betty Venema of Banning; three daughters, Acelia Anna V. Shuster of Corbett, OR; Kathryn and Charles Clark of Banning, and Cora Lee and John Montgomery of Hemet, CA; his stepmother, Johanna Venema of Hospers; two brothers the Rev. Dr. Richard & Nicole Venema of Helena, MT, and the Rev. Alvin & Normal Venema of Caledonia, Ontario, Canada; three sisters, Harriet De Jong of Grand Rapids, MI; Theresa and Herbert Peters of Sheldon, and Melvina and Donald Vander Linde of Grand Rapids, MI; and a sister-in-law, Audrey Venema of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.

He was preceded in death by a brother, the Rev. Henry Venema; a brother-in-law, Roy De Jong; and two sisters-in-law, Carrie Venema and Mary Venema.