Bonnema, Jerry 1918-1998

BONNEMA, STROOTMAN, BREAMS

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 6/3/2013 at 08:54:20

Jerry Bonnema.

Jerry Bonnema, 80, of Bradenton, Fla., died Wednesday, Sept. 16, at the Blake Medical Center in Bradenton. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the First Christian Reformed Church in Prinsburg, Minn. The Rev. James Admiraal officiated. Interment was held at the Holland Township Cemetery.

Jerry E. was born on Sept. 15, 1918, in Holland Township, Kandiyohi County, Minn., the son of Evert and Jennie (Strootman) Bonnema. He grew up in Prinsburg and Hull. Jerry attended college in preparation for a career in education but left to tend the family farm. On Dec. 5, 1940, he was united in marriage to Marjorie Breams and they farmed west of Prinsburg.

They left the farm in 1954 to fulfill his life-long dream of being a teacher. He returned to college and moved his family to Worthington. He spent 30 years serving the communities of Worthington, East Martin, Minn., and Hull as principal and teacher of their Christian Grade schools. He was a life-long member of the Christian Reformed Church and served his church as deacon, elder and delegate to Synod.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marge of Bradenton; two daughters, Juel and her husband, David Reitz, of Las Vegas, Nev., and Karen Bonnema of Bradenton; four sons, Greg and his wife, Bonnie, of Spring Lake, Mich., Lane and his wife, Edie, of Sioux Falls, S.D., Wes and his wife Vi, of Mason City, and Vince and his wife, Diane, of Sunnyside, Wash.; 17 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Nellie Den Ouden of Edgerton, Minn, and Geneva Bonnema of Clara City; two brothers, Edward and his wife, Ellen, and Eugene and his wife, Ann, all of Prinsburg. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Wilmyne Schutte.

Sioux County Index, Wednesday, September 30, 1998 Hull, Iowa