Palsma, Dena (Mrs. David) 1920-2017

PALSMA, LEENHOUTS, ABERSON

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/7/2017 at 09:03:15

Mrs. Dena Palsma, age 97, of Alton, passed away on Thursday, February 16, 2017, at the Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City.

There will be a funeral service on Saturday, February 25, at 10:30am, at the Alton Reformed Church. The Rev. Scott Bonestroo will officiate. Following a lunch, interment will be at the Nassau Township Cemetery, near Alton. Visitation will be after 4:00pm on Friday, with the family present from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, at the CHURCH.

Arrangements are with the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.

Dena Marie was born on February 10, 1920, at Alton, the daughter of Johan and Johanna (Leenhouts) Aberson. She was raised at Alton, where she went to a country school.

On August 16, 1943, she married David Palsma at Alton, where they raised their seven children, Jean, Mark, Paul, Lee, Nolan, Lois, and Deanne.

Dena was a lifetime member of the Alton Reformed Church, where she served as chairwoman of the Reformed Church Women’s Spiritual Life Committee of the East Sioux Classis, was a Sunday school teacher for over thirty years, taught catechism classes, and helped with the church’s 100th and 125th anniversary celebrations. She was also a member of the Floyd American Legion Post Auxiliary in Alton.

She was blessed with the gift of hospitality and enjoyed cooking and entertaining. She liked making and selling Christmas cookies and candies. She was a wonderful mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

David passed away on September 4, 1989, in Orange City. In April of 2013, Dena moved to the Pleasant Acres Care Center in Hull and then transferred to the Prairie Ridge Care Center in November of 2013.

Survivors include six children and their spouses, Jean and the Rev. Leland Foreman, of Fremont, Nebraska; Mark and Cheryl Palsma, of Orange City; Paul and Lisa Palsma, of Alton; the Revs. Nolan and Phyllis Palsma, of Ridgewood, New Jersey; and Lois Van Roekel and Deanne and Gary Den Herder, all of Sioux Center; a daughter-in-law and her husband, Charlene and Roger Oolman, of Orange City; twenty-two grandchildren, Joel Foreman, the Rev. Daniel (Allison) Foreman, Paul Foreman, Stephen (Kelli) Foreman; Dawn (Dave) Sutherland, Jason (Marcy) Palsma, Meri (Roger) Vos, Brent (Emily) Palsma, Kristi Palsma, Dane (Mallory) Palsma, Heather (Michael) Nagel, David (Darci) Palsma, Ryan (Cassie) Palsma, the Rev. Sarah Palsma, Anna (Steve) Salem, Rachel (Joe) Brandt, Andrew Van Roekel, Matt Van Roekel, Brad (Amanda) Den Herder, Jacob Den Herder, Tara (Jordan) Kooiker, and Dana Den Herder; 24 great-grandchildren; a sister, Bertha Eason, of Orange City; a brother, Peter Aberson, of Alton; and a brother-in-law and his wife, Don and Judy Wynia, of Tyndall, South Dakota.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a son, Lee Palsma; a brother and his wife, Tony and Ethel Aberson; a step-sister and her husband, Gert and John Visser; a brother-in-law, Norman Eason; a sister-in-law, Geri Aberson; and Dave’s four brothers and two sisters, Andrew Palsma, John Palsma, Bert Palsma, Allen Palsma, Hilda Los, and Alvina Wynia.

Memorials may be directed to the church.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.