Small, Kenneth D. "Ken" Jr. 1946-2018

SMALL, STEEN, HIBMA

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:36

Mr. Kenneth Small, Jr., age 71, of Maurice, passed away on Saturday, February 24, 2018, at the Orange City Area Health System, following a nearly two year battle with leukemia.

There will be a memorial service on Thursday, March 1, at 11:00am, at the First Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Mark Haverdink will officiate. Interment will be prior to the service at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. There will be a family prayer service on Thursday, at 10:00am, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.

Visitation will be after 1:00pm on Wednesday, with the family present from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the funeral home.

Kenneth Dale was born on August 28, 1946, in Sibley, the son of Kenneth and Lenora (Steen) Small, Sr. He graduated from the Sibley High School. He contracted Polio as a youngster and spent many days in the hospital.

On August 21, 1993, he married Minerva Hibma in Orange City. They made their home in rural Maurice.

“Ken” worked for the City of Okoboji for many years and later for Schouten Plumbing and Heating in Sioux Center. He then drove a cement truck for the cement plant in Maurice and most recently was a courier for the cement plant. He also drove a semi-truck part time for H2H Trucking. He truly enjoyed his job, where everyone knew him as “Gramps”. He continued to work part time until two weeks before his death. Even though he had only one good arm, he was able to work full time all his adult life, for which he was very grateful.

Mr. Small was a member of the First Reformed Church. He was also a member of the Iowa Great Lakes Lions Club and was on the Okoboji Fire Department. He was named fireman of the year in 1984.

He enjoyed fishing and boating, whenever he had the opportunity.

Survivors include his wife of more than 24 years; three daughters and their husbands and families, Melissa and Patrick Weber, of Spirit Lake; Terrie and Scott Nissen, (Andrea), of Spencer; and Heather and Bryan Nelson, of Hartley; two sisters and a brother, Jennie (Dale) Hofkamp, of Phoenix, Arizona; Richard Small, and his wife, Marjorie, of Piedemont, South Dakota; and Barbara, and her husband, Thomas Bruns, of Omaha, Nebraska; and a brother-in-law, Dean Hibma, of Maurice. He is also survived by special family friends Mary (James) Hoogland and their family, including their children and grandchildren, Jennifer and Curt Vlietstra, and their children, Jakob, Cade, and Bryce; Martha and Ron Hulshof, and their children, (Kendra), Ethan, Tyrell, Cassidy, Wyatt, Cheyenne, and Jesse; Maranda and Vasya Heytsi, and their children, Natan and Mihae; Janna and Brian Aukes, and their children, Jaren and Braden; Sveta Schubert, and her son Kyle; Jordan and Julie Hoogland, and their children, Brooklyn, Sydney, Rylee, Gracelyn, and Taylor; Marlena De Jong, and her children, Morgan and Ryker; family friend, Nancy Rubio, of Houston, Texas; and special neighbors, Junior and Kim Hoogland, and their children, Martina, and her friend Nick, Peter, and Madison.

In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Rev. Vasya and Maranda Heytsi, missionaries in the Ukraine.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.