Dykstra, John 1931-2018

DYKSTRA, LEHRMAN, VANDERMEI

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:37

Mr. John Dykstra, age 87, of Orange City, passed away on Friday, June 8, 2018, at his residence.

There will be a memorial service on Tuesday, June 12, at 11:00am, at the Faith Lutheran Church in Orange City. The Rev. David Daumer will officiate. Interment will be prior to the service at the St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery at Ireton. There will be a family prayer service on Tuesday, at 9:30am, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.

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

John was born on January 8, 1931, the son of John and Gertrude (Vander Mei) Dykstra. He was born on a farm near Orange City, where he was raised until 1934. In 1934, the family made a trip to California in a home-made “motor home”. The parents, four children, and a dog were gone for five months. The family then settled at Maurice, where he graduated from the high school in 1948. In 1951, he joined the United States Air Force, serving for four years.

On December 16, 1953, he married Lornetta Lehrman. They lived at Maurice until 1957, when they moved to California. There he was employed by Douglas Aircraft (4 years), Atlantic Richfield (14 years), B. I. F. (10 years), and Leeds Northrup (10 years). When he was with Northrup, he travelled constantly, working in Mexico City, Mexico; Bogata, Columbia; Quito, Ecuador; Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Barrow, Alaska; Japan; Taipei, Taiwan; Washington, D. C.; Providence, Rhode Island; and other areas on the east coast of the United States. His primary focus was as an instrumentation specialist for water treatment plants. In 1993, the couple retired to Orange City. Lornetta passed away in February of 2000.

In 2001, he married Jean Lehrman and they continued to live in Orange City.

Survivors include his second wife; three sons, Thomas M., Jerry R., and Ronald J.; a daughter, Pamela S.; grandchildren, great-grandchildren; a sister, Gertrude Taylor; and many nephews and nieces.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Kindred Hospice, 1370 Lake Street, Spirit Lake, Iowa 51360.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.