Smits, Malon Ruth (Mrs. Gerald) 1946-2019

SMITS, HOGAN, KRAMER

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

Mrs. Malon Smits, age 72, of Blue Eye, Missouri, passed away on Monday, April 15, 2019, at the Point Lookout Nursing and Rehab in Hollister, Missouri.

There will be a memorial service on Friday, April 26, at 11:00am, at the First Reformed Church in Maurice, Iowa. The Rev. Orlin Hogan will officiate. Interment will be prior to the service at the Sherman Township Cemetery near Maurice. There will be a family prayer service on Friday, at 9:45am, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City, Iowa.

Visitation will be after 5:00pm on Thursday, with the family present from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, at the funeral home.

Malon Ruth was born on July 10, 1946, in Sioux Center, Iowa, the daughter of Steve and Alma (Hogan) Kramer. She grew up on a farm near Maurice and attended the Sioux Center Christian School. Her family moved to Sioux Center when she was a teenager and she graduated from the Western Christian High School in Hull, Iowa.

She was united in marriage to Gerald Lee Smits on November 17, 1965, in Sioux Center. The couple soon moved to Escondido, California, where they made their home for more than forty years. In 2007, they retired to Blue Eye, Missouri.

Mrs. Smits was a long-time member of the Escondido United Reformed Church where she sang in the church choir and participated in the women’s groups and Bible studies. She also volunteered at the Escondido Pregnancy Center which later became the Alternatives Medical Clinic. More recently she attended College of the Ozarks chapel services.

She enjoyed going to garage sales, reading, solving word puzzles, camping, bowling, and traveling to visit family and friends.

She is survived by her husband of more than 53 years; three children and their spouses, Carrie and Kevin Veenstra, of Pella, Iowa; Amy and Kent Sterk, of Goessel, Kansas; and Jeremy and Lisa Smits, of Escondido; twelve grandchildren, Devin Veenstra, and his wife, Danielle; Brennan Veenstra, and his wife, Shelby; Cailee, and her husband, Justin Pastoor; Kenden Veenstra; Jeron Veenstra; Drake Sterk, and his wife, Julie; Jade Sterk; Carson Sterk; Logan Sterk; Madison Smits; Sophia Smits; and Sadie Smits; her mother, Alma Kramer, of Lynden, Washington; seven brothers and sisters, Sally Van Zee, of Lynden; Peg and Dave Eekhoff, of Sioux Center; Kath and Jeff Miller, and Jayne and Keith Bode, all of Lynden; Heidi and Jake Jacobsen, of Mesa, Arizona; Kris and Garret Brouwer, of Escondido; and Steve and Shari Kramer, of Sedro Woolley, Washington; her husband’s siblings, Darlene and Rod Kluis, of Maurice; Karen and Terry Dykstra, of Alton, Iowa; Bruce and Bonnie Smits, of San Marcos, California; Jim and Judy Smits, of Orange City; and Barb Ramsey, of Orange City; and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Jera Sterk; a sister-in-law, Sharon Smits; and a brother-in-law, James Ramsey.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.