Heemstra, Calvin Dean 1935-2020

HEEMSTRA, BOLKEMA, VANKLEY

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

Mr. Calvin Heemstra, age 85, of Orange City, passed away on Saturday, December 5, 2020, at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

There will be a funeral service on Thursday, December 10, at 10:00am, at the Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City. The Rev. Dr. Brian Keepers and Pastor Ben Vos will officiate. Interment will follow the service at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. Visitation without the family will be on Wednesday, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.

Calvin Dean was born on October 31, 1935, in Sanborn, the second of four sons, to Jake and Jennie (Van Kley) Heemstra. He was raised in the Sanborn and Primghar areas, attending country schools in O’Brien County through the eighth grade and graduating from the Primghar High School.

He was united in marriage to Beverly Joan Bolkema on February 20, 1957, in Sheldon. They made their home in Sheldon, where Cal worked for the Iowa Highway Commission. In 1963, they moved to Boyden, where he worked for the Farmers Cooperative Association, starting behind the counter in the elevator and eventually becoming the general manager. In 1977, he and Bev moved their family to Orange City and Cal was the general manager of the Farmers Cooperative Association in Orange City and Maurice, where he served on several boards including Land O’Lakes and Iowa Institute for Cooperatives for many years. In his retirement years he worked at Diamond Vogel Paint, in the maintenance department of Northwestern College during the summer months, and volunteered at the Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community, all in Orange City.

Cal was a member of the Trinity Reformed Church, where he had served on the consistory as an elder and deacon and was a Catechism and Sunday School teacher. Cal enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren, going to their games and concerts, and attending events at his church and Northwestern College. He also liked to do woodworking and was always willing to lend a helping hand to others.

Survivors include his wife of nearly 64 years, Bev, of Orange City; five children and their spouses, Jeff and Cindy Heemstra, of Urbandale; Brad and Lynn Heemstra, of Ames; Dan Heemstra and Dr. Martha Ording, of Benton Harbor, Michigan; Scott and Kelly Heemstra, of Orange City; and Barb and Jeff Laarman, of Holland, Michigan; five Japanese “children”, Nobu Imamura, Takeshi Hayakawa, Tsuneo Hattori, Kaoru Hattori, and Hosana Okamura; sixteen grandchildren, Joe Heemstra, David Heemstra, and Jason Heemstra; Chris (Lyndee) Heemstra, Allie (Jonathan) Jones, and Meg (Eric) Shupe; Jacob (Abby) Heemstra, Jonah (Sarah) Heemstra, Hannah Heemstra, and Sarah Heemstra; Jordan Heemstra, Carter Heemstra, and Zoe Heemstra; and Brianna Laarman, Noah Laarman, and Abby Laarman; six great-grandchildren; two brothers and their wives, Larry and Lois Heemstra, of Primghar, and Arv and Kathy Heemstra, of Grand Forks, North Dakota; and two sisters-in-law, Helen, and her husband, Jim Bilsland, of Sioux City, and Janice Bolkema, of Sheldon; along with several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents and parents-in-law, Koos and Bertha Bolkema, he was preceded in death by a brother and his wife, Gerald and Audrey Heemstra; a sister-in-law, Joann Heemstra; and a brother-in-law, Ken Bolkema.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Trinity Reformed Church or Northwestern College.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.