Wynia, Esther (Mrs. Syne) 1936-2022

WYNIA, ROGHAIR, WIELENGA, DRAAYER

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting (email)
Date: 9/12/2022 at 11:27:15

Mrs. Esther Wynia, age 86, of Orange City, passed away on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at the Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City.

A visitation without the family present will be held on Monday, September 12, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City. There will be a private family funeral service on Tuesday, September 13, at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jordan Helming officiating. Interment will follow the service at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City.

Esther Mae was born on June 29, 1936, in Orange City, the daughter of Peter L. and Gertrude (Roghair) Wielenga. She was raised on the family farm and attended country school. She loved being outdoors, often helping her dad when she had the opportunity.

She was united in marriage to Syne Wynia on her parents’ 40th wedding anniversary, February 3, 1956, at the First Christian Reformed Church in Orange City. She was a lifelong member of the church, having been baptized there as an infant.

Shortly after they were married, they rented a farm west of Orange City. While “Sy” served his country overseas in the United States Army, Esther lived with her parents, cleaning houses and helping families. Upon his honorable discharge in 1958, they purchased their own farm northeast of Orange City and established their home. They worked side by side as dairy farmers, working the land, and raising their family. Esther could be depended on to help with any job needing to be done, including milking cows, painting farm buildings, driving tractor, baling hay, or bringing lunch to the field during planting and harvest.

In addition to being a dedicated farmer’s wife, she was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother. She enjoyed working in her garden, growing flowers, assembling puzzles, canning, and baking for her family and friends. She always had homemade cookies or a lemon poppyseed bundt cake or apple pie to share. She was an encourager, and Sy always said he couldn’t have accomplished what he did without her. It was at her suggestion that his interest in woodworking projects began.

In January of 2020, the couple moved to the Rock Rapids Care Facility in Rock Rapids, where Sy passed away just a few weeks after celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary. In the fall of 2021, Esther transferred to the Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City. The family would like to thank the staff at Prairie Ridge for their encouragement, care, and commitment to making every resident feel special.

Survivors include her two children and their spouses, Sheryl and Paul Pilling, of Marion; and Loren and Dawn Wynia, of Orange City; four grandchildren, Karen Pilling, of Marion; Nathan Pilling of Bremerton, Washington; and Troy Wynia and Brady Wynia, both of Orange City; a sister, Geraldine De Jong, of Orange City; a sister-in-law and her husband, Cynthia and Wilson Haarsma, of Jenison, Michigan; and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband and parents she was preceded in death by her husband’s parents, Sam and Minnie (Draayer) Wynia; three brothers and their wives, Louis and Winifred, Edward and Wilmina, and Stanley and Eleanor Wielenga; a sister and her husband, Hendrine and Lloyd Van Gorp; and three brothers-in-law, Louis Wynia, and his wife, Hermina; John Wynia, and his wife, Nelvie; and Martin De Jong.

Memorials may be given to the Orange City Christian School or the Unity Christian High School.

A recording will be available following the service.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.