Heemstra, Beverly (Mrs. Calvin Dean) 1938-2023

HEEMSTRA, BEUZEKOM, BOLKEMA

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/29/2023 at 13:11:48

Mrs. Beverly Heemstra, age 84, of Orange City, passed away on Monday, March 27, at the Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City.

A visitation with the family present will be held on Thursday, March 30, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City. A prayer service will take place on Friday, March 31, at 10:00am, at the funeral home, followed by interment at the West Lawn Cemetery in Orange City. There will be a memorial service on Friday, at 11:00am, at the Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City with the Rev. Dr. Brian Keepers and the Rev. Ben Vos officiating.

Beverly Joan was born on June 19, 1938, in Archer, the daughter of Koos and Bertha (Beuzekom) Bolkema. She began her schooling at the Archer Consolidated School, attending through her junior year, before transferring to the Western Christian High School in Hull, from which she graduated.

She was united in marriage to Calvin Dean Heemstra on February 20, 1957, in Sheldon, where together they made their home. In 1963, they moved to Boyden, where they lived for 14 years before moving to Orange City. After her five children were in school, she started working as the administrative secretary for the Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, a position she filled for twenty years. In March of 2016, Mr. and Mrs. Heemstra became residents of the Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community in Orange City. Cal passed away on December 5, 2020, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after more than 63 years of marriage. For the past two and a half years, Bev has resided at the Prairie Ridge Care Center.

Mrs. Heemstra was a member of the Trinity Reformed Church and a former member of the Boyden Reformed Church. In addition to playing the organ and piano for both churches, she was the Junior Choir Director at Trinity. She also attended the women’s groups and Bible Studies, and taught Sunday School.

Bev enjoyed playing the piano and organ, quilting, and spending time with her family, especially attending their games, concerts, and weddings. She also loved to participate in worship services at her church and going to Northwestern College events.

She is survived by her five children, Jeff Heemstra, and his wife, Cindy, of Urbandale; Brad Heemstra, and his wife, Lynn, of Ames; Dan Heemstra, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Scott Heemstra, and his wife, Kelly, of Salina, Kansas; and Barb, and her husband, 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 (Jen) 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; nine great-grandchildren, with two on the way; a sister, Helen (Jim) Bilsland, of Sioux City; two sisters-in-law, Janice Bolkema, of Sheldon; and Lois Heemstra, of Primghar; a brother-in-law, Arv (Kathy) Heemstra, of Grand Forks, North Dakota; along with several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and parents-in-law, Jake and Jennie Heemstra, she was preceded in death by a brother, Ken Bolkema; and two brothers-in-law, Gerald (Audrey) Heemstra, and Larry (Joann) Heemstra.

Memorials will be directed to Trinity Reformed Church or the Prairie Ridge Care Center.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.