De Jong, Geraldine "Geri" (Mrs. Martin) 1938-2024

DEJONG, ROGHAIR, WIELENGA

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 5/18/2024 at 19:03:44

Mrs. Geraldine “Geri” De Jong, age 85, of Orange City, passed away on Monday, March 25, 2024, at the Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City.

A visitation with the family present will be held on Friday, March 29, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, at the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City. A prayer service will take place on Saturday, March 30, 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 Saturday, at 11:00am, at the First Christian Reformed Church in Orange City with the Rev. Jordan Helming officiating.

Geraldine Fae was born on August 8, 1938, in Orange City, the daughter of Peter L. and Gertrude (Roghair) Wielenga. She was raised on a farm near Orange City and attended country school.

On November 1, 1956, she was united in marriage to Martin De Jong in Orange City. The couple lived in California for a time and then returned to Orange City, where “Geri” was a homemaker and mother to their six children.

Mrs. De Jong was a member of the First Christian Reformed Church in Orange City. She enjoyed playing cards with her friends, was a master at doing puzzles, and loved to cook and bake for everyone. Traveling and spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought her great joy. Martin passed away on April 28, 1992, in Orange City, after more than 35 years of marriage. In 2022, Geri moved to the Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community in Orange City, and in February of this year, she became a resident of the Prairie Ridge Care Center.

Survivors include her six children, Marlys, and her husband, Chris Eshelman, of Estes Park, Colorado; Darwin De Jong, and his wife, Arlys, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Leon De Jong, and his fiancé, Pam Tallmadge, of Kalispell, Montana; Audley De Jong, and his wife, Bonnie; and Alan De Jong, and his wife, Jody, all of Orange City; and Valerie, and her husband, John Klynsma, of Hospers; seventeen grandchildren, Collin (Shannon) Eshelman; Kaylee (Garrett) Hurni; April (Galen) Van Otterloo; Becky (Kris) Isakson; Sam (Jillian) De Jong; Rachel (L.J.) Moten; Luke (Hayli) De Jong; Kelley De Jong; Kristen (Collin) Korver; Zachary (Paige) De Jong; Allison (Austin) Jeltema; Carter De Jong; Justin (Amber) Klynsma; Lindsey (Jake) Newborg; Amber (Will) Crum; and Makendra (Drew) Vreugdenhil; 23 great-grandchildren, with another one due in September; two sisters-in-law and their husbands, Trudy and Jay De Vries and Sandy and Bill Van Horssen; and a brother-in-law, Glen Lyons.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a grandson, Shane De Jong; four brothers and their wives, Louis and Nellie and Winifred Wielenga, Edward and Wilmina Wielenga, Stanley and Eleanor Wielenga, and Marion and Agnes Wielenga; two sisters, Hendrine and Lloyd Van Gorp and Esther and Syne Wynia; and a sister-in-law, Rena Lyons.

Memorials will be given to the Orange City Christian School Covenant Foundation.