Maurine Marjorie (Barkema) VERHELST
BARKEMA, VERHELST, GARTZ, ANDREWS, UNGERER, STEPHENS, WORTH, BIRD
Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/11/2017 at 19:38:42
February 21, 1927 --- January 8, 2017
Maurine Marjorie (Barkema) VerHelst, 89, of Kanawha, died Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017, at the Kanawha Community Home. Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13, 2017, at the Andrews Funeral Home, 516 First St. S.E., Belmond, Iowa. Visitation will be held 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12 at the Andrews Funeral Home, 516 First St. S.E., Belmond. Memorial may be directed to Gateway Hospice, 103 Second Ave. N.E., Clarion, Iowa, 50525.
Maurine Marjorie (Barkema) VerHelst was born a farmer’s daughter on Feb. 21, 1927. Like others in the “greatest generation,” the sixth child of Charlie and Jennie (Gartz) Barkema was born on the family farm east of Belmond, Iowa. She attended Pleasant No. 5 rural school where she attended a one room school through 8th grade. After finishing school Maurine fine-tuned her homemaking skills by becoming the caretaker of her mother, Jennie, who suffered from the treatments and affects of her rheumatoid arthritis.
Married at age 21 to Kenneth VerHelst on Feb. 11, 1949, Maurine found her calling as the wife of a farmer and mother to her three precious children: Sheryl (1950), Lyn (1956) and Craig (1958). They farmed north of Meservey before moving to another farm northwest of Kanawha. Though not one to say the words, Maurine’s every action as she cared for her family displayed her love. Every outfit she sewed, every delicious baked good, and the hard work she completed on the farm were actions that she used to show the light of Christ to those around her. One of her greatest joys was when she became a grandmother in 1973. Becoming a grandmother made “I love you” easier to say, though, she still used the work of her hands to punctuate her words with actions. Upon retirement, in 1996, the couple moved to Belmond.
Maurine was revered for her sewing skills outfitting her children and grandchildren, and recreating baby dolls, puppies and other lovies for her grandchildren. Currently, her great-grandchildren are enjoying the work of her hands. No holiday party or get-together was complete without her hard-to-duplicate fudge. Neighbors and farmers came from miles around to get the corn specifically dried by Maurine. She never had a driver’s license and therefore was never comfortable behind the wheel of a car, however, she could easily and confidently climb behind the wheel of any farm vehicle. She was definitely a “farm girl” enjoying the earth and time spent digging through the dirt growing vegetables and cultivating her apple orchard. One of the things she will be well remembered for is her quick wit and her “one-line zingers.”
Maurine was preceded in death by her parents, Charlie and Jennie Barkema, husband Kenneth, and granddaughter Candice Andrews. Left behind to carry on her legacy of quiet love and faith: daughters Sheryl (Ron) Ungerer, Xenia Ohio, and Lyn (Verlynn) Andrews, Alexander, Iowa, and a son Craig (Judy) VerHelst, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Grandchildren Jenni (Chad) Stephens, Taylorville, Illinois, Nicole (Shaun) Worth, Lincoln, Illinois, Shawn (Tawnda) Andrews, Mapleton, Minn., and Laura (Brandon) Bird, Hampton, Iowa; 13 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild.
Wright Obituaries maintained by Karen De Groote.
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