Evelyn C. De Boer, 88, of Le Mars, Iowa passed away on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at the Hawarden Health Care Center. Funeral services will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 5, 2014 at Rejoice Community Church in Le Mars. Rev. Douglas Van Aartsen and Rev. Tony De La Rosa will officiate. Burial will follow at Resthaven Memory Gardens in Le Mars. Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 4, 2014 at the Mauer – Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars. The family will be present from 5-7 p.m. with a prayer service scheduled at 7:00 p.m. There will also be one hour of visitation at the church prior to the funeral service on Saturday.

Evelyn Cynthia Hettinga was born on April 16, 1925 in Ringle, Wisconsin, the daughter of Peter and Anna (Te Paske) Hettinga. She graduated from Wausau High School in 1944. After receiving her education, Evelyn aided the war effort by building wooden ammunition crates. She also took a position at Wausau Mutual Insurance in the payroll department.

While visiting family in the Ireton, Iowa, area Evelyn met T. Jerrold De Boer at church. They were united in marriage on June 29, 1949 at the Forestville Reformed Church in Wisconsin. They moved to a farm near Ireton, Iowa where Evelyn settled in to raise her family. As a young girl Evelyn sang with her brothers at area events around Ringle and even sang on local radio stations. She encouraged her children to sing and used the songs she knew to impart life lessons to her children. Evelyn was the “neighborhood nurse” and, along with bandaging up her family when they got hurt, neighbors relied on her for medical care.

While on the farm Evelyn was a member of First Reformed Church in Ireton. She sang in the choir, taught Sunday School and participated in the Ladies’ Guild. After she and Jerrold moved to Le Mars they became members at Rejoice Community Church.

Evelyn’s family will always remember her fantastic baking, especially her cookies. She grew large vegetable gardens and taught her family canning and how to be resourceful. She also spent time in her flower gardens along with arranging bouquets. In early years she was a photographer and developed her own photos at home. She loved children and teaching them about grammar, church and the Bible.

Grateful to have shared her life is her husband of 64 years, Jerrold of rural Le Mars, Iowa; her children and their children, Valerie Winecoff of Le Mars, IA, Erin, Benjamin and Emily, Timothy (Peggy) of Hinton, IA, Mindy, Heather, Sarah and Timothy Jr., Lon (Mary) of Le Mars, IA, Shawn, Travis, Jennifer and Katherine, Kevin (Lesa) of Akron, IA, Benjamin, Seth, Matthew and Luke, Scott (Sandra) of Akron, IA, Dustin, Billie and Elizabeth, Todd (Cathy) of Le Mars, IA, Derick and Monica, Brad (Cathy) of Le Mars, IA, Shania and Joseph; 34 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, LaVerne Hettinga of Wausau, WI, Dawn Hettinga of Wausau, WI and LaVerne Hettinga of Green Bay, WI.

She was preceded in death by her parents; five brothers, Andrew, Kenneth, Richard, Henry and Raymond; sisters, Agnes (Elden) Petterson, Jane (Rueben) Wilke and Nell (Claude) Olmsted.

Memorials may be directed to First Reformed Church of Ireton, Iowa or Rejoice!, Le Mars, Iowa.

To God be the glory for giving Evie life and thanks for taking her home.

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