Le Mars, Iowa – Dorothea De Boer, 95, of Le Mars, passed away on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at Plymouth Manor Care Center in Le Mars. Funeral services will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, September 18, 2017 St. John’s Lutheran Church in Le Mars. Rev. Dr. Jean Ziettlow will officiate. Burial will follow at Memorial Cemetery in Le Mars. Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 17, 2017 at the Mauer – Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars. The family will be present from 3-5 p.m. with a prayer service at 4:00 p.m. There will also be one hour of visitation at the church prior to the funeral service on Monday.
Dorothea Alberta Rosina De Boer was born on April 6, 1922 in Garrison, North Dakota, the daughter of Rev. Arnold and Elisa (Buethner) Zenk. She moved with her family to Minnesota for a brief time before settling in Merrill, Iowa in 1924. They later moved to Lane, South Dakota where Dorothea attended elementary school. She graduated from high school in Hull, Iowa in 1941. While attending high school, she worked in a grocery and dry goods store, a coffee shop and taught Sunday School in the Lutheran church where her father was a minister.
On October 22, 1941 Dorothea and Bernard De Boer were united in marriage. They lived in West Burlington, Iowa where Bernie worked hauling gravel to the defense plant. The couple moved to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin then moved to Kansas. When Bernie went to the service during WWII, Dorothea returned to Hull to live with her parents. She later joined him in Chicago while Bernie taught at Navy Pier. After the war, Dorothea and Bernie moved to Le Mars to make their home.
Dorothea attended Westmar College for two years, earning her teaching certificate. She began her teaching career in a two room country school near Seney, Iowa. She taught there for three years and transferred to Le Mars Community Schools. Dorothea would teach at Le Mars Community for the next 25 years. During that time she furthered her education by earning her four year degree and a master’s degree in elementary education as a reading specialist.
She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church the entire time she lived in Le Mars. Dorothea taught Sunday School, participated in Ladies’ Aid and WELCA, and was a member of the Deborah Circle. Her many outside interests included fishing, gardening, bowling (having one 205 game when she was 87) and playing cards. Most important to her was the time spent caring for her family.
Grateful to have shared her life is her husband of nearly 76 years, Bernie De Boer of Le Mars, IA; two daughters, Bernette “Bernie” Clark and her husband Dennis of Westcliffe , CO and Donna Jester and her husband, Steve of Le Mars, IA; a son, Jim De Boer and his wife Peggy of Sioux Falls , SD; 6 grandchildren; 2 step-grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; 7 step-great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Lenyce Zenk; and a very dear friend, Jack Hoffman.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Jerry De Boer and his wife, Sally; an infant granddaughter, Krista Marie De Boer; brothers, Bob, Bill, Arnold, Francis and Gene; and a sister, Elma Jewett.
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