Katie Top

Hills, MN Katie Top, age 98 of Hills, MN died on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at Tuff Memorial Home in Hills, MN. Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, July 13th at United Reformed Church of Hills, MN, with Rev. Alan Camarigg officiating. Burial will follow the services at the Hills Christian Reformed Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday, July 12th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., with the family present from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Jurrens Funeral Home in Hills, MN. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to: Union Gospel Mission of Sioux Falls, SD, Luke Society and Center of Hope of Sioux Falls, SD. Katie (Van Den Oever) Top was born on November 16, 1914, at her parents home near Perkins, Iowa, the daughter of Peter and Barbara (Brouwer) Van Den Oever. She was the eighth of thirteen children born to Peter and Barbara. Katie was born, raised and married in the same home. She attended Burr Oak School and graduated from the 8th grade in 1928. She worked for several families in the area as a hired girl . One family in particular she remembered well was the Al and Louisa Kuiper family. She worked there at various times as a young lady. It was there she met Als nephew. She later married this young man, Clarence Top on June 21, 1938. They started out their married life living on a farm north of Beaver Creek, MN where three of their children were born, Barbara, John and Genevieve. They later moved into Beaver Creek and then Valley Springs, SD. While living there, two more children were born, Raymond and Karen. In 1959, they moved to Aurora, CO, and a year later back to Valley Springs. In 1978, they moved to Missouri and remained there for 13 years. In 1991, Katies husband, Clarence, died after 53 years of marriage. The next year Katie and Karen moved to Hills, MN. Katie entered the Hills Tuff Memorial Home in 2010, where she remained until her death this past Wednesday, July 10, 2013. Katie enjoyed gardening, crocheting, quilting, playing cards, especially double canasta and visiting with family and friends. She is survived by her three children, Barbara Top of Sioux Center, IA, John (Cordean) Top of Mansfield, MO, and Sue (Dale) Bartels of Hills, MN; a daughter-in-law, Linda Top of Maurice, IA; fourteen grandchildren; twenty-five great-grandchildren; two step great-grandchildren; one sister, Rena Top of Milaca, MN; brother-in-law, Bernie (Jeanette) Top of Hills, MN; sister-in-law, Joan Fransman of Hills, MN; and many other extended family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Top; a son, Raymond Top; a daughter, Karen Top; eight brothers, John, Fred, Andrew, Jake, Henry, Henry, James and Peter; three sisters, Ada Burggraaf, Cynthia Van Den Oever and an infant who died at birth.