John H. Hommes

Rock Rapids, IA John H. Hommes, age 84 of Rock Rapids, IA died Saturday, November 20, 2010, in his home, rural Rock Rapids, surrounded by his wife and children. Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 24th at the First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids, IA, with Reverend Dan Haggar and Reverend Katie Van Veldhuizen officiating. Burial will follow in the Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids, with military honors by the Van Anne-Fields VFW Post # 6960 and the Rex Strait American Legion Post # 103 of Rock Rapids. Visitation will be Tuesday, November 23rd from 2-8 p.m. with the family present from 5-8 p.m. at the First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids. Arrangements are under the direction of Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids. John H. Hommes, son of John and Greta (Vos) Hommes was born on a farm Northwest of Rock Rapids, Iowa on July 17, 1926. He attended country school and graduated from Wilson High School in Rock Rapids in 43 . Following graduation he worked at Wolff & Bernsteins for more than a year, then began working for a local farmer. John was very proud to have served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1946 to 1947, after which he began farming. John married Joyce Jansma on the 16th of June, 1950, continuing to live on a farm north of Steen, MN until 1957 when they moved to California where he milked cows seven days a week for a dairy. By 1963 John and Joyce had saved enough to buy a farm near Rock Rapids, living there until 1973, when they moved to their current home, where they have continued to live since their retirement in 1991. John served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Farmers Cooperative Exchange, two years of which he was Board President. He was a member of the First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids where he served as a Deacon. Following their retirement John and Joyce traveled south for fourteen winters. When in Iowa, John loved helping his sons, working in the fields and flower and vegetable gardening with his wife. Whenever possible, John and Joyce faithfully visited their handicapped grandson, Devin. He is survived by his wife of sixty years, Joyce Hommes; daughters, Charlotte Bain (Mark Gerhardt) of Sioux Falls, SD, Carol (Jack) Nelson of Hinckley, MN; sons, John JD (Lesa) Hommes of Rock Rapids and Jim (Mary Beth) Hommes of Rock Rapids; eleven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; his sisters, Irene Shelton of Luverne, MN, Frances Vande Kop of Billings, MT and JoAnn Douglas of Rock Rapids; his brother, Hynie (Greta) Hommes of Rock Rapids; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, three infant children, his brother Roger and his sister Esther Vande Stouwe. In lieu of flowers John wished the memorials be directed to: Village Northwest Unlimited in Sheldon, IA.