Minnie 'Mickie' Bonnema

Steen, Minnesota Minnie Mickie Bonnema age 94 of Steen, MN died Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at the Tuff Memorial Home in Hills, MN. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 15, 2010 at The Reformed Church of Steen, MN with Reverend Dan Kuik officiating. Burial will follow in the Eastside Cemetery at Steen, MN. Visitation will be Sunday, March 14, 2010 from 3:00 p.m. " 6:00 p.m. at the Jurrens Funeral Home of Hills. Grada Wilemina Keunen was born on December 30, 1915, the daughter of Ben and Johanna (Veldhorst) Keunen near Varseveld Gelderland, Netherlands. When she was ten years old she immigrated with her family to the United States and settled in Sioux Center, IA. She graduated from elementary school in Sioux County, Iowa. In 1934, she and her family moved to Steen, MN. Minnie helped her father on the farm since she had no brothers. She also did housework for friends in the Steen area. As a teenager, Minnie and some friends chose nicknames for themselves, and she began being called Mickie. On February 2, 1938, Mickie was united in marriage to Nelson Bonnema at her parents home near Steen. They farmed four years northeast of Steen and then thirty-eight years on their farm east of Steen. They retired from the farm to live in Steen in 1980. Mickie was a member of the Reformed Church of Steen, where she was a faithful member of the Ladies Aid Society and also taught catechism. She worked very hard on the farm and enjoyed gardening, canning, baking, sewing and tending to her beautiful flowers. Mickie loved music and singing and often sang with her husband Nelson. Her grandchildren were the joys of her life, and she loved playing games, telling stories, and sewing for them. Mickie was a longtime resident of the Tuff Memorial Home where she passed away on Wednesday, March 10th at the age of ninety-four. Mickie is survived by her six children, Beth Sakurai of Yokohama, Japan, Donald Bonnema of Rock Rapids, IA, Stan (Gloria) Bonnema of Waconia, MN, Ginger (Jim) France of Sioux City, IA, Reverend Mark (Eva) Bonnema of Federal Way, WA and Mike (Jodie) Bonnema of Steen, MN; twelve grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren; two sisters, Jo Aykens and Mildred Keunen of Steen MN; one brother-in-law, Arnold Bonnema of George, IA and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Nelson; son-in-law, Akira Sakurai, and one sister, Bertha Bosch.