Lubbert Niessink

Rock Rapids, Iowa Lubbert Niessink, age 93 of Rock Rapids, IA passed away January 28, 2013 at Sanford Hospital in Rock Rapids, IA. Memorial service will be 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at Jurrens Funeral Home in Rock Rapids with Rev. Dan Haggar officiating. Inurnment will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Sioux Center, IA with Military Honors provided by the Sioux Center American Legion and VFW. Lubbert Niessink was born November 5, 1919 near Sioux Center, IA to Peter and Anna (Schaap) Niessink. He attended country school near Sioux Center and graduated from Sioux Center High School. In March of 1942 Lubbert entered the United States Army. Initially he was sent to Pasadena California for a year before shipping out to the Pacific. During that year he was united in marriage to Tena Buma. They were married August 27, 1942 in the parsonage of the First Reformed Church in Bellflower California. The couple lived in an apartment in Pasadena California and Lubbert, being an auto mechanic before the war, was assigned to work with the Army Motor Pool while Tena worked in defense plants. First she worked installing rivets on airplane wings and then she was moved to a gun factory. When Lubbert shipped out into the Pacific a bit over a year later, Tena returned to Iowa and lived with her parents in Rock Valley. It was in Rock Valley that Lubbert and Tenas first of two children were born. During his deployment, Lubbert served aboard ship and on land keeping Army vehicles and machines running as a member of the 110th Engineer Battalion. He served in such places as the Aleutians, Southern Philippines and Ryukyus Islands. Upon his honorable discharge in November of 1945 he returned to Iowa and the couple made their home in Sioux Center where Lubbert worked with his father in an implement dealership. After a short time and the birth of their second child, an Allis Chalmers dealership came available in Rock Rapids. He and Tena made the decision to take advantage of the opportunity and moved their family to Rock Rapids where Lubbert ran that business until his retirement in 1985. They then moved to Arnolds Park Iowa for a time, then to Everly Iowa where they worked taking care of the Reformed Church grounds and the cemetery. Lubbert and Tena later moved back to Rock Rapids. Being a member of Alcoholics Anonymous was a big part of Lubberts later life. Having struggled with and overcoming alcoholism himself, he had a great passion to reach those who he thought would benefit from the program. He also enjoyed sharing his faith with those same people. Lubberts family was most important to him and he enjoyed every moment spent with them. On Monday January 28th, Lubbert passed away at Sanford Hospital in Rock Rapids at the age of 93. He will be greatly missed. He is survived by his wife of over 70 years, Tena Niessink; daughter, Loretta (Clarence) Shields of Beloxi, Mississippi; son, Rick (Donna) Niessink of Rock Rapids, IA; granddaughter, Vicki Harr and her son Rykker Harr both of Rock Rapids, IA. Lubbert was preceded in death by his parents, Peter and Anna Niessink; and sisters, Katherine Dekker and Cecelia Kamarath.