John Howard Tilstra

Steen, MN        John Tilstra, age 88 of Hills, Minn. died Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, at Sanford Luverne Hospital in Luverne, Minn.        Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 23 at the Reformed Church of Steen with Pastors Jeremy Wiersema, Ray Tilstra, John Tilstra and Howard Soehl officiating. Burial will follow in the Eastside Cemetery near Steen.           Visitation will be Thursday from 2 – 8 p.m. with the family present from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Reformed Church of Steen in Steen, Minn.        John Howard Tilstra was born on Feb. 24, 1928, in Rock Rapids, Iowa, the son of Cornelius and Fannie (Hommes) Tilstra. He grew up in Rock Rapids and attended school graduating from the 8th grade. On December 11, 1947, he was united in marriage to Anna Nyhuis in Rock Rapids. The couple farmed various places in Minnesota throughout their life together. They lived on a farm near Beaver Creek from 1947 to 1962, northeast of Hills from 1962 to 1977, and a new farmstead near Hills from 1977 to 2007. He retired from farming in 1992 and moved to Hills in 2007. Because of declining health, John moved into the Tuff Memorial Home in Hills in 2010. John not only farmed throughout his life but he also drove school bus for the Hills-Beaver Creek school district for 26 years. John was a member of Valley Springs Reformed Church in Valley Springs, South Dakota, for fifteen years. He was active as a Sunday school and catechism teacher, served as a deacon, and sang in a quartet. After moving to their second farm, he became a member of the Reformed Church of Steen. John loved farming and in his spare time enjoyed oil and acrylic painting, woodworking and listening to a variety of music from opera to country. In his early years, he and his wife enjoyed roller-skating. John also liked to fish and he played the harmonica. He liked trains and enjoyed taking trips with his family. He was a passionate gardener and found joy in sharing the harvest. A fond memory the family has was John’s creative cooking. He could put together a dish with many different ingredients and make it taste great.        John is survived by his wife of sixty-eight years, Anna Tilstra of Hills, Minn.; Ray (Ginny) Tilstra of DeKalb, Ill., Linda (Howard) Soehl of Howell, Mich., John (Leesa) Tilstra of Brandon, Wisc. and Cindy (Bob) Gannon of Marcus, Iowa; nine grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren; two brothers: Arvin (Cena Mae) Tilstra of Steen, Minn., and Ferdinand (Bernice) Tilstra of Hills, Minn.; one sister, Inez (Don) Hoogeveen of Le Mars, Iowa; two sisters-in-law:  Ann Tilstra and Joan Tilstra; and several nieces, nephews and other extended family.        He was preceded in death by his parents, Cornelius and Fannie Tilstra; three brothers: Raymond, Fred and Cornelius; and sister-in-law, Evelyn Tilstra.        In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Christian education ministry of the Reformed Church of Steen.