Edward O. De Boer

Ellsworth, MN CLICK HERE TO WATCH SERVICE Edward O. De Boer age 88, of Ellsworth, MN died Monday, October 25, 2021, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne, MN. Funeral service will be 10:30 AM, Thursday, October 28th at Bethel Reformed Church near Little Rock, IA, with Rev. Scott Van Ravenswaay officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday, October 27th from 5:30 to 8:00 PM, with family present at the Bethel Reformed Church. Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids is in charge of services. Edward Ocke De Boer was born on June 8th, 1933, In Lyon County, Iowa to Otto and Martha (Ohling) De Boer. The family lived in Elgin township, where Edward attended Elgin #3 country school. He continued working on the family farm, and also worked for neighboring farmers until he was inducted into the United States Army. After basic training, he was assigned to testing the atomic cannon, and then he became the assistant to the chaplin at Fort Sill Oklahoma Army Base. During that time Edward married Shirley Elaine Jansen on April 27, 1956, at the Bethel Reformed Church, rural Ellsworth. Following his discharge from the army, Edward and Shirley began farming northeast of Ellsworth. To this union three children were born, Lorie, Cheryl and Mark. Ed loved farming and loved raising their children on the farm. Dairying kept them very busy, and they were also active in 4-H. Edward served on the DHIA board, as a director on the Ellsworth Farmers Elevator Board, on the Land-O-Lakes Board and belonged to the American Dairy Association. When Shirley was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Edward lovingly cared for her for twenty years, until her death in 1988. Edward was a man of strong faith and lived that faith every day. He was a life-long member of the Bethel Reformed Church. He served as an Elder and Deacon at various times and served as a Sunday School teacher and Catechism teacher. Edward continued living on the farm and milking cows until September of 1993, when he purchased a home in Ellsworth. A second chapter in Edward's life began when he married Faye Schilling at the Presbyterian church on April 4, 1998. They lived in Ellsworth until May 5, 2016, when he entered the Minnesota Veterans home in Luverne, MN, due to Alzheimer's disease. They loved camping and spent sixteen winters in Alamo, Texas. They also loved traveling and visited eleven countries and forty states together. Edward passed away on October 25, 2021 at the age of eighty eight years. Edward is survived by his wife Faye Schilling-De Boer; by his daughters, Lorie (Mervis) Groen and Cheryl (Orvis) Groen; a son Mark (Kari) De Boer; seven grandchildren; Cory (Tammy) Groen, Stacy (Chad) Sneller, Lance (Mandy) Groen, Evan (Laura) Groen, and Ethan Groen, Amanda (Jordan) Heiman and Andrea (Logan) Kalkbrenner; step-grandchildren, Alexis and Zane Hiller; great- grandchildren, Aftin, Cade, and Avery Groen, Taryn Odens and Presley Sneller, Briggs and Maddux Groen, Hudson Heiman, Rylee and Wren Kalkbrenner; five step-children, Dona Faye (Andrew) Kubat, Lora (Steven) Trebesch, Linda (Michael) Roggenbuck, Stacey (Gregory) Roemen, and Craig (Twyla) Schilling; twelve step-grandchildren; thirteen step-great-grandchildren; a brother, Orville (Joyce) De Boer; a sister Gladys Drenkow; and many nieces, nephews and other extended family. Edward was preceded in death by his wife Shirley on September 23, 1988; his parents Otto and Martha, sister Jeanette Popkes; two brothers-in-law Lammert Popkes and Ronald Drenkow. Blessed be the memory of Edward De Boer.