Vera Deboer

Rock Rapids, IA

      Vera DeBoer, age 87 of Rock Rapids, IA died Monday, March 18, 2019 at the Luverne Hospice Cottage in Luverne, MN.

     Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 23^rd at Bethel Reformed Church, rural Little Rock, IA, with Rolf Lowenberg-DeBoer, officiating.  Burial will follow in the Bethel Reformed Cemetery.

     Visitation will be Friday, March 22^nd from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with family present from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Jurrens Funeral Home in Rock Rapids, IA.

     Vera Bertha Gertrude (Ohling) De Boer was born on April 10, 1931, in the hospital at Sibley, IA, to Hemmo and Berta (Haneborger) Ohling, immigrants from Ostfriesland, Germany. When she was only 2 years old, her father passed away. Her mother married Wilke De Boer in 1935 and Vera was known in childhood as Vera De Boer. On Sept. 14, 1950, Vera married Elmer De Boer. The couple made their home on the family farm south of Ellsworth, MN for 65 years, where they raised three children: James, Brenda & Joel; and created many memories with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In 2015, Elmer and Vera moved to Poplar Creek Estates, Luverne, MN.

     Vera was a longtime member of Bethel Reformed Church, where she helped with numerous children's programs and was active in the ladies circles. Her faith sustained her through the many pleasures and challenges of life. In a note to her family she wrote: "We have gone through dark valleys and been on mountain tops over the years. The Lord has blessed us through it all."

     Vera was a loving wife and a firm, but tender-hearted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She enjoyed gardening, sewing and needlework. Vera graduated in the 8th grade but carried a love of learning throughout her life. She learned English in school but maintained her ability to speak Plattdeutsch (Low German) all of her life. The thoughts and expressions closest to her heart were often expressed in Plattdeutsch. She also taught herself High German, so she could correspond with family that was still in Germany. Some of her fondest memories were of travel: a honeymoon to Canada and the Black Hills in 1950; family vacations starting in 1962 and a trip with Elmer to Germany to visit family in 1980.

     Survivors who cherish her memory include: son, James (Shelley) Lowenberg-De Boer of West Lafayette, Indiana; daughter, Brenda (Conrad) Hulstein of Hardwick, Minnesota; son, Joel (Lorene) De Boer of Harrisburg, South Dakota; nine grandchildren; nine great­grandchildren; a sister Betty Jean De Boer, Little Rock, nieces, nephews and other extended family members.

     She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; a brother, Wilbert De Boer and a great-grandson, Nathan Reker.