William Jansma

Rock Rapids, IA

  William (Bill) Jansma Jr, age 86, of Ellsworth, MN, passed away Monday, January 1, 2024, at Parkview Manor Nursing Home in Ellsworth, MN.

     A funeral service will take place at 10:00 AM, Saturday, January 6, 2024, at the Christian Reformed Church in Rock Rapids, Iowa, with Pastor Doug De Groot officiating.  Burial will follow in Riverview Cemetery of Rock Rapids.

    Visitation will be Friday, January 5th, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Christian Reformed Church in Rock Rapids.

     William Jansma Jr. was born July 19, 1937, the son of William and Alice (Van Dyke) Jansma on a farm near Ireton.  He attended country school through the eighth grade.  The family moved to a farm near Ash Creek before moving to the current family farm near Ellsworth in 1950.  

     Bill was united in marriage to Harriet Hoksbergen on March 20, 1958, in Doon, Iowa.  To this union 6 children were born.  

     Bill’s faith and family were very important to him.  His earthly passion was cattle.  He enjoyed going to sale barns to buy cattle and the stockyards to sell the cattle he raised.  

     Bill was a member of the Rock Rapids Christian Reformed Church.   

     Bill and Harriet semi-retired from farming in 2001, and moved to Ellsworth, Minnesota. 

     Bill was a member of the Ellsworth Farmer’s Coop Elevator Board, as well as on the 5-Star Fertilizer Plant Board.  

     He moved to Parkview Manor in November of 2022, where he remained until his passing on January 1, 2024.

     Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 65 years, Harriet; daughters, Denice (Mike) Dirks of Luverne, MN, and Sandra Wissink of Rock Rapids, IA; daughters-in-law, Delinda Jansma of Ellsworth, MN and Colleen Jansma of Worthington, MN; sons, Kevin (Kristin) Jansma of Rock Valley, IA, and William D. (Michelle) Jansma of Ellsworth, MN; 17 grandchildren; Denice’s children Ryan & Alissa:  Sandy’s children Steve & Stan:  Warren’s children Kari, Jason & Wayne;  Darryl’s children Bradley & Ashley;  Kevin’s children Derrick, Hannah, Noah, Brielle, & Mason;  Bill’s children Amber, Grant & Joshua: 26, great grandchildren; sister-in-law, Berniece (Jansma) Barstad of Brandon, SD; four brothers-in-law and their wives, John (Lori) Hoksbergen of Sioux Center, IA, Henry (Jane) Hoksbergen of Hull, IA, Donald (Wilma) Hoksbergen of Hull, IA, and Ken (Dori) Hoksbergen of Hull, IA; along with many nieces, nephews, and extended family.

     He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Alice; his in-laws, William and Henrietta Hoksbergen; two sons, Warren and Darryl; son-in-law, Scott Wissink; four siblings, Tunis (Wilmyna) Jansma, Gertrude (James) DeBoer, Jane (Peter) DeBoer, and Bart Jansma; sister-in-law, Bonnie Hoksbergen; brother-in-law, Marvin Hoksbergen, and two nephews.

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