Gertrude M. Broek, age 97, of Sioux Center, Iowa, died Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at the Good Samaritan Village in Sioux Falls, SD.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 27th at the Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center, with Reverend Duane Tinklenberg officiating.
Interment will follow in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Sioux Center.
Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.
Arrangements are in the care of the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center.
Gertrude Martina DeVos was born on January 4, 1927, to Henry and Grace DeVos in rural Sioux County Iowa. She was raised and went to school in Sioux Center, Iowa. On February 6, 1948, she was united in marriage to John Broek. Their lives were blessed with five sons. They lived and farmed in the Sioux Center area for many years before moving to Orange City, Iowa in 1968 where they transitioned to a career in real estate and housing development. Gert played an integral part in the designing and decorating of the homes and apartments they built in the area. They would build homes and sell, moving many times as their business grew. As time went on their sons were often involved in moving and other aspects of the business. Eventually, they moved, for a short time, to Mesa, AZ before moving back to the Iowa/South Dakota area.
Gert was an active member of the Christian Reformed Church her entire life. She was a valued member of the Monica Society and many other church activities. She was strong in her faith and dedication to the Lord. Her belief in God was unwavering and she instilled those beliefs in her sons to also be strong and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gert valued and totally enjoyed her time with family at Lake Poinsett, Okoboji, and Arizona. She shared a very special bond with all five of her sons. They learned quickly if they were “out of line” by the mere shake of her finger. She had many friends and enjoyed spending time and going out for dinner and always interacting and engaging with all.
In 2006, John became a resident of the care facility in Sioux Falls. Their love remained steadfast. Almost daily, Gert made the daily trek to spend the day with him and was intimately engaged with the staff who cared for him. John passed away on August 24, 2008. In August 2015, Gert became a resident of the same facility. There, she lived out her remaining nine years making many friends and left a strong impression on the staff and residents. As a family, we are very grateful for the care and love that was shown to her. She so often told us “They treat me so good here.”
Left to cherish her memory are her five sons and spouses: Les (Helen) of Alton, IA. Harley (Cindy) of Arnolds Park, IA, Daniel (Marlene) of Sioux Falls, SD, Mark (Kathy) of Spirit Lake, IA, Jon of Sioux Falls, SD, along with her 12 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. She was also a special Mom and Grandma to Bernardo and Carmelita Sanchez and their sons. Gert was also survived by one brother, Marty (Cathi) De Vos, of Orange City, IA. She also was survived by the last surviving member of the John Broek clan of 11 brothers and sisters and their in-laws, a very special sister-in-law, Chris Schouten of Sioux Center, IA., along with a lot of special nieces and nephews, and a host of loving caregivers at Good Samaritan Village in Sioux Falls, SD.
Preceded in death are her loving husband John, of 60 years, her parents and a dear sister, Nelvie and her husband John Hoekstra. She was also preceded in death by a very special daughter in law, Lana Jansma Broek, along with many brothers-in-laws and sisters-in-law.
A note from her sons:
Mom left an undeniable impression on her sons and almost everyone she encountered. Her love for God was so apparent. She was a strict disciplinarian who always loved her family fiercely. To this day, we still argue about who was her “favorite”! But, in our hearts we truly know… she loved us all equally. We will always miss you, Mom.
