Gertrude Waalkes, age 92, of Sibley, Iowa, passed away on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, at Valley Center, Kansas.
Funeral Services will be Saturday, May 5, 2012, at 10:30 A.M. at the Christian Reformed Church in Sibley. Rev. Marvin Leese officiating. Burial in the Holman Township Cemetery in Sibley.
Visitation will be Friday, May 4, from 3:00 to 8:00 P.M. with the family present from 6:30 to 8:00 P.M. at the Andringa Funeral Home in Sibley.
Gertrude Waalkes, daughter of Gerrit and Gertie (Groendyke) Vander Meulen, was born March 31, 1920, near Ocheyedan, Iowa. She lived in Osceola County during her youth and began to teach in the Osceola County Schools in 1938.
She was united in marriage to Lammert Waalkes on February 17, 1956, in Sanborn, Iowa. They lived all of their married life in Sibley.
Gertrude worked as a telephone operator, a teacher, Deputy Recorder for Osceola County and worked in the Assessor’s office. She retired from employment in 1982.
She was a member of the Sibley Christian Reformed Church.
Gertrude enjoyed her family and traveling to serve her family when she could. Lammert and Gertrude visited their children and grandchildren when it was possible and Gertrude spent her time serving her family in any way she could. Even into her advanced years, serving was what she did. She enjoyed mission work, volunteering time at prolife ministries and ministering to the underprivileged.
She passed away on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, at her son’s home in Valley Center, Kansas, at the age of 92 years, one month and one day.
Those left to cherish her memories are: three sons and daughters-in-law, John and Yvonne Waalkes of Springfield, Colorado, Gary and Veronica Waalkes of Bear, Delaware, and LaVerne and Doris Waalkes of Valley Center, Kansas; one daughter and son-in-law, Gwenyth Waalkes and Chris Bochmann of Maxwell, Iowa; 17 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Geraldine Vander Meulen of Sibley; one sister-in-law, Jennie Beers of Spirit Lake, Iowa, and one brother-in-law, George Bents of Rushmore, Minnesota; and many relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lammert, her parents, 4 brothers, Horton Vander Meulen, Ray Vander Meulen, Neal Vander Meulen, and Fred Vander Meulen, and 5 sisters, Bessie Zevenbergen, Belle Peters, Nellie Vander Meulen, Ella Iedema and Kathryn Dykstra, and one grandson, Matthew Waalkes.
Online Expressions of Sympathy can be sent to www.andringafuneralhome.com
