Jennie Bonnema, age 93 of Inwood, IA died Monday, November 03, 2014 at Fellowship Village Nursing Home in Inwood, IA.
Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, November 8th at Christian Reformed Church in Inwood, IA, with Rev. Sam Krikke officiating. Burial will follow at Richland Cemetery, rural Inwood. Visitation will be Saturday, November 8th at 10:00 a.m. until the hour of service at the Christian Reformed Church of Inwood.
Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids is in charge of services.
A complete obituary and online registry is available at: jurrensfuneralhome.com
Our Mom was born on March 5, 1921, in Perkins, Iowa, the daughter of Germ and Bertha (Kracht) Baker. She was raised on a farm east of Steen, Minnesota, where she attended country school. After her education, she began her life long career as a domestic engineer, assisting with housework for several families in the area.
On February 2, 1945, she married Jay Bonnema at his parents’ home prior to his serving in the military overseas in WWII. After his honorable discharge, they purchased a farm southeast of Inwood, Iowa. They farmed that land until moving into a home they built in Inwood in 1974, and Mom took great pride in their “new” house.
We four kids grew up on the farm and were taught that having a successful career in life demanded commitment and responsibility. Both Mom and Dad demonstrated that. We were taught that you didn’t have to be the best, but you had to do your best…..lessons that have served us well. Mom’s commitment to being that domestic engineer was evident in a home that was always neat and clean. If we wanted to keep something, we had better not leave it lying around….if she had to pick up, it would probably be gone!
One of Mom’s achievements was taking Driver’s Ed and earning her driver’s license when our youngest sister Judy was in high school. Shopping was her favorite hobby, and driving gave her liberty.
In her later years, Mom faced several major health crises, and she dealt with them with courage and determination. Many times people would comment that she had nine lives but we thought it more like 19! Through all of it, she maintained trust in the providence of God, and a refreshing sense of humor which made it fun to visit with her.
Dad preceded her in death in March of 2007 and in December of that year she moved to an apartment at The Village Inn in Inwood. She enjoyed the social life there and playing Bingo with the “old folks” at Fellowship Village was a serious event that she hated to miss! In August of 2014, she became a resident of Fellowship Village where she died on Monday, November 3, 2014.
Mom was the second oldest of six children. Her brothers Edward, Fred, and Albert have preceded her in death, as well as brothers-in-law, Wesley DeZeeuw, George Caswell, Larry, Bob, and Rich Bonnema, and sisters-in-law, Verla and Gertrude Baker, and Edith and Dorothy Bonnema. Her sisters, Bertha DeZeeuw and Bernice (Otto) Bouma survive her as well as sisters-in-law, Jane Baker (John) Bosch. Ruth Caswell, and Leora Bonnema.
Dad and Mom were members of the Christian Reformed Church of Inwood all of their married lives and her faith and trust in God were her strength and hope.
We thank God for His mercy and grace so evident in her life and death and for the legacy she leaves with us, her children; Bev (husband, Marvin) Arp, George (wife, Corrine) Bonnema, Sharon (husband, Glenn) Davey and Judy (husband, Jay) Van Engen; ten grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, and anticipating two more great-granchildren.
