Mrs. JoAnn Huygens, age 77, of rural Hospers, passed away on Friday, August 15, 2014, at her residence.
There will be a funeral service on Tuesday, August 19, at 10:30am, at the Newkirk Reformed Church. The Rev. David Powers will officiate. Interment will follow at the Newkirk Cemetery. Visitation will be after 4:00pm on Monday, with the family present from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, at the CHURCH.
Arrangements are with the Oolman Funeral Home in Orange City.
JoAnn Gladys was born on a farm near Sheldon on July 6, 1937, to Clarence and Ann (Bruxvoort) Van Kalsbeek. She attended the Hospers Christian School and Western Christian High School in Hull. She then taught at the Sibley Christian School.
She married Clarence Marvin Huygens on June 9, 1955, at the Hospers Christian Reformed Church. They established a farm home near Newkirk, where they lived for 59 years. While raising a young family, she returned to college and earned a teaching degree, graduating magna cum laude from Northwestern College in Orange City. She then taught kindergarten and third grade classes in the Sheldon and MOC-FloydValley schools for thirty years, serving two generations of many families.
JoAnn loved the Lord and was a member of the Newkirk Reformed Church all her married life. She served as a girls high school Sunday School teacher, choir member, and leader of the Bible League.
She lived life with high energy and a happy disposition. Her often repeated motto was, “I’d rather burn-out than rust-out”. She loved people and had an active volunteer life. After retirement, she volunteered with a children’s reading program at the Sioux Center Public Schools and at Village Northwest in Sheldon. She also assisted at Hands around the World in Orange City.
JoAnn loved music and also sang in the Sioux County Women’s chorus and the Senior Saints choir. She taught piano lessons as a young woman and encouraged all the children in her life to enjoy music. She was a Master Gardener and loved to work in her vegetable and flower garden.
She was a life-long learner, starting with a junior high spelling championship, representing Sioux County at the state spelling bee. She was an avid reader, always with two or more books in process. She attacked and enjoyed a crossword puzzle every day.
JoAnn loved traveling and enjoyed trips to all parts of the United States, as well as a bicycle journey across The Netherlands. She enjoyed spending winters with Clarence in Alamo, Texas.
She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Clarence; and three children and their spouses, Chuck and Sue Huygens, of Urbandale; Adri and Ron Smit, of Hospers; and Don Huygens, of Sioux Center. Her eleven grandchildren include Nicole Huygens, Mark and Jamie Huygens, Robyn (Jay) Carnes, Scott Smit, Jeremy (Amber) Smit, Heather Schoenrock, Daniel (HollyAnn) Huygens, Sarah Huygens, Ken Huygens, Kylie Huygens, and Jamie Huygens. Her six great-grandchildren are Bennett Huygens, Caleb Smit, Madeline Smit, Cameron Carnes, Cooper Carnes and J. J. Van Meeteren. She is also survived by five sisters, Ruth (Marley) Grotenhuis, of Sibley; Harriet (Gerald) Van Meeteren, of Sheldon; Carol (Ron) Oostra, of Sioux Center; Anita (Gary) Jeltema, of Orange City; and Laura Van Kalsbeek, of Rock Valley.
She was preceded in death by a grandson-in-law, Scott Schoenrock.
Memorials may be directed to the Bible League, a cause that JoAnn loved and pursued.
