Obituary of Fanny Haagsma

Fanny (Bosch) Haagsma was born in Sioux Center, IA on August 5, 1915 to Peter and Pearl (Hulstein) Bosch. When she was six, she moved with her family to Sanborn. She graduated from Sanborn High School at the age of 16. She then spent two years at Northwestern College in Orange City and began teaching in a rural school near Sanborn. In 1938 she moved back with her family to the Sioux Center area and continued her teaching there. On August 29, 1941, Fanny married Jake (Shorty) Haagsma, Jr. in a garden wedding at her parents’ home in Sioux Center. Shorty and Fanny began their married life farming near Sanborn. They spent 39 years on farms in the Sanborn and Primghar area. While living in this area, Fanny taught at the Sanborn Christian School for 17 years—most of those years in the lower grades. In 1979 Shorty and Fanny retired from farming and moved to a new house in Sanborn. Jake passed away in 1986. In 2003, Fanny left her home in Sanborn and moved into the Christian Retirement Home in Sheldon where she spent the last years of her life. Even after moving to Sheldon, she continued to be an active member of the Sanborn Christian Reformed Church. Fanny’s life was dedicated to the teaching profession. She loved her teaching and felt privileged to have influenced many young lives. This desire continued to bring her enjoyment as grandchildren and great-grandchildren came into her life. She enjoyed nothing more than to sit with them and read. She also found fulfillment in serving as a Crossroads Bible instructor. She has evaluated many Bible lessons of prisoners over the years and felt it a privilege to share her faith with them. In addition to her enjoyment of teaching, Fanny loved playing table games with family and friends. She had many groups with which she spent time playing cards. She was an avid Minnesota Twins fan. She made it a point to keep all her family informed as to how the Twins were doing. This delighted her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Fanny was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Shorty; her brothers John and Gerald Bosch; brothers-in-law Donald Dummett and Orville Kempers; her sisters-in-law Jeanette and Artlella Bosch; and a nephew Orville Dummett. She is survived by one son, Vernon and his wife Harriet of Pella, IA; three grandchildren: Gregory Haagsma, his wife Myrna and their children Brandon, Taylor and Shane of Phoenix, AZ, Rhonda, her husband Bradley Schouten and their children Joshua and Jolie of Waupun, WI, and Karla, her husband Luke Vander Leest and their children Derrek, Kaitlyn and Levi of Sioux Falls, SD; one brother Art Bosch and his wife Naomi of Sanborn; two sisters, Carolyn Clemons of Artesia, CA, and Esther Kempers of Sioux Center, IA; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Memorials will be given in Fanny’s name to the Crossroads Bible Institute and the Sanborn Christian School. A Celebration of Life… Fanny Haagsma Born ~ August 5, 1915 Died ~ June 16, 2008 Age ~ 92 years 10 months 11 days Funeral Service Christian Reformed Church ~ Sanborn, Iowa Saturday, June 21, 2008 ~ 10:30 a.m. Officiating ~ Pastor Greg Dyk Organist ~ Mildred Kroese Congregational Singing "Out of My Bondage, Sorrow and Night" "When Peace Like a River" Special Music Kempers Quartet (Karl Kempers, Roger Kempers, Janet Boone, Kathy Sneller Accompanied by Roxann Dobesh) "No More Night" "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" Solo on CD sung by Vernon Haagsma "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" Pallbearers Karl Kempers Roger Kempers Bill Vierhout Lorn Wills Marvin Bosch John E. Vander Stelt Ushers Lee Van Tol Bud Krikke Interment Roseland Cemetery ~ Sanborn, Iowa