Obituary of Catherine Sipma

Catherine (Dykstra) Sipma was born on April 4, 1920; the first child of Anna (Poortinga) and Nick Dykstra of rural Sibley, Iowa. She grew up and went to country school next to Interstate Highway 59 where she, her four brothers and one sister lived until they moved to another farm near Melvin, IA. Catherine married Ray Sipma in the Ocheyedan Christian Reformed Church in June of 1946. The years following their marriage were busy ones for Ray and Catherine, as they raised their nine children. They lived first near Archer, IA, and later moved closer to Ocheyedan and Sibley where they attended the Christian Reformed Church and their children attended school. Catherine and Ray farmed together in northwest Iowa until December 1958 when they bought a place in southwestern Minnesota between Iona and Chandler. This location made it possible for them to continue to send their children to the Christian schools in Edgerton, MN. They retired from farming and built a home in Worthington in 1979. They later down-sized and built a condo, also in Worthington. During this time they became members of Solid Rock Assembly of God Church in Worthington. Over her lifetime, Catherine carried out with remarkable organizational and other skills, the innumerable tasks of farm wife, mother, faithful church member, sister (in-law), aunt, grandmother, cousin, and friend in a large extended family and in her community. During one period of her life, she baked 16 loaves of bread per week. She cooked, sewed, kept up her house, her flowers, and her garden. She enjoyed reading and making beautiful afghans. After her children left home, Catherine sent many letters and clippings and made phone calls to them in various parts of the U.S., Japan, Canada, France, Vietnam, and wherever else they might be. She made many trips to Toronto and traveled to various other places within the U.S. and Canada. She took pictures and made photo albums. Following a stroke in the spring of 2004, Catherine became a resident of South Shore Care Center in Worthington. It was there that she passed into Glory on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, just two months short of her 90th birthday. Survivors include her nine children and their spouses: Arvilla (Jim Olthuis) of Toronto, Canada, Loren of Worthington, MN, Harlan of Pipestone, MN, Wayne of Los Angeles, CA, Calvin (Julie) of Minneapolis, MN, Vern of Clara City, MN, Rodney (Sylvia) of Lake Forest, CA, Ron (Shelly) of Alvord, IA, and Del (Lauri) of Minnetonka, MN; five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, as well as eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren related through her children’s marriages; four brothers and their families; other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband and one sister, Evelyn. Celebrating the life of Catherine Sipma Born ~ April 4, 1920 Died ~ February 3, 2010 Age ~ 89 years 9 months 29 days Funeral Service 1:00 p.m. Saturday, February 6, 2010 Solid Rock Assembly of God Church Worthington, Minnesota Officiating ~ Rev. Scott Petersen Organist ~ Rena Dykstra Congregational Singing “Faith of Our Mothers” “Trust and Obey” “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” “Till We Meet Again” Pallbearers Arvilla Sipma Loren Sipma Harlan Sipma Wayne Sipma Calvin Sipma Vern Sipma Rodney Sipma Ronald Sipma Delwyn Sipma Interment Roseland Cemetery Sanborn, Iowa